College dropouts fuel student narcotics network

College dropouts fuel student narcotics network 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai : College dropouts have been key players in drawing younger students into narcotics use and trade near SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) in Tambaram, say investigators after Saturday’s drug bust. These dropouts targeted students, luring them with cheaper prices for ganja and connecting them to peddlers in states such as Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. Students would bring ganja back by train whenever they returned from their hometowns, discreetly distributing small quantities among peers. 

An investigating officer from Tambaram police said the influence of these dropouts normalised drug use among students. Police found hookah pipes and related equipment in 90% of the flats raided on Satuday. Acting on a tip-off, Tambaram city police commissioner Abhin Dinesh Modak ordered the raid on flats predominantly occupied by students. More than 1,000 police per sonnel conducted searches across 500 flats, seizing ganja and other narcotic substances. 

The operation led to the registration of 20 cases and the arrest of 21 individuals, including 11 students from SRMIST and Selvamani, a 29-year-old history-sheeter. Of the 21 arrested, 11 students were released on bail, while the others, including Selvamani, were remanded in judicial custody. Police have urged college authorities to monitor student activities closely and report any suspicious behaviour. They stressed the need for stricter oversight to protect vulnerable students from addiction and criminal influences.

New MBBS curriculum fails to protect rights of disabled, LGBTQ+, says activists

New MBBS curriculum fails to protect rights of disabled, LGBTQ+, says activists

The revised MBBS curriculum proposed by the National Medical Council (NMC) has sparked controversy.

Kavita Bajeli-Datt

Updated on:01 Sep 2024, 11:06 p

NEW DELHI: The MBBS students in the 2024 course will be taught that sodomy and lesbianism are unnatural sexual offences and transvestism is a sexual perversion along with fetishism, voyeurism, sadism, necrophagia, masochism, exhibitionism, frotteurism and necrophilia.

The revised MBBS curriculum proposed by the National Medical Council (NMC) has sparked controversy, with activists arguing that it does not adequately safeguard the rights of individuals with disabilities and those who identify as LGBTQ.

Dr Satendra Singh, a prominent disability activist, has expressed his dismay with the revised guidelines, arguing that they have regressed the progress made in recent years towards the inclusion of people with disabilities and LGBTQ rights.

Speaking with this paper, Dr Singh, who is also a Director Professor of the Department of Physiology, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, said, “The MBBS curriculum for 2024 is a significant letdown in social responsibility."

"With great difficulty and judicial advocacy, we succeeded in including disability and LGBTQ rights in the new competency-based medical education curriculum.”

However, the current revision has undone all of our hard work and the statutory provisions of disability and transgender legislation, he said, adding that the NMC has violated the Transgender Persons Protection Act 2019.

“The future Indian medical graduate must be socially accountable, not someone trained in outdated and archaic concepts,” Dr Singh said and highlighted the absence of healthcare professionals from the LGBTQIA+ community in the NMC committee addressing queer issues.

He also added that the NMC has suddenly removed the seven hours of disability competencies from the foundation course, which was heralded as best practice globally. This violates Section 39 (2)(f) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 mandating the inclusion of the rights of disabled in the curriculum of universities, colleges and schools.

The NMC took note of LGBTQ rights only after reprimands from the Madras and Kerala high courts. Following the rap, NMC issued directives to all medical universities to refrain from endorsing materials containing unscientific, derogatory, or discriminatory content regarding the LGBTQ community.

However, activists said, the updated guidelines have failed to incorporate earlier suggestions to ensure the curriculum is inclusive and supports LGBTQ individuals.

Dr Singh has now submitted requests for information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, highlighting the need for transparency in the discussions and decision-making process behind the new guidelines.

Despite submitting multiple recommendations to the NMC to incorporate best practices, the latest revisions could be much better, argued activists.

Dr Prof (Dr) Aqsa Shaikh, Professor of Community Medicine, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, said, “NMC had itself issued the new curriculum for forensic medicine and weeded out queerphobic content from the medical curriculum after being directed by Madras High Court.”

“But in the latest edition of its guidelines, it still seems to be frozen in time in pre- 377 abrogation era and calling sexual acts like anal sex, oral sex as unnatural sexual offences, and adultery as crime and transvestism as a sexual fetish,” Dr Shaikh, who identified herself as a transgender woman, told this paper.

“This is ridiculous and the only way to undo harm is for NMC to issue an urgent corrigendum to correct this blunder. This is highly insulting to the marginalised LGBTQIA+ Indian community and contempt of court,” she said.

What’s needed is a collaborative review of the curriculum to weed out all the queerphobic content and make the curriculum more inclusive for queer people so that future medicos are competent to care for the health of LGBTQIA+ patients, she said.

“The 470-page document defeats the purpose and adds insult to the injury done by the queerphobic medical education system and healthcare system,” Dr Shaikh added.

NMC CBME Guidelines 2024: Clinical training will follow the learner-doctor method throughout all phases.

NMC CBME Guidelines 2024: Clinical training will follow the learner-doctor method throughout all phases.

NDTV  2.9.24

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has released the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Curriculum Guidelines 2024. These guidelines mark a significant update to the Graduate Medical Education Regulations (GMER), initially introduced in 1997 and revised in 2023.

The new guidelines aim to enhance medical education by incorporating feedback from five years of CBME implementation. They focus on making education more learner-centric, patient-oriented, and aligned with global standards. The curriculum emphasizes integrating subjects both horizontally and vertically, shifting from broad competencies to specific end-of-phase subject competencies.

Key features of the updated guidelines include:

Ethical and Communication Skills: The introduction of a dedicated longitudinal program, 'AETCOM' (Attitude, Ethics, and Communication), aims to enhance ethical values, responsiveness to patient needs, and communication skills.

Holistic Education: The curriculum seeks to produce graduates proficient in preventive, promotive, curative, and rehabilitative care, addressing emerging healthcare issues and adapting to advancements in science and technology.

National and Institutional Goals: The guidelines outline national goals for Indian Medical Graduates (IMGs), including fulfilling social obligations, understanding health policies, and developing a scientific temper. Institutional goals focus on creating competent professionals capable of managing various health problems and working effectively in healthcare teams.

The revised curriculum also addresses:

Competency-Based Training: Graduates are expected to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of human health, ethical principles, and national health policies. They must be skilled in patient history taking, physical examination, and clinical problem-solving.

Leadership and Teamwork: Emphasis is placed on working effectively within healthcare teams and leading efforts to improve healthcare delivery and patient safety.

Communication: The curriculum underscores the importance of clear, compassionate communication with patients, families, and colleagues.

Eligibility Criteria for Professional Examinations

To qualify for professional examinations, students must meet the following requirements:

Attendance:Theory: A minimum of 75% attendance is required in theory classes.

Practical/Clinical: At least 80% attendance is necessary in practical and clinical sessions.

For subjects taught across multiple phases, students must achieve 75% attendance in theory and 80% in practicals for each phase.

AETCOM: Students must maintain 75% attendance in AETCOM and 80% attendance in family visits as part of the Family Adoption Program, with each student required to adopt at least three, preferably five, families.

In cases where an exam covers multiple subjects (e.g., General Surgery and its allied branches), a minimum of 75% attendance is required for each subject and its related branches, with 80% attendance needed for each clinical posting.

Students lacking at least 75% attendance in electives will not be eligible for the Third Professional - Part II examination or NExT.

Internal Assessment (IA):

Internal assessment is based on daily performance, including assignments, seminar preparation, clinical case presentations, problem-solving exercises, and community health projects.

Format: Both subjective and objective evaluations are included. IA scores are reported separately from summative assessments and are listed in a distinct column on the marks card.

Marks Distribution:

General Medicine: IA is divided across phases: Phase II (50 marks), Phase III Part I (50 marks), and Phase III Part II (100 marks) with subdivisions in Medicine (75 marks), Psychiatry (13 marks), and Dermatology (12 marks).

General Surgery: IA is divided into Phase II (25 marks), Phase III Part I (25 marks), and Phase III Part II (150 marks) with subdivisions in General Surgery (75 marks), Orthopedics (50 marks), Anesthesia (13 marks), and Radiodiagnosis (12 marks).

Forensic Medicine and Toxicology: IA consists of 25 marks in Phase II and 75 marks in Phase III Part I, totaling 100 marks for theory and practical.

Community Medicine: IA is distributed as 25 marks in Phase I, 25 marks in Phase II, and 50 marks in Phase III Part I, totaling 100 marks for theory and practical.

Ophthalmology and ENT: IA is divided into 25 marks in Phase II and 75 marks in Phase III Part I, totaling 100 marks for theory and practical for each subject.

Passing Criteria:

Overall: Candidates must achieve a cumulative score of 50% in university-conducted exams, including both theory and practicals.

Separate Sections: A minimum of 40% must be obtained in both theory and practical sections individually. For subjects with two papers, students must secure at least 40% in aggregate across both papers.

NMC withdraws nod for private med college, TN loses 100 seats

NMC withdraws nod for private med college, TN loses 100 seats

The selection committee of the Directorate of Medical Education is attempting to find ways to accommodate them in other colleges.

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The last-minute notice by the National Medical Commission (NMC) about the withdrawal of permission to 100 MBBS seats in the new Kanniyakumari Madras Medical Mission Research Centre has put the state government in a fix. Under the 7.5% reservation category, five government school students have already taken up admission in said college. The selection committee of the Directorate of Medical Education is attempting to find ways to accommodate them in other colleges.

The NMC withdrew the permission following a writ petition filed before the New Delhi High Court against the college and its trust, alleging that the land on which the building is constructed is disputed. Further, it put on hold, the letter of permission to the college dated July 4.

The NMC told the selection committee to ensure that students are not admitted to the college during the ongoing counselling until further communication. The 100 seats in the college comprise 60 government quota seats, 30 management and five under the 7.5% quota.

The selection committee said that since the counselling is being conducted online, students in the general category will be offered seats in other colleges. As per the committee’s revised seat matrix, there are 6,630 MBBS government seats and 1,683 BDS seats in the state. Under the 7.5% quota, 496 MBBS seats and 126 BDS seats are available.

Thesis approval not a must for postgraduate medical students to sit in exams, says NMC

Thesis approval not a must for postgraduate medical students to sit in exams, says NMC  

The move is aimed at curbing mental health issues and alleged harassment, besides easing work pressure

Priyanka Sharma

Published30 Aug 2024, 06:11 PM IST

The May survey of 5,337 postgraduate students revealed that around 51.8% of respondents faced challenges regarding their thesis-related work, while 11.6% experienced exploitation.(Mint)

New Delhi: India’s top medical education regulator has said that the approval and acceptance of thesis is not mandatory for students to appear in the final postgraduate examination—a move aimed at curbing mental health issues and ease work pressure.

Students will submit their thesis to the university through the head of department (HoD) and dean of the medical college, according to a letter Dr Vijay Oza, president of the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) Post Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB), wrote to medical colleges.

“The student cannot be prevented from appearing in the examination if he has not obtained approval of thesis from HoD,” said the letter reviewed by Mint.

The regulator’s directions are aimed at addressing concerns about mental health and alleged harassment of postgraduate medical students by HoDs. There have been incidents of students dying by suicide in Dehradun, Patiala and Bhopal. The NMC’s bid to ease pressure on students also comes in the backdrop of the ongoing agitation by the medical education community over the rape and murder of a young female doctor in Kolkata.

The PGMEB reminded medical colleges about the requirement to complete the final postgraduation examination by 31 December.

In a meeting with representatives from various health universities in July, the regulator was apprised of concerns about the dissertation and thesis being a prerequisite for appearing in the final examination for the postgraduation batch of 2021.

The regulator had clarified that, according to the provisions of Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER), 2023, all specialty and super-specialty students will conduct and write a thesis based on research.

“The thesis now accounts for 5% of the total marks in the clinical/practical and viva voce components, meaning 20 marks out of the total marks allocated for these components are reserved for the thesis,” Dr Oza wrote in the latest letter.

Earlier, there were no marks for thesis, but approval by the HoD or dean was a prerequisite to appear in the final examination. A student whose thesis was not approved couldn’t take the examination.

“External examiner outside the state will evaluate the thesis and take viva voce on it and marks will be given on quality of thesis and performance on its viva voce,” the letter said, adding that this change in the guidelines will help with the quality of thesis-related research work.

Mental health worries

Mint earlier reported about 15.3% of the postgraduate medical students suffer from mental health disorders, with 31.2% found to have considered suicide, according to a survey conducted by the NMC.

The May survey of 5,337 postgraduate students revealed that around 51.8% of respondents faced challenges regarding their thesis-related work, while 11.6% experienced exploitation.

About 8.2% students reported delays in thesis submission by their guides, which can contribute to increased stress and potentially impact their academic progress; 7.5% encountered requests for data manipulation, suggesting ethical concerns within certain thesis supervisory relationships.

The most common request was for better faculty guidance with 36.5% asking for it, followed by the desire to remove thesis altogether (23.4%). About 20.8% students desired extra time to complete their thesis and 12.7% sought financial support.

NEWS TO DAY 01.09.2024

 

Govt increases stipends of interns, resident doctors

Govt increases stipends of interns, resident doctors

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK  1.9.2024 

Ahmedabad : In a significant move, the state govt on Saturday announced its decision to hike the stipends for interns and resident doctors following the recent salary hike for contract-based specialist doctors at various healthcare facilities. The decision will benefit those pursuing undergraduate, postgraduate, and superspecialty programmes at the state’s six govt and 13 GMERS-managed medical colleges. 

The stipend hike comes after a gap of about three years and will come into effect from April 1, 2024. Students have been demanding a stipend hike and had made several representations to the state health department. The stipend rates have been increased for interns and residents in medical, dental, physiotherapy, homeopathy, and Ayurveda programmes. 

According to the new rates, medical interns in govt medical colleges will receive Rs 21,840 per month, dental interns Rs 20,160, physiotherapy interns Rs 13,440, and ayurveda and homeopathy interns Rs 15,120 as stipends. Medical residents with degrees will receive stipends ranging from Rs 1,00,800 per month in the first year to Rs 1,10,880 in the fourth year and as clinical assistants. Superspecialty medical residents will be entitled to stipends starting from Rs 1,20,960 in the first year and increasing to Rs 1,34,400 in the third year. Dental degree residents will receive stipends ranging from Rs 78,960 to Rs 83,496 per month, while physiotherapy degree residents will get Rs 35,280 in the first year and Rs 43,680 in the second year. Medical diploma resident doctors will get Rs 75,600 in the first year and Rs 82,320 in the second year as stipends. 

In the ayurvedic course, postgraduate resident doctors will get stipends starting from Rs 50,400 in the first year and increasing to Rs 57,120 in the third year. The stipend hike also extends to interns and residents at GMERS-managed medical colleges. Interns in undergraduate programmes will receive Rs 21,840, while junior residents will receive Rs 1,00,800, and senior residents will receive Rs 1,10,880.