“You don’t take an impression, you make the impression….” was the dictum popularized by Dr. S M Joshi Sir and it still echoes in ears of his innumerable students when they make a conventional impression
Mr. Mahadeo Joshi, head clerk in Income tax department and his homemaker wife Indumati Joshi were blessed with a baby boy on 27th August 1931 and lovingly named the boy Subhash who later became famous as Dr. S M Joshi
After his school education in Chikitsak Samuha’s Shirodkar High School, Girgaum, Mumbai he joined Sir C E M Dental College Bombay in 1951 for the BDS course
After his graduation he joined the Govt College as a faculty member. In 1959 MDS was started in Sir CEM Dental College Mumbai in Prosthetic Dentistry where in Dr S M Joshi, Dr A K Das, Dr Ishar Singh Ahluwalia, Dr S B Master and Dr V K Khanna joined for MDS under the legendary teacher Dr T M Udani. After MDS he continued his job and later in 1970 he was deputed to the University of Minitoba in Canada under Commonwealth Fellowship Scheme for the advanced training in Prosthodontics.
He has worked as Professor and Head in GDCH Nagpur and Mumbai. He has developed excellent Museum in Nagpur. Dr S M Joshi took voluntary retirement on 17 March 1981.
Later he had worked in Benghazi, Libya, Davangere, SDM Dharwad, DYP Dental College Pune, MGV Dental College Nashik and Sinhagad Dental college Pune.
Dr S M Joshi was a great, excellent, dedicated teacher. He was known for his style of teaching, command over language, discipline and meticulous work. He had an excellent command over the theoretical knowledge and possessed superb dexterity and skill amply displayed in clinical and laboratory work. There was so much to learn from him observing his pre-clinical demonstration and the clinical work.
He was the epitome of cleanliness, orderliness and precision. Attaining perfection was so natural to him and could very well guide his deserving and desiring students’ easier ways to reach there.
He was way ahead of others in India when it came to being student-centered. All his academic and administrative actions were to facilitate learning. He used to regularly take feedback from students on teachers, library, equipment, hostel, mess, canteen and everything else.
As an administrator, he was a strict disciplinarian, great communicator, a meticulous planner, very well-organized, and upright and humane. He was affectionate and loving to the students and the colleagues.
He was the President of IDA Nagpur Branch and played a major role in successfully organizing 14 IDA MSB conference in Nagpur in 1974-75. He was the Member of IPS and executive committee member for 2 years. He was also Chairman organizing committee of IPS conference held in Pune.
He was equally interested in theatre and literature. He was always involved in Marathi Vangmay Mandal. He had a great passion for photography and very fluent in many Indian and foreign languages. He had many publications to his credit and also written a chapter on Occlusion in a text book.
A dedicated, loving and affectionate teacher passed away on 8th January 2022 in Pune. Good bye Prof Dr S M Joshi Sir. Our salutation and tributes to the legend in Prosthodontics Prof Dr S M Joshi.
Dr Suresh Meshram