Medical aspirants demand more seats for PG courses

Mumbai: Parents of medical aspirants willing to take admissions for post-graduation (PG) courses in the medical colleges will come together to find out why the state did not increase the seat intake when it had an opportunity to increase 900 PG seats. In a provision made by the Centre called a one-time scheme, Maharashtra was eligible to increase intake by 900, but it took only 300 seats.

“The number of seats we have for the undergraduate students are over 6,000, while for PG it is not even half of that number. In today’s era, doing under-graduate (UG) courses is not enough and hence majority of the students go for PG. If there aren’t sufficient seats, where are these students suppose to go?” asks Sudha Shenoy, a parent. Parents like Ms Shenoy will be meeting the officials of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) and other officials who have a role in the MBBS and MD admissions.

“Many parents of the UG aspirants are now relaxed because their students still have five years to reach the PG course. What they fail to understand is that, since last two years there have been very less increase in the intake for PG courses. If nothing is done, then the students go through the same stress after the UG programme,” said another parent.

As of now, UG has 6,000 seats in the state, while for PG it is only approximately 1,900. Since last two years the state has increased only 274 seats in PG courses due to limitations in infrastructure like hostels, beds or lack of space in the state’s medical colleges.