“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” Henry Adams

The Inaugural Dato’ Dr Abdul Samad Sakijan Radiology Quiz Challenge was won by University Malaya. The 2nd and 3rd places were University Sains Malaysia and University Kebangsaan Malaysia respectively. The winners won the Challenge Trophy and RM300, whilst 2nd and 3rd place were awarded RM200 and RM100 respectively. He was the quiz master and had prepared the “spot diagnosis” slides of plain radiographs, with a maximum of 30 seconds for the quiz participants (2 second year Radiology trainees from each university) to answer. The first participant to press the “buzzer” and give an all correct answer was awarded 1 point. There was a time keeper and a score keeper. The audience, made up of many of his students - now full fledged radiologists, and his peers enjoyed the quiz session that also served as a revision of plain film pearls in Radiology. Naturally the various university trainees/residents were there to support their representatives on stage. The friendly competition brought laughter and an opportunity to learn! All the quiz participants had to wait another day for the announcement of the results.

This is a fitting legacy to Dato’ Dr Abdul Samad. He was a member of the pioneering team that set up and ran the first Post Graduate Radiology Programme in Malaysia (University Kebangsaan Malaysia – UKM). Dato’ Dr Abdul Samad was responsible for revamping the initial programme so that it incorporated the format used by The Royal College of Radiologists, United Kingdom and the general requirement of the postgraduate programmes in the Medical Faculty of UKM, during the second year of the programme. He was in charge of running the programme until he stood down as Head of the Radiology Department in UKM. The current format of the post graduate programme in Radiology evolved from the revamped programme which served as the basic template.

The CoR is delighted with Dato’ Dr Abdul Samad Sakijan’s brainchild and is grateful for his donation of the trophy and cash prizes. He tells us that it was a “light bulb” moment when this idea of holding a radiology trainee quiz came to him. This positive activity will encourage Radiology trainees to participate in the CoR’s annual scientific meeting and the friendly competition should spur the trainees to excel.

The Quiz was part of the scientific programme for the CoR’s Annual Scientific Meeting, held from 9-10 April 2011.