Low demand for pre- & para-clinical course forces colleges to cut fees

Bengaluru: With the demand for Pre- and Para-Clinical Postgraduate courses falling, some medical colleges have announced fee waivers to attract students to fill up vacant
seats. 

Colleges such as Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre and Oxford Medical College Hospital and Research Centre located in Bengaluru have written to Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) announcing fee waiver for those who select pre- and para- clinical seats in the stray vacancy round seat allotment which will be held shortly.

Some colleges, including St John’s Medical College Bengaluru, have reduced the fee for pre- and para- clinical courses for the stray vacancy round. As per the details available, the fee for these courses ranges between Rs 94,025 to Rs 1,94,025. The St John’s Medical College has reduced the same to Rs 68,525.

Pre- and Para- clinical courses include physiology, anatomy, microbiology, community medicine, pathology, forensic medicine and biochemistry. Vydehi institute offered fee waiver for all courses except pathology. 

The data available from the KEA shows that of the 921 pre- and para- clinical PG medical courses available this year, 496 seats are left vacant after mop up round and the KEA is planning for stray vacancy round seat allotment.

However, regarding fee waiver, the KEA authorities said that they cannot consider it. “Actually, we are in dilemma whether to consider fee waiver and fee reduction, because during last year’s seat allotment when few colleges offered free seats after two rounds of counselling, the poor meritorious students who have opted seats in first and second round by paying the full fee have raised objection for the same,” said Prasanna H, Executive Director KEA.

As explained by the experts from the field, the demand has come down to pre- and para-clinical courses because students are of the opinion that they can earn well only if they pursue clinical courses.

Dr Naveen S, Medical Director of Chamundeshwari Medical College-Channapatna, said, “It is because students think they will be fit only for teaching as they lose touch with patients and hospitals for three years. There is a high demand for those who studied pre- and para-clinical courses in medical colleges. We are offering a high salary package for them.”