Doctor’s body raises concerns about unemployment among PG students

MARD representatives said since there are more eligible candidates, around 1,100 students will be unemployed for three to four months. Dr Pravin Dhage, who represented PG doctors in the meeting with DMER said, “There are 14 PG specialty (courses), and in most of the courses, the number of seats is much less than the number of qualified candidates. Many of us will be unemployed for a while, and completing the bond is compulsory.”

Mumbai: A day after the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) released the list of available seats for senior residency and qualified postgraduates (PG) doctors, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) raised concerns over many facing unemployment as eligible candidates are more than the number of seats.

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MARD representatives said since there are more eligible candidates, around 1,100 students will be unemployed for three to four months. Dr Pravin Dhage, who represented PG doctors in the meeting with DMER said, “There are 14 PG specialty (courses), and in most of the courses, the number of seats is much less than the number of qualified candidates. Many of us will be unemployed for a while, and completing the bond is compulsory.”

Only doctors with at least a year’s experience as senior residents are eligible to become assistant professors in medical colleges, according to the norms of the National Medical Commission. While the number of PG seats keeps increasing, the number of senior resident posts has not increased much, leaving several PG doctors without senior residency.

The bond will be allotted to the respective students as per the merit list after August 16. There are 98 preventive science medicine PG candidates waiting for posting and there are 40 seats available. Similarly, for anaesthesia posting, there are 167 seats and there are 210 candidates. In gynaecology, there are only 140 seats against 194 candidates.

“There was a similar issue last year and close to 600 PG doctors had to suffer unemployment for two to three months. After MARD went on strike, the medical education department had assured that the number of PG seats would be increased by 1,432. This year, more than 1,700 doctors have cleared the exams, and the situation remains the same,” Dr Vardhaman Rothe, president of MARD (BMC hospitals), said.

While medical graduates are in their three-year PG programme (MD/MS/DNB), their job description is that of a junior resident. Upon completion of the degree, they are eligible for a senior resident post. This is an essential requirement for PG students of government medical colleges who need to complete a one-year bond working for the state government, after which they can opt to go into academics or a private job.

MARD said it is a matter of concern as apart from the crisis of unemployment among PG doctors, it also means that they won’t be able to serve patients. “In January this year, the medical education department issued a GR announcing 1,432 additional seats. If they had stuck to the promise, this year, we doctors would not have faced this issue,” Dr Dhage said.

While Dr Ajay Chandanwale, DMER director, did not respond, a senior DMER official said they are looking into the matter and meeting the MARD representatives on Friday.