180 medical students to miss exams for low attendance

Around 180 medical students from two colleges in Mumbai are at risk of not being allowed to take exams due to lack of attendance. The students have approached various channels to request permission to sit for the exams. The colleges have cited attendance criteria and the importance of attending classes for clinical and practical knowledge as reasons for not allowing the students to take the exams.

Mumbai: Around 180 medical students from Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital in Sion and Dr RN Cooper Medical College and General Hospital in Vile Parle are at risk of not being allowed to give exams for lack of attendance.

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The medical undergraduates, 125 from LTMG Sion Hospital and 55 from Cooper Hospital do not have the mandatory attendance because of which the medical colleges have informed them that they will not be allowed to appear in the examination, which is next month. The students have approached various channels to allow them to sit for the exams, which is next month.

“There were as many as 175 medical students who did not fulfil the attendance criteria. However, on humanitarian grounds, we have considered a few cases. Still, 125 medical students won’t be allowed to appear for the October exam,” said a senior official from LTMG Sion Hospital.

It is said that many of the medical students had 35-40% attendance. “The students were sensitised and counselled on the rules and regulations to qualify for the exams. We also had taken undertakings from students on the same. We also have a WhatsApp group with parents where the attendance status is put regularly. So, the parents were aware of the low attendance. Why did they not speak to their children?” said another senior official from Cooper Hospital.

An undergraduate medical curriculum includes lectures, practicals, tutorial and clinical classes and a student requires 75% attendance to appear for a theory paper and 80% attendance to attend practical sessions.

A study published in the Journal of Education and Health Promotion in December 2022 on absenteeism among undergraduate medical students and its impact on academic performance quoted lack of subject matter interest, poor teaching strategies, unfavourable learning environment class and examination schedule, quality of teaching materials, assessment methods, lifestyle-related pressures and poor relations with lecturers as few of the reasons.

“We have received correspondence from the parents of these medical students and asked the dean of their respective medical colleges to look into the matter,” said Dr Sudhakar Shinde, additional municipal commissioner, BMC.

Dr Madhuri Kanitkar, vice-chancellor of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) said, “It is the dean’s responsibility to look after the attendance of the student. MUHS will look after the issue only if the medical college refers the issue to us. Earlier, as a dean of Armed Force Medical College, I was also strict with the attendance as these medical students are future doctors and we need to prepare them. It is observed that the medical students skip lectures and attend private tuitions.”