Patuakhali Medical College

Patuakhali Medical College
পটুয়াখালী মেডিকেল কলেজ
Type Public medical school
Established 2014 (2014)
Principal MA Mannan
Students 52
Location Patuakhali, Patuakhali District, Bangladesh
22°21′46″N 90°19′38″E / 22.3629°N 90.3271°E / 22.3629; 90.3271Coordinates: 22°21′46″N 90°19′38″E / 22.3629°N 90.3271°E / 22.3629; 90.3271
Campus Urban

Patuakhali Medical College (PkMC) (Bengali: পটুয়াখালী মেডিকেল কলেজ) is a government medical school in Bangladesh, established in 2014. It is located in Patuakhali town, headquarters of Patuakhali District.

It has an annual intake of 52 students for its five-year course of study leading to a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. A one-year internship after graduation is compulsory for all graduates.

The college is associated with 250-bed Patuakhali General Hospital.

History

The government of Bangladesh established Patuakhali Medical College in 2014, along with new medical colleges at Rangamati, Jamalpur, Manikganj, Tangail, and Sirajganj.[1] Instruction began in 2015.[2]

Students at the college demonstrated in 2015, calling for the reinstatement of the "carry on" examination system.[3] The Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree programme is divided into four parts by the first, second, and third professional examinations. If a student fails one of these exams, they may sit it again six months later. Under the 2002 "carry on" system, students could continue taking classes in the next academic session while preparing to retake an exam. This system was strongly favored by medical students, but strongly opposed by their teachers. The Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council eliminated "carry on" in 2013, after which students who failed a professional exam were not allowed to continue classes until they had passed it, causing them to lose up to a year in the process.[4][5][6][7]

Campus

The college is located in Patuakhali town, headquarters of Patuakhali District, within the compound of 250-bed Patuakhali General Hospital.[2] The hospital began as a 50-bed sadar (district headquarters) hospital. It was expanded in 1979, 2003, and 2005 to 100, 150, and 250 beds respectively. There are plans to convert it to a 500-bed medical college hospital.[8]

A chronic shortage of doctors due to understaffing at the hospital has been reported since 2008. As of November of that year, only 24 of 33 physician positions at the hospital were filled.[9] In June of the following year only 17 of the posts were occupied. The number of long standing vacancies led the Patuakhali Development Foundation to form a human chain to demand action.[10] By 2010, the hospital's approved staffing level had risen to 58 doctors, but the number of positions filled had risen only to 18.[11] The situation deteriorated further until, in 2014, only 16 doctors were serving.[12]

Organization and administration

The principal of the college is MA Mannan.[2]

Academics

The college offers a five-year course of study leading to a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. After passing the final professional examination, there is a compulsory one-year internship. The internship is a prerequisite for obtaining registration from the BMDC to practice medicine.

Admission for Bangladeshis to the MBBS course at all medical colleges in Bangladesh is controlled centrally by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). It administers an annual, written, multiple choice question admission exam simultaneously across the country. It sets prerequisites for who can take the exam, and sets a minimum pass level. DGHS has varied the admission rules over the years, but historically candidates have been admitted based primarily on their score on this test. Grades at the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) level have also been a factor, as part of a combined score or as a prerequisite for taking the exam.[13][14] DGHS also admits candidates to fill quotas: freedom fighters descendents, tribal, foreign, and others.[15][16][17] Admission for foreign students is based on their SSC and HSC grades. As of July 2014, the college is allowed to admit 52 students annually.[18]

See also

References

  1. "6 new public medical colleges to start functioning next year". The Financial Express. Dhaka. 3 August 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "PM opens academic activities tomorrow". The Daily Star. 9 January 2015.
  3. মেডিকেল শিক্ষার্থীদের মানববন্ধন [Medical Students Protest]. Jugantor (in Bangla). Dhaka. 2 August 2015.
  4. Mosaddek, Abu Syed Md.; Nargis, Waheeda; Ahamed, Borhan Uddin; et al. (2012). "Views of Medical Educators and Intern Doctors on the Existing MBBS Curriculum". Bangladesh Journal of Medical Education. Dhaka: Association for Medical Education. 3 (1): 8–11. doi:10.3329/bjme.v3i1.18589. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  5. "Medical students demand restoring carry-on system". Dhaka Tribune. 2 August 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  6. "Clamour for 'carry on' system". Daily Sun. Dhaka. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  7. "Demo for restoring 'carry on' system in medical colleges". The Independent. Dhaka. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  8. "Health Bulletin 2015: Patuakhali 250 bed Sadar Hospital". Directorate General of Health Services. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  9. "Health service limps in Patuakhali district". The Daily Star. 24 November 2008.
  10. "Human chain in Patuakhali". The Daily Star. 29 June 2009.
  11. Hossain, Sohrab (8 August 2010). "4 out of 17 join Patuakhali duties". The Daily Star.
  12. Hossain, Sohrab (6 January 2014). "Neonatal deaths increasing". The Daily Star.
  13. Uzzal, Moniruzzaman (2 July 2014). "Pass mark for MBBS, BDS written test set at 40". Dhaka Tribune.
  14. "Medical, dental college admission test brought forward to Sept 18". bdnews24. 16 August 2015.
  15. Uzzal, Moniruzzaman (20 October 2013). "Admission in public medical and dental colleges starts Sunday". Dhaka Tribune.
  16. Uzzal, Moniruzzaman (26 October 2013). "Private medical colleges want foreign students' quota raised". Dhaka Tribune.
  17. Uzzal, Moniruzzaman (31 October 2013). "Fake freedom fighter certificates feared in medical admission test". Dhaka Tribune.
  18. "Health Bulletin 2014" (PDF). Bureau of Health Education (2nd ed.). Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. December 2014. p. 226. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
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