Medical students in jeopardy due to Corona outbreak; lack practice in absence of clinical posting

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, medical students, who are serving the corona patients, are in quandary about their future. As the degree and postgraduate examinations have been postponed, these students also lacking practice in the absence of clinical posting.

Mumbai: Medical education and planning in the state have been stuck due to Corona outbreak. Degree students have to serve Corona patients twenty-four hours instead of studying. As a result, the admission process for medical courses has stopped. On the other hand, degree and postgraduate examinations have also been postponed.

So, clinical postings for providing practice are also stopped. Medical Students are in quandary about their future.

Around 31,947 students are being imparted education through Allopathy, Ayurvedic, Homeopathy, Unani, Dental, Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, Audiology, speech-language pathology, prosthetics and orthotics, nursing and BPMT. Out of these, 42 government and private institutes are imparting Allopathy education to 6,400 students for degree and 2,337 students are enrolled for postgraduate courses in 22 institutes.

Registrar of University of health sciences Dr K.D. Chavhan said that we will prepare potential time table of final year exam of degree courses in November and exams will be conducted in December. Supplement exams were scheduled to be held in May. But Corona crisis has forced to stall degree and postgraduate courses exams and after 16th July, we have planned to conduct them phase-wise.

J.J. Hospital group and government hospital students organization secretary Dr Aniket Rathod said that MBBS first and second-year exams were postponed due to Corona outbreak. The university has conducted a final year exam in December. Our supplementary exam which was scheduled in May has now postponed which has created a huge impact.

"Though the supplementary exam will be held after 16th July, the final decision is still awaited. We need at least one and half month for theory and practice, which we would not get. More importantly, the biggest impact on us is that we have not been given clinical postings. As all our practical and exams are postponed due to the outbreak, our education is in jeopardy", Rathod said.

Former president and advisor of Gazetted medical officer organization Dr Amrut Gorule said that medical education is stuck due to Corona outbreak. Students enrolled for Ayurved degree and postgraduate courses have to serve in the rural area. Exams are postponed and practical is closed. Only online learning is available which has reduced practical knowledge.

Still, many students in the rural areas are extending their services, Dr Gorule said. Head of the paramedical department in Kala Vidya complex Dr Suresh Nagarsekar informed that Paramedical courses practical is completely closed due to Corona. Only online learning is being imparted which is unable to provide proper knowledge to the students. In European countries, online education is being exaggerated, but in India online education is not possible in case of Acupuncture, Naturopathy, Nursing etc.