MUMBAI: State medical education minister Girish Mahajan approved the proposal to increase the duration of the MBBS course from five-and-a-half years to six-and-a-half years by merging the bond service with course time. TOI has learnt that the proposal has been sent to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
A senior MED official said, “The department is planning a policy as taxpayers’ money is involved.” The official said Fadnavis seems to be in favour of doctors serving in rural areas. “We are expecting a positive response. It has not been done to create hurdles in higher education. It will benefit students as they will acquire experience in rural areas,” he said.
A resident doctor, serving in an Alibaug hospital, said the government should streamline its systems behind pushing students towards bond service. A senior doctor from JJ Hospital said it would be unfair for students from public medical colleges as their private counterparts will finish their degrees in five-and-a-half years.
Source TOI Oct. 19 2017
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