Tony Britto

Like many of my classmates, my journey after St. Aloysius took unexpected turns—across cities, countries, and continents. Looking back after nearly five decades, I realize that although distance and demanding careers separated us, the friendships and values we shared as Aloysians remained an enduring part of who I am.

After completing PUC, I left Mangalore to study medicine at St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, and gradually lost touch with most of my Aloysian classmates. One remarkable exception was that Kevin Pereira, James (“Jamma”) Fernandes, Joy (Benedict Maliakkal), and I all found ourselves in the same medical class. Considering there were only about 60 students in our batch, having four classmates from the same St. Aloysius class was quite extraordinary.

After my internship, I stayed on at St. John’s as a junior doctor in the Department of Plastic Surgery until an opportunity became available at Father Muller’s Medical College in Mangalore.

My year at Father Muller’s coincided with my selection for the M.S. (General Surgery) program at Wenlock Hospital. Those four years back in Mangalore were particularly meaningful because they gave me the opportunity to reconnect with many of my Aloysian classmates.

After completing my MS in 1988, I returned to St. John’s Medical College as a faculty member in the Department of Surgery. Around the same time, Kevin Pereira also joined St. John’s as faculty in the ENT Department, and once again our paths crossed.

In 1990, I emigrated to Canada, settling initially in the province of Saskatchewan. Coming from India, experiencing my first prairie winter—with temperatures dropping to -45°C—was something I will never forget.

My first six months in Canada were spent preparing for and completing the qualifying examinations required for both Canada and the United States while working in surgical research. At that time, obtaining a residency position in General Surgery was extremely competitive, particularly for internationally trained physicians.

I was offered a residency position in Pediatrics, which I accepted while continuing to stay in touch with the General Surgery program. Sometimes success is a combination of persistence, preparation, and good timing. My previous surgical training and experience were recognized, and I was offered a position in General Surgery. To my surprise, I was appointed Chief Resident in my second year—a role normally reserved for residents in their fifth and final year. During my training, I also completed a six-month fellowship in Colorectal Surgery.

In 1998, I completed my surgical training and earned my Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (FRCSC).

Since then, I have spent my career working in community hospitals across Canada, practicing General Surgery, Trauma Surgery, and Colorectal Surgery. I have always enjoyed the diversity and challenges that come with community-based surgical practice.

My first consultant position was in New Brunswick on Canada’s east coast. It was a wonderful community with warm, welcoming people who reminded me very much of those back home in India. It was also lobster country. During lobster season, patients—many of them fishermen—would often drop fresh lobster off at my office as a gesture of appreciation.

In 2003, our family moved to western Canada. Canada’s vast geography still amazes me—we span six time zones. My first position there was in a remote blue-collar community where winters could be unforgiving. Highways were often closed because of snowstorms and ice, and flights were frequently delayed or cancelled. Despite the challenges, it was an outstanding place to practice surgery.

Around 2008, we moved to a larger community to provide our children with access to better educational opportunities, and I continued my surgical practice there.

My retirement came unexpectedly. One morning, just as I was beginning my workday, I suffered a massive heart attack. Fortunately, I received prompt medical attention, and the fact that it happened at the hospital probably saved my life.

Retirement was difficult because it was never part of my plan. Medicine had been my passion. Outside of work, my focus had always been my family. I had few hobbies and never followed sports, so when I suddenly found myself without work and with my children grown and living their own lives, it took time to adjust.

Over time, I found new purpose through volunteer work, reconnecting with old friends, and rebuilding relationships that I had neglected during the demands of a busy surgical career. WhatsApp has been an unexpected blessing, allowing me to reconnect with classmates after decades apart.

Now, after nearly 50 years, I am looking forward to meeting everyone again—not as doctors, engineers, accountants, or professionals—but simply as classmates and lifelong friends from St. Aloysius, where this remarkable journey first began.