Shortage of teachers in medical education: Pro Chancellor

Chennai, Mar 01 (UNI) There is a shortage of teachers of 25 to 33 per cent in the medical education across the country, Sri Ramachandra University Pro Chancellor T K Parthasarathy said here today.

Speaking on 'Undergraduate medical education in India - challenges and possible solutions', he said ''for a 1:1 teacher student ratio prescribed by the Medical Council of India, we need nearly 30,000 teachers but there is a shortage of 25 to 33 per cent''.

''Increase in the retirement age, special incentives to retired teachers and removal of restrictions on non-medical faculties could solve the problem to some extent'', he added.

Prof Parthasarathy pointed out that there was an urgent need for more qualified and trained teachers at the undergraduate level of medical education to prevent the sytem from collapsing in five to ten years.

Referring to other problems ailing MBBS education, he said the curriculam needs to be updated and the evaluation system bettered.

''We need to introduce concepts like ethics, geriatrics, palliative care, challenges of chronic diseases and evidence- based medicine'', he added.

Stating that deciding merit for admission on the basis of 12th standard alone was unsatisfactory, he said there was need for a pre-medical test on motivation and attitude as well.

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