MCI's 3-tier strategy to fight teachers'shortage
The Medical Council of India's Board of Governors has devised a three-tier approach to meet the crisis of medical teachers in the country. Gaurav Saigal reports.
The Medical Council of India's Board of Governors has devised a three-tier approach to meet the crisis of medical teachers in the country. Talking to Hindustan Times on Friday, member BoG Prof RN Salhan said, "The board has decided to outsource teachers from the private sector, employ retired teachers and even draft distance education programme for MBBS to meet shortage of medical teachers."
The BoG, he said, was committed to increase the number of teachers keeping in view the need for more colleges. "We are in the process of adding new courses and opening more specialized centers for certain PG programmes. For this we need more teachers," said Prof Salhan, who was at the CSM Medical University to attend a programme.
Uttar Pradesh alone has a shortage of roughly 100 medical teachers at six medical colleges. Other states too have similar shortage of medical teachers. Under the distance education programme, experts of one place would be engaged with a few medical institutes to deliver lecture. Thus even without being a full-time teacher, the experts can impart knowledge, he said.
Similarly, retired teachers of one college would continue to take classes even after superannuating. Acclaimed physicians and surgeons from the private sector, too, would take classes in medical institutes, according to the decision taken by the BoG that was formed after the MCI got dissolved recently. Commenting upon the common entrance exam for all medical institutes across India, Prof Salhan said adding the system was bound to come despite opposition. "Some states are opposing this formula but the number of supporting states is more. We shall convince those opposing it and then implement it," he said.