From watching a Hollywood sci-fi action film to relishing an exciting match of cricket, students of Patna Medical College could not have dreamt of a better way to observe their foundation day on Monday.

The cine society of Patna Medical College organised the screening of Lucy, an English science fiction directed by Luc Besson in which a woman gains psychokinetic abilities from a drug being absorbed into her blood.

A cricket match was also organised in which students of Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical sciences (IGIMS) and the host college played against each other. The hosts won the match by 50 runs.

Vikas Kumar, a postgraduate student of Patna Medical College, who scored 14 runs and scalped a wicket was declared Man of the Match.

Mahendra Yadav, the secretary of the athletics society of Patna Medical College and a final-year MBBS student of the college, said the cricket match had many thrilling moments.

Divulging details of the foundation day programme, Patna Medical College principal S.N. Sinha said: 'Programmes related to the foundation day got underway on Monday. The different societies of the college - athletic, surgical and cine - are scheduled to organise various types of events during the 10-day schedule, which include quiz contest, film screening, cricket match and cultural programmes. The main foundation day-cum-alumni meet would be held on February 24 and 25. Around 100 alumni members from outside the state and even abroad are scheduled to take part in the programme,' said Sinha.

He said around 50 alumni members would arrive from foreign countries for the programme.

Mansi Kumar, a final-year MBBS student of Patna Medical College, who is also the college foundation day secretary, said: 'On February 24, five orations would be organised in which the college alumni would be the speakers, including Ashish Mukherjee, an orthopaedic surgeon practising in Delhi. S.N. Arya, Gopal Prasad Sinha, Manju Gita Mishra, all alumni members of the college, would take part in the programme.'

A free health camp would be organised by the college from February 28 to March 2 on the campus in which students and doctors of all the departments would conduct health check-up of poor patients. This programme would also be part of the foundation day celebrations of the college.

Patna Medical College was set up as Temple Medical School in 1874. At that time, Licentiate Medical Practitioner (LMP), a four-year course was conducted in the college, which used to function out of the BN College building.

In 1890, the college shifted to its present campus. The college got the status of a medical college on February 25, 1925, and was named as Prince of Wales Medical College. The first batch of 35 students was transferred from Calcutta Medical College to Prince of Wales Medical College, Patna.

'Mahatma Gandhi's granddaughter Ela Gandhi's appendix operation was performed at the college hospital in 1932-33. Former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar's tonsil operation was also performed in 1967-68. This medical college hospital has always been torch-bearer in the health services in this country,' said Sinha.