Medical university dean summoned over certificates

TNN | Updated: Aug 22, 2018, 08:52 IST

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Medical Council has summoned the dean of a deemed universityfor discrepancies in the internship completion certificates the varsity issued to at least three students who passed out in 2017 and 2018.

All MBBS students must complete compulsory rotatory residential internship for a year in hospitals attached to the college or any approved hospital. During the internship, students are given ‘temporary’ registration certificates and will have to show completion certifications to register as doctors.

In April, a student from Saveetha Medical College and Hospital approached the council for permanent registration. “In January, the student had applied for six months extension to complete her internship. But he is said to have completed the course by April,” said council president Dr K Senthil. The student produced two certificates that had discrepancies pertaining to the dates on which he attended some wards. The council also found at least two other students whose certificates had similar discrepancies.

On Tuesday, the council’s disciplinary committee summoned hospital dean Dr T Gunasagaran about one of the students. During inquiry, Gunasagaran said the student was irregular and that he approached the council for a six-month extension after completing nine months of internship.

“It was only to ensure that if he further absented himself he did not have to go back for extension. I told them I had no mala fide intentions,” Gunasagaran told TOI. “At our university at least 30% of students are given repeat internships because we give rigorous training.”

The committee, however, asked the college to submit daily log sheets of the student’s work in a week. “It is important to maintain log sheets to prove the student had adequate attendance,” said Senthil.

The council has also decided that it will not register students without checking their names on the registers of medical colleges, universities and Medical Council of India. “This will ensure there are no fake certificates or registrations,” Senthil said.