Encourage undergrads to carry out research: Defence medical college, Pune

Director and Commandant of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, Air Marshal GS Joneja, said that undergraduate medical students should be encouraged to participate in research.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the two-day national conference, Golden Jubilee Illuminati 2011, organised by the department of internal medicine, AFMC on Saturday. Air Marshal Joneja said, “Undergraduate students should inculcate the habit of research at the earliest and update themselves with technological advances happening around them.”

Over 400 undergraduate students from more than 35 medical colleges across India are participating in the conference. There were nearly 120 paper presentations by undergraduate students. The event includes intercollegiate quizzes, debate and symposiums.

There was genuine enthusiasm among the participants. Ankit Kumar, a second year MBBS student of AFMC, made a poster presentation and said it was a good idea to introduce undergraduates to research. “The earlier we are given experience in research, the better will be our understanding in the field,” he said.

Several students agreed with Ankit. “The country needs research scholars who try their hand in unexplored areas in the field of medical science,” said Aparna Setia, a second year MBBS student of the Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences (Rural Medical College).

Founder director, Institute of Bioinformatics, Bangalore, Akhilesh Pandey, one of the speakers at the event, emphasised on the importance of genetic sequencing. “There are many unexplored areas of research in medical science. The students need to look at these areas and ensure that India remains competitive in the latest sequencing race,” he said.