SHORTAGE of MEDICAL COLLEGE SEATS

             The present crisis in Ukraine has vividly brought into public knowledge the shortage of an item which was under wraps for half a century:  viz-  Shortages of seats in Professional studies in India: mainly seats in Medical Colleges.

Majority population of India were surprised to know that literally lakhs of our children have to slog it out in obscure countries to acquire a professional degree for their career, for continuing their dreams of life.

If we go by the number of students studying medicine who had to be evacuated from Ukraine alone; the total figure of such students in 15 odd countries would definitely run into several lakhs.

courtsy - Punjab Kesari

Why do they go abroad for medical education ? Numbers tell the real story.

Total medical colleges in India : 595 (302 govt, 218 private, 19 AIIMS, rest deemed etc).

That gives 88,370 seats.

44,555 in government, 43,815 in private, rest others.

Lakhs want to be Doctors. Very few seats created in 75 years.

The main argument against these kids is that they were not bright enough to get admission in India.

 This argument is flawed. To expect anyone to get above 90% in the medical entrance qualifying test is abnormal, atrocious, horrifying and brutal.

 In any course of study, if you get above 60% you get a FIRST DIVISION. And if you get above 75% you get a mention that you achieved a distinction in that subject.

It follows that those getting above 75% are good in their studies and they should be good enough to study medicine. This does not mean that a medical entrance test is unnecessary. The test should be held, but if there are more number of seats the qualifying percentage shall come down from 90% to say 80% or less.

This brings us to the issue of medical seats. The present system is able to absorb only those getting more than 90% in the admission test because of shortage of seats. Students getting less than 90% are not able to get admission in good colleges because there are not enough seats. They have to try it out in private colleges where fee is several times higher.

No one likes to go to an unknown country to study. Also these countries impart medical studies in their own languages which require an extra one year to learn the local language before the actual medical study can begin.

courtsy - MEA

The quality of medical education in these countries was found to be very poor; hence a screening test FMGE was introduced in 2002. ALL students who obtain a medical degree from anywhere outside India have to go through this FMGE screening test if they wish to get registration and start practicing in India. The legality of this test was challenged in courts, but the SC upheld the requirement of FMGE and rejected the petition.

The pass percentage of such “Foreign Medical studied students” in this screening test is an average of 15% only. Even after repeated attempts, those who do not pass the FMGE, work as assistants in hospitals, clinics or leave medicine and enter some other profession. Think of the years wasted by these students; their frustration; the money their parents spent to no fruitful result. It is criminal.

courtsy - @india.in.pixels

India has seen shortages in Wheat, Sugar, Cement and steel which were rationed at a time, but now freely available.

Then came shortages of scooters, telephone connection, cars, which had to be booked and wait for a decade to get it. This has been overcome.

Shortage of Gas cylinders has been eliminated. So has the shortages of several other items.

The problem which we see in evacuation of students from Ukraine boils down to NOT ENOUGH MEDICAL SEATS IN INDIA.

Shortage of medical seats is being overcome to a certain degree in some states – such as Uttar Pradesh by opening a Medical College in every district. But it is not enough. Every state should act on this shortage by opening new medical colleges, for both MBBS and subsequent PG studies. This shall not only eliminate the rush to foreign countries to study medicine (both MBBS and PG), but provide greater availability of doctors all around and also generate employment of associated Para medical staff etc.

There could be shortage of seats in various other professional courses too.  Are we waiting for a Ukraine type crisis to draw our attention to it ?

India is on path to be World Power, a Vishwa Guru. Such matters as have happened (viz : Ukraine), only give us a bad name.