Despite being home to one of the oldest medicinal systems in the world, India is still struggling to bring its medical education to par with the leaders around the world. The 541 medical colleges in the country haven’t been able to reach the standard of education that could meet the healthcare needs of the country.
The doctor-patient ratio of 1:1655 in India as against WHO norm of 1:1000 clearly shows the deficit of MBBS. While the government is working towards a solution and targeting to reach the required ratio, there is a need to have a relook at the overall medical education.
Current challenges faced by medical education in India:-
Lack of skills
Lack of infrastructure
Lack of research and innovation
Reforms Needed:-
Capitalizing on e-learning and facilitating infrastructure to support it
Leveraging technology to offer digital learning solutions
A broad-based faculty development program to sharpen the competency of teachers
Revising curriculum to have more practical training, competency-based skill development
Inculcating problem-solving approach by situational/case-based examination
Industry academia collaboration to facilitate innovation
Eliminating caste-based reservation and paving way for merit-based admission