Tuesday, June 30, 2009

 An evaluation of the performance in the UK Royal College

 An evaluation of the performance in the UK Royal College of Anaesthetists primary examination by UK medical school and gender.There has been comparatively little consideration of the impact that the changes to undergraduate curricula might have on postgraduate academic performance. This study compares the performance of graduates by UK medical school and gender in the Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) section of the first part of the Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (FRCA) examination.Methods: Data from each sitting of the MCQ section of the primary FRCA examination from June 1999 to May 2008 were analysed for performance by medical school and gender.Results: There were 4983 attempts at the MCQ part of the examination by 3303 graduates from the 19 United Kingdom medical schools.Using the standardised overall mark minus the pass mark, graduates from five medical schools performed significantly better thanthe mean for the group and five schools performed significantly worse than the mean for the group. Males performed significantly better than females in all aspects of the MCQ - physiology, mean difference = 3.0% (95% CI 2.3, 3.7), p <0.001; pharmacology, mean difference = 1.7% (95% CI 1.0, 2.3), p <0.001; physics with clinical measurement, mean difference = 3.5% (95% CI 2.8, 4.1),p <0.001; overall mark, mean difference = 2.7% (95% CI 2.1, 3.3), p <0.001; and standardised overall mark minus the pass mark, mean difference = 2.5% (95% CI 1.9, 3.1), p <0.001.Graduates from three medical schools that have undergone the change from Traditional to Problem Based Learning curricula did notshow any change in performance in any aspects of the MCQ pre and post curriculum change.Conclusions: Graduates from each of the medical schools in the UK do show differences in performance in the MCQ section of the primary FRCA, but significant curriculum change does not lead to deterioration in post graduate examination performance. Whilst females now outnumber males taking the MCQ, they are not performing as well as the males.Author: Andrew BowhaySimon WatmoughCredits/Source: BMC Medical Education 2009, 9:38Published on: 2009-06-29Copyright by the authors listed above - made available viaBioMedCentral(Open Access)

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Uk cases of swine flu croses 2000 mark

(RTTNews) - Health Protection Agency on saturday said UK cases of swine flu crossed 2,000 mark, confirming 247 cases with the virus.
The agency added that a total of 2,244 people have now been diagnosed with the virus since April. Most of the cases were reported in England.
India has also reported fresh suspection in swine flu cases at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research.
by RTT Staff Writer

Getting hostel in BHU is a matter of luck now

30 Jun 2009, 2237 hrs IST, TNN
VARANASI: While taking admission in Banaras Hindu University is proving to be a tough affair for students, getting hostel accommodation is going to be even tougher with increase of around 1500 seats in various under graduate and post graduate courses under OBC quota in this academic season.
Interestingly, even as the results of entrance examination for admission in various under graduate and post graduate courses in Banaras Hindu University have started to pour, it seems that only the lucky candidates (merit holders) would get chance to stay on the university campus in this academic session.
According to reports of dean of student office, the main campus of the university along with its south campus in Barkaccha (Mirzapur district) has a total of 63 hostels accommodating over 8000 students that includes over 2000 girls.
It may be mentioned here that the university has as many as 16 faculties and 140 departments spread over 4000acres of land (including south campus) with total strength of over 20,000 students in various disciplines. In addition, each department in the university is witnessing increase of 27 per cent seats under OBC quota that has to be implemented in three phases (three academic sessions) till 2010-2011.
The university administration had taken note of growing problems of hostel accommodation for students, especially girl students and efforts were being made to bridge the gap, said Prof SK Sharma, dean of students. A new hostel for girls with 120 rooms and capacity of accommodating 240 students is going to be started in the south campus in this academic session and a number of other hostels are also proposed in the main campus.
As per reports of university spokesperson, while three new hostels each in the Institute of Technology (IT) and Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) are to be created for accommodating additional students (due to increased seats under OBC quota), the other faculties including faculty of Commerce, Arts and Social Sciences are also going to witness expansion with creation of new hostels.
As per reports, while commerce faculty would witness creation of a separate hostel for girls (capacity of 250 students), the expansion of Birla hostel is also on the cards for accommodating additional students in the faculty of Arts.
However, the reports of the office suggest that the construction work is not going to be completed before the starting of new academic session that is likely to start in the month of July this year. And, this is enough to create another gruelling contest for finding hostel berths in this academic session.

Rural stint rider for PG medical students

23 Jun 2009, 0320 hrs IST, TNN

PANAJI: Doctors seeking to specialize with a postgraduate degree at Goa Medical College (GMC) will have to sign a bond that includes a clause stating they would either have to work for two years in a rural government hospital or pay the state Rs 10 lakh.
"We will strictly implement this and our focus is the PG students," health minister Vishwajit Rane said. There are about 26 PG diploma seats and 39 PG degree seats at GMC. The move is expected to meet the demand for specialized doctors in government-run hospitals in rural areas.
A similar clause is in place in many other states, but few of them have actually implemented it. Whether or not Goa implements it remains to be seen.
In the past, too, medical students joining a PG course had to sign a bond which had a clause stating they would work in the public sector for a year if the government wanted them to, or pay a fine of Rs 3 lakh. This, however, was rarely implemented, leading to a brain drain and a shortage of specialized doctors in the government sector.
The authorities are also considering permitting a second medical college in the state, in which 50% admissions would be on the basis of merit for Goan students and the rest would be for self-financed students. Rane said this would be decided at the advisory council meeting on July 4.
"There are not enough doctors available in the state. We need more doctors. We will decide whether we need another medical college or not," he said.

Health varsity PG entrance test

Express News Service

First Published : 22 Jun 2009 03:14:00 AM IST
VIJAYAWADA: Dr NTR University of Health Sciences is offering the applications from eligible candidates to appear for entrance test for admission into DM/M.Ch. (second PG) Medical Courses for the year 2009- 10. The entrance test will be conducted at Osmania Medical College, Koti, Hyderabad on July 12 from 11 am to 12.30pm. The applications are available at Osmania Medical college, Koti, Hyderabad, Dr NTR UHS camp office, Director of Medical Education, Sultan Bazar, Koti, Hyderabad and Dr NTR Health University, Vijayawada from June 25 by paying Rs 600 by way of Demand Draft drawn on or after June 22 in favour of the registrar, Dr NTR University of Health Sciences payable at Vijayawada.
The filled in application forms with all necessary documents should reach the University on or before July 4by 5 pm.
Moreover, the eligible candidates shall collect the hall tickets, in person, from the principal, Osmania Medical College, Koti, Hyderabad on July 10 and 11.

Virus dogs online PG medical exam

Virus dogs online PG medical exam
29 Jun 2009, 0450 hrs IST, B Aravind Kumar & Pushpa Narayan, TNN
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Text:
CHENNAI: The Directorate of Medical Education (DME) cancelled the online entrance examinations for super-specialty courses in medicine held at Vel Tech Engineering College near Avadi on Sunday following technical errors, including a computer virus attack. The dates for fresh examinations will be announced later, the DME said.
The selection committee had invited more than 500 students to write the DM and MCh entrance tests that went online for the first time. The committee attempted to prepare the students in advance by giving them the compact discs of the exam model explaining about the online test. "For many of us, the CD just did not open because of some virus," a surgeon, who appeared for the exams, said.
On Sunday, trouble began as soon as students logged in at 10 am. "It said I had already taken the exam. I called for techinical assistance. After some struggle they helped me log in," said another surgeon. By 11 am, the selection committee announced that the test was cancelled following a "virus attack".

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Pg admission order reviewed

16 Jun 2009, 0317 hrs IST, TNN

The high court has reserved its verdict on a plea by candidates for medical and dental PG seats counselling set to begin on Wednesday.
The candidates have sought application of the Karnataka Conduct of Entrance For Admission To Post Graduate Medical, Dental Degree and Diploma Courses Rules, 2006, for filling up the `in-service' quota this year.
They have challenged the system whereby slabs of five, four and three-year service is considered for preferring candidates.

Pgims second counselling on thursday

The hindu
tuesday 16june
PGIMS second counselling on Thursday
Special Correspondent
CHANDIGARH: The Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak will hold the second counselling for admission to MD/MS/Post-Graduate Diploma courses for the 2009-10 academic year this coming Thursday.
An official spokesman said on Monday that meritorious candidates in the open category having rank from one to 150 (including those who appeared at the first counselling) would appear for the second counselling in the office of the PGIMS Director at 9 a.m. on Thursday.
The candidates of HCMS reserved category having rank from one to 99 would also appear for counselling on the aforesaid date and time.
The candidates selected for admission would have to deposit fees amounting to Rs. 20,794 on the same day.
Other details are available at www.pgimsrohtak.nic.in

Monday, June 15, 2009

Mci recognised degree-a must for super specialisation courses....hc

Source:indian express
The Bombay High Court has taken note of the rules for admission to post graduate medical and super-specialty courses. The court while deciding on a petition filed by a few students has now ruled that admission to super specialty courses can be given only to students having a degree recognized by the Medical Council of India (MCI).
The discrepancy came to light following a petition filed by Dr Bhavin Pujara along with four others who had challenged the admission of few students on the ground that they did not have degrees recognized by the MCI. The petitioners have challenged the admission given to one Mukund Bajaj, who according to the petition, was declared eligible and placed at rank seven of the DM super specialty course merit list, even though the candidate did not have a recognized degree. Pujara stated that the eligibility condition for admission to Doctor of Medicine and Masters of Chirugie (super specialty) medical courses as laid down by the MCI is that the candidates applying must possess recognized degree of MD or MS.
Bajaj attained his MD degree from Ambejogai Medical College which is not recognized by the MCI, the petition states.
However, during the course of hearing, it was pointed out to a division bench of Justice D K Deshmukh and Justice R S Mohite by Bajaj's counsel that the state government in their 2008 rules had omitted certain part of the rules due to which the criteria did not get limited to degrees recognized by the MCI.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Doctor-state tussle likely to worsen PG seat crisis

Doctor-state tussle likely to worsen PG seat crisis
Sumitra Deb Roy / DNA
Monday, June 15, 2009 3:23 IST
Mumbai: The tussle between the government and teaching doctors over the recently issued government resolution (GR) and the latter threatening to join private colleges might just aggravate the shortage of post-graduate (PG) medical seats in the state.
DNA had published a report on June 12 about the GR, issued on May 4 by the medical education department, which regularised the services of temporary teaching doctors but nullified their experience by stating that January 22, 2009, will be noted as their joining date. Following the GR, private colleges have opened up their doors for disgruntled professors fearing a loss in their seniority.
Over the last few years, while the number of PG seats in government colleges has steadily declined, seats in private colleges have risen. "Competition for PG seats is becoming tougher and the chances of middle-class students studying medicine are diminishing," lamented Dr Anil Mukund, who is seeking a PG seat.
In 2008, the number of PG seats was to 411 from 653 in 2007 due to a lack of professors.  This year, though, there are roughly 700 seats available.
The situation is not surprising given that one of the most prestigious medical colleges in the country, the Grant Medical College, attached to the JJ Hospital, is languishing due to a lack of experienced hands. For instance, the plastic surgery department has not had a professor for the last 6 years; the endocrine department has shut down for want of professors; and 12 dialysis machines in the nephrology department are lying idle for want of a nephrologist.
In Maharashtra, only about 20-25% of PG aspirants actually get a seat. "I ranked 250 out of 8,400 students and I barely managed to get a seat," said Dr Ameya Amrutwar, a final-year PG student of psychiatry at Sion Hospital. More than 10,000 students will vie for 700-odd PG seats this year.
Students then pay phenomenal fees in private colleges. "The amount ranges from Rs 40lakh for surgery to Rs 55 lakh for orthopaedic," said Amrutwar.
"Most professors are moving to private hospitals for better pay packages and we will have to think of bridging the gap," said state health minister Rajesh Tope.
Directorate of Medical Education and Research joint director Dr Pravin Shingare said there are about 200 PG seats in private colleges and they have not gone up as they are too face a crunch in teaching faculty.
Private colleges that stand to gain from the GR
- NKP Salve Medical College, Nagpur -- owned by Ranjit Deshmukh, who was once a minister and chief of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee
- DY Patil Dental College, Pune -- owned by veteran Congress leader DY Patil
- NDMVPS Medical College, Nashik -- owned by the sitting MLA of the NCP Vasantrao Pawar
- Vasantdada Patil Dental College, Miraj, Sangli -- run by Vasantdada Patil Trust
- Sharad Pawar Dental College, Wardha -- run by Datta Meghe
- Bharatiya Vidyapeeth College -- owned by state revenue minister Patangrao Kadam
- Terna Public Charitable Trust -- owned by MP from NCP Padamsinh Patil
Geeta Sukumaran, 55, lecturer, bio-chemistry, JJ Hospital
After 32 years of service, the last thing Sukumaran deserves is retiring without pension benefits. She is still waiting for a promotion to the post of associate professor and a letter from the government saying that she is a permanent employee. "The GR is unfair on us," she said, adding that she just has a year to retire. "I joined the government service in 1977 when there weren't enough teachers." Despite having a first class post-graduate degree in chemistry, she chose to join a government college. There were many occasions when she was asked to submit documents to get her services regularised but till date she is a temporary employee. Many of her students have become permanent doctors in government hospitals. "I hope during retirement the government takes up the issue on case-to-case basis."

Hi friends

Hi ppl..welcome to my blog.well it has nothing abt myself but its all about net medicos.......yes d doctor in todays world hv 2 remain updated with latest news across d world regarding their field.......
Specifically speaking this blog is dedicated to all d graduates in mbbs field seeking pg in their dreams...aka PG ASPIRANTS..
I myself Dr.vivek will be adding useful info on daily basis abt various new news and oppurtunities in pg field for pg aspirants......
Dr.vivek
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