The community medicine department at Sawai Man Singh Medical College in Jaipur, Rajasthan, has gained attention due to an unexpected outcome: out of 250 MBBS students, only two have managed to pass the final exam.
An official notice posted on the social media platform X mentioned just one student initially meeting the criteria set by the NMC and RUHS for the final MBBS Part-1 University Examination in Community Medicine.
Posted by @Indian__doctor, an MBBS student and health activist, this notice gained traction. Simultaneously, @manish__aman, a researcher at AIIMS Kalyani, also shared it, attracting significant views and interactions.
According to EdexLive, despite the notice identifying Mayank Saini as the only qualifying student, a faculty member at SMS Medical College, speaking anonymously to the publication, disclosed that Mohammed Abrar, who was initially held due to an administrative mistake, also met the qualifications.
The exclusion of 248 students from the final exams stemmed from attendance shortages, per National Medical Commission (NMC) regulations. Students must maintain 75% theory and 80% practical attendance besides meeting internal assessment criteria, as clarified by the faculty member.
For the 2020 batch, attendance records for the first phase were absent due to online classes. Consequently, only phase two and three's attendance were considered. Despite warnings from the Head of Department and extra classes offered for attendance recovery in November and December, many students remained unable to meet requirements.
The intense daily schedule, involving long hours of theory and practical training, caused issues as students focused more on preparing for the NEET-PG exam than attending MBBS classes. This trend underscores a larger issue within medical education, with students neglecting essential training for other exams. Additionally, students assigned to rural service or compulsory medical internships were found lacking in patient care.
This incident highlights a critical flaw in the medical education system, revealing a prevailing focus shift from core medical training to exam preparations, potentially compromising the quality of future healthcare professionals.
