Medical council proposes degree to eclipse MBBS

Entrance examination for PG courses will be abolished. PG students will be selected on the basis of marks obtained at the under-graduate level as well as the marks obtained in the internship to get the IMG.

Indian Medical Graduates will be the basic doctors who can practise anywhere in the country. Medical students have to sit at the MBBS examination after four and half years, which will be an evaluation of theory papers.

The MBBS test would be followed by one year of internship in hospitals at the end of which there will an exit test — licentiate examination — which a students has to clear to get an IMG degree. No medical student can not practise without an IMG degree.

For the PG course, students will be selected from a national-level merit list that will be prepared taking marks obtained in theory test and in the licentiate test into account. The MCI proposes to change the contours of the PG programme.

The MCI would like to implement the new reforms as optional from 2013 and want to make it mandatory from 2017. However, the government has to approve these reforms.
“We have submitted our proposal and roll-out plan to the government in January. The curricula is ready and we want to start it from 2012,” S K Sarin, Chairman of the MCI Board of Governors said here on Tuesday.

The MCI board met more than 300 medical education officials including vice chancellors, principals and directors of medical education. According to Sarin, all gave thumbs up to most of the reforms in UG and PG medical courses.

In the UG programme, students will have to do a foundation course for two months in which they will be taught on medical ethics, communication, health economics, biohazards and environmental issues.

In the PG programme, the MCI suggests introducing a new two-year M Med scheme, which will be the base unit for further education. After obtaining M Med — basic degree in PG medical courses in the new proposal — students will have the option of getting, MD, dual degrees, PhD and DM depending on how many years they are putting in the programme. To get MD and PhD as well as MD and DM, students have to study for three more years after M Med whereas to receive a MD degree, they will have to spent just one more year extra.

At the end of two-year M Med, students will be given an option of serving at rural centres or district hospitals, which will secure 5 per cent extra marks for them if they want to pursue the MD, PhD or DM courses.