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CHENNAI: More than 700 medical colleges in India admit 1.10 lakh students but alarmingly 50% of them lack sufficient faculty, said Indian Medical Association President Dr Sharad Kumar Agarwal, at the 13th ThinkEdu Conclave, presented by SASTRA University, on the prevalent issues within the Indian medical education system in Chennai on Thursday. This revelation sparks concerns about the overall quality of education provided in these medical institutions, pointing to a critical issue that demands immediate attention and reform.The panel on “The Right Prescription: Revamping Medical Education” on the second day of the conclave included Dr S Sacchidanand, former vice-chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Dr Sharad Kumar Agarwal, National President, of Indian Medical Association, and Dr Sudha Seshayyan, Director, SASTRA University. It was chaired by senior journalist Kaveree Bamzai. Speaking at the panel on the second day of the conclave, Dr Sacchidanand pointed out the existing gaps between the medical curriculum and societal requirements. The panelist stressed that the curriculum of medical education in India needs to be tailored to address societal needs.“There exists a disparity between the curriculum taught in medical colleges and the pressing societal needs. It is imperative to customise our curriculum to address the current challenges faced by the public. Issues such as malnutrition, anaemia in women, leprosy, and tuberculosis persist and demand focused attention in our educational approach,” said Dr Sacchidanand. Dr Seshayyan highlighted the inadequate access to quality healthcare facilities in rural India and suggested the inclusion of value-based education in the curriculum to motivate students to work in rural setups.“Managing patients individually in a rural setting differs significantly from supervising cases in a well-established setup. These are the aspects where medical education in India requires enhancement. We must inspire students to engage in rural practice, and there needs to be an inclusion of value-based education within the curriculum to facilitate this,” expressed Dr Seshayyan. The panelists underscored the importance of skill and competency-based learning in medical education. “In the past, medical education prioritised knowledge, followed by skills and attitude. However, I propose a reversal of this approach. We should now focus primarily on cultivating the right attitude. This way, we train our students not only in what they know but also in how they interact with patients. Moreover, we aim to produce doctors who are doers, emphasising the importance of training students in skill development,” articulated Dr Sacchidanand, reflecting on the evolving priorities in medical education.
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India admits 1.10 lakh medical students but 50% colleges lack sufficient faculty: IMA head at ThinkEdu
