In a move aimed at increasing presence of specialists in districts, the Centre has made it mandatory for all postgraduate medical students pursuing MD (doctor of medicine) and MS (master in surgery) to serve three months at district hospitals, as part of their studies.
The board of governors of Medical Council of India (BoG-MCI) recently notified new postgraduate medical education regulations that include the district residency programme, which will be implemented from the 2020-21 academic year.
“It is a part of reforms that government has undertaken in the medical education sector to ensure there’s no shortage of doctors, nurses and specialists. Under the district residency programme, all postgraduate trainees or residents who pursue the three-year-long MD or MS course, will be asked, either in the second year or early in the third year, for three months to work in district hospitals as a compulsory part of their training, as a rule,” said Dr VK Paul, chairman, BoG-MCI.
“We feel it is a win-win scheme as it will transform not just learning, but will also transform speciality care at district level,” said Paul.
Medical faculty members said it is a good idea in principle. “Without a monitoring mechanism in place, there is always a possibility that those three months are underutilised. ,” said Dr VK Bahl, former dean (academics), New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
{{/usCountry}}Medical faculty members said it is a good idea in principle. “Without a monitoring mechanism in place, there is always a possibility that those three months are underutilised. ,” said Dr VK Bahl, former dean (academics), New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
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