Dearth of PG seats in government medical colleges

Dearth of PG seats in government medical colleges can be seen after a recent incident where capitation fees of Rs. 1.7 crores was charged for a PG radiology seat, by a private medical college in Navi Mumbai. Medical fraternity is in shock and concerned about the quality of doctors emerging from such deals. The scarcity of PG medical seats is prevailing all over Maharashtra as more than 10,000 contenders are fighting for a little over 1,100 government seats, out of which 250 seats belong to trendy subjects. 

The main cause behind the dearth of PG government seats is the sale of seats by private colleges. Pravin Shingare, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), has denied the reports of seat sale. Nonetheless, he said that the dearth of PG government seats has escalated the demand of private seats. He also stated that, to fulfill the wants of the teachers, government colleges are losing out on PG seats. Trend has changed and ample of students are opting for radiology and orthopedics as it provides experiential and evidence-based learning to students as compared to that clinical based learning.

Radiology is the most coveted and youngest branch of medicine, said by Kishore Taori, a former president of the All India Radiological and Imaging Association. This subject has gone to the level of becoming an industry and various radiologists are joining hands to set up their own diagnostic centers to compete with corporate hospitals. Most favourite subjects like general medicine and surgery have seen a sudden decline as these branches require further specializations. It all came to head recently, when a student ended up his life after failing to get a seat in pediatrics. The competition is becoming hardnosed when it comes to super-specialty fields.

As per some medicals students, the price tag of private seats is soaring high as Rs.2 crore in courses like neurology, gastroenterology, cardiology, and nephrology. Dr. K.S.Sharma suggested that, a single entrance test can go a long way, to eradicate the darker side in medical education.

Source:Richha Bhatnagar
Date: 18th August, 2011