India ahead of UK in medicine: Medical Council of India

While India is planning to hold centralised medical entrance exams in 2013, the UK medical education authority will require eight years to carry out the same. “So in this sense, India is ahead,” says Dr SK Sarin, chairman of the board of governors of Medical Council of India (MCI).

Sarin spoke about the need for more specialists in the country, plans to establish a regional teacher training centre and a need to include communication skills in medical undergraduate courses.
He rued that the country lacked specialists. “We have 35,000 seats for undergraduate courses, but only 11,000 for postgraduates. We hope to change this so that our students will not have to go abroad for PG courses,” he said.

He said that the MCI has introduced a Master of Medicine examination, for postgraduate students, as a two-year course after MBBS. They will be trained to enhance their clinical skills rather than just basic research. They will also be given additional 5% marks when they apply for an MD or MS.

Sarin said that the MCI had set up a committee to study the possibilities of introducing a common examination pattern. He also said that changes will be made in the PG courses and residency programmes.

Through the common entrance examination, the MCI is planning to introduce the concept of an Indian Medical Graduate. Anyone who passes out of a medical college in India will be known as an Indian Medical Graduate.