Medical teachers Association India - Issues and comments

Dt-21-4-2010
Friends
Today I am opening new discussion among medical faculties. In morning only my sir has asked me a question that do we have medical teacher association at national level? I was in dilemma because i did not hear about such association. But I asked time to find out.
Immediately, I went on internet and try to find out any such national association. But my surprise, I could not find any such. I am regularly reading discussion going on various e-groups about medical education and various issues of medical teachers. In last few years MCI has made many new innovative changes in teachers qualification and promotion guideline. Following we also read many voices on pro and con aspect of each. But just I am asking question, do MCI asking any teachers or colleges to attend such policy meeting? I don’t know if anybody has knowledge please share. I feel that we must have medical teacher association and our representative should in body of MCI.
There are many new medical colleges up coming. There are various issues regarding faculty position. There are many changes coming in medical education. MCI has made mandatory functioning of Medical education unit in each college.
Event though there are more than 300 medical colleges in India, Government still feels that we have less doctors. Looking to demand of Government, MCI helped to develop new Rural Doctor course and that is going to come near future.
Looking to all above scenario, I strongly feel that there is need of Medical faculty Association of India (MFAI). There is high time to unite and help to guide our nation on medical education. I heard Dr. V P Mishra, Member of MCI in one conference at Pune and he told that 13.5% of world’s medical schools are in India. 16.5% of world post graduate admissions are in India. He also told that WHO reported that 2015, 36% of medical manpower are to be produced by India and India will be the biggest medical manpower supplier in world.
Lets make our hands strong
Suggestions are invited and I request members to lead at some level
With best wishes
Dr. Niraj Pandit
Associate professor
Communty Medicine
Gujarat




Comments I received
Dt-21/4/2010
North America has a Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
Worth looking at their website www.aamc.org as an example.

N.G. Patil MBE
MBBS, MS, FRCS Ed, FCSHK, FHKAM(Surgery)
Professor, Dept. of Surgery,
Asst. Dean (Education Affairs), Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
The University of Hong Kong

Dear Prof. NG Patil

In addition to AAMC, there is also an "International Association of Medical Colleges". Its site (www.iaomc.org) is also worth visiting. One of the official members of MCI is on the board of regulatory body of IAOMC.

"The Executive Committee of the Medical Council of India has nominated Professor (Dr.) Dhrubajyoti Borah as its official representative. The Professor was elected IAOMC's Board to serve as temporary Chair of the Regulator/Administrator Panel" – IAOMC website.

Syed Ziaur Rahman, MD
School of Medicine
University of Western Sydney
Australia
_______________________________

22-4-2010
Dear Dr Neeraj Pandit
A new idea worth considering. I think there is a need to have a debate on the medical education issues; on both UG and PG training. In fact there has been a change world over on the understanding of "Education". Education does not mean acquiring degrees. Scientifically, education is defined as "A process to bring about a desired change in an individual". It has three components namely, Cognitive domain, Psychomotor domain and Affective domain. There has been a paradigm shift in the training. The teaching/training must be "Student centered" rather than "Teacher centered". A teacher is not supposed to "teach a student" but to "help a student to learn". All this new understanding in teaching/training methodology and resultant outcome (a graduate, postgraduate or post- doctoral) put enormous responsibilities on the MCI on one hand and on the medical institutions on the other that's "teachers as facilitators".
I am not in a position to give any opinion on the proposal immediately but there is a need for national consultation on the medical education among all stakeholders including MCI, MHFW GOI, Planning Commission, medical institutions and medical faculty.
With warm regards.
Dr M.M.A.Faridi
Professor & Head, Department of Pediatrics
University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi University
GTB Hospital
Delhi-110095


Dear Dr Niraj
This issue has been part of the brainstorming sessions
since long including Delhi and Poona meetings and in many informal meetings
. In fact it was one of the Special Interest Groups created in Delhi . In
the vote of thanks speech Dr Rita had advocated creating a Special Interest
group for Medical Education rather than an association

From what I could gather from these brainstorming sessions was that activity
about Medical Education and creating an association in India are two
separate issues though greatly interrelated . There is something in Indian
temperament the moment some association comes up there is a big activity
regarding President Secretary and other posts without much focus on the core
purpose of the association . And there is a tendency towards becoming an ad
for Fevicol once someone gets the post. I see other associations in our
country where this tendency has simply killed the associations and their
purpose is simply lost .

So in our country there should be activity first maybe with hundreds of
Medical Education units functioning with some situational leaderships . Once
we have have sufficient activity and we are quite close to that point an
association with a website and a Journal should be created . Regarding the
latter there is a South East Asian Journal already . Maybe an Indian Journal
to fulfil Indian National Identity may be created in near future as the
time is ripe for that. Dr Adkoli had started some activity in this direction
but is still to see the light of the day . May be in some near future. The
websites we see from western countries are ideal but have been created over
time . Also their psyche is very different to ours so we should proceed
according.There is also an issue abour making funds available for running an
association which has been discussed many times.

Now as regards the issues you have raised these are pertinent issues but
there are many other methods of their redressal also .I fully agree that a
website parallel to that pointed out is the need of the hour for our country
too. And I visualize in not very distant future the association you mention
will be in our country too as a dynamic entity fulfilling
a definite purpose.

Dr Sanjay Bedi

_______________________________

Dear all,
I agree with Dr. Bedi that though there is need to make our voice
heard in MCI, but the association is the biggest way to become
dissociated from the very purpose.
The listserv like on line opinion pole may be collected from all
concerned and recognized medical faculty across the country and should
be represented in MCI after a consensus. However obviously some
persons (may be on rotational basis) have to coordinate the group
activity.

with regards,

Dr. Kalyan
________________________
Dear All
I agree absolutely with what Dr Bedi writes here.
Medical education is of two components i.e. 1. the faculty development
aspect based on teaching learning general principals 2. the subject specific
aspect, where we have national professional associations with very long
histories, which have done nothing or minimal by the way of doing some
advocacy for the particular subject with MCI to improve the teaching
learning of that subject.
Dr Neelkamal Kapoor
Professor & Head Pathology
Coordinator MEU
PI PBCR
Gandhi Medical College
Bhopal

Dear All,

I agree with Professor Bedi that in India 'Empty vessels sounds much'. We
are crazy for recognition much instead of work. I feel that an all Indian
Association of Medical Teachers will not solve the problem of medical
education in India unless we change our attitude towards medical teaching.
Still now, unfortunately in India, medical practice is glamorous than
medical teaching. With heavy heart, I can say that the medical students are
lured by default to the Curative Medicine in search of easy money. Teaching
is still a non-choice among medical students..
In this scenario we have to walk a long way to cherish the dream of true
dedicated medical teacher's association.

Professor Ranabir Pal
SMIMS
Gangtok
09433247676
___________________________________

dear neeraj,
i would like to inform you that a national forum of medical teachers
assosiaton do exist in india. dr s r shukla prof & head skin of ajmer
medical college was secretery & pionner of estabilishment of this
association 15-20 years back. i do not know present status. dr shukka at
present is workin at Fortis Escort hospital near malviya nagar jaipur
rajasthan. u may please contact for updates.
dr p s nirwan
_____________________________________
Dear Dr Niraj,
We had GMTA-Gujarat Medical Teachers' Association.Everybody knows the fate of it.It is very difficult for intelligent people to unite.Every one is unique individual with his/her own agenda/(vested interest).They agree to disagree.
Let me congratulate you for this innovative idea & wish you all the best
One suggestion for naming the association:Keep it IMTA with State level & local level branches like IMA,IMAGSB,AMA.IMTA,GMTA or IMTAGSB,AMTA.
Regards,
K

Dear Dr. Dr. Niraj Pandit.

Good idea and suggestion of forming such association.

But for your query,

Do MCI asking any teachers or colleges to attend such policy meeting?
Yes, MCI is asking for the elected representatives from each state medical council to attend thr policy making or deciding meetings.

Dear Niraj,
Its great to have such association.
Medical Teachers need one platform to share experiances, solve issues
,to implement New changes in teaching.
If such association take place Its good not only for medical teachers
but also for medical students and general people.
Dr.Sutariya Shaileshkumar
sarmishtha ghosh Apr 21 05:35PM -0700 ^

Dear Dr. Pal,

Appreciate your voicing of the facts in India in such a nice way,

And "Empty vessels" will keep sounding "much" more in the days to come if we dont change our attitude towards medical teaching and research.

I agree with you, "Association" is no solution ............

Regards
Avinash Supe Apr 22 07:05AM -0300 ^

Dear all
I echo dr patils views
- great work

Regarding association - lets have it but not policitise
let us work on structure and function
avinash
praveen singh Apr 22 11:09PM +0530 ^

Dear All,

Through fora like this we are already in away associated with each other for the good.

We are discussing, sharing our views & many a times doing some positive criticism, which should be well accepted.

According to me also, there is no need of any such association, i don't know if such association can give any extra help. As such if we wan't to discuss anything instrumental, we can always do it on google_mEU page and proceed for furher steps as & when necessary.
regards

Praveen
dhara trivedi Apr 22 09:59AM +0530 ^

Respected all tedical teachers,
It is so kind of u to think about medical education ,i agree with Dr Pal,for his thougts .what about students' perspective? Do they need dedicated teachers who teach basic knowledge or they are just interested in passing, getting degree, exam oriented,marks oriented attitude.please give ur views.
Dr. Dhara Trivedi Thakar
anupama sukhlecha Apr 22 11:37PM +0530 ^

Dear all,
There is indeed a need for such an association. Probably all states (including Gujarat) have their associations. The representatives of these state associations can form a national medical faculty association to bring all the problems of teachers on one platform.

Anupama
"Dr Gurudas Khilnani" Apr 22 02:56PM ^

Dear all,
I recall that a conventional of "All India Medical Teachers'
Association was held in the Holy city of AJMER long ago. Dr SR SHUKLA,
Prof and Head, Department of Dermatology, at JLN Medical college Ajmer
was a prime mover in this endeavour. Some how the movement dies a slow
death perhaps due to lack of support from other states. It is important
to have a national level body.

Dr Gurudas Khilnani
MD (Gen Medicine), MD(Pharmacology), DHRM,FISC
Professor and Head,
Department of Pharmacology
RNT Medical College,
UDAIPUR-313001
Ph (O) 0294-2528811-Ext130,131
Ph (R) 0294-2482767
+919829159321
___________________________

Dear Dr Niraj,

You have raise an important issue.

During the last nearly 40 years in this profession I have never heard of a medical teachers association in india.

Do we need it ?

Any union or association is meant to provide strength and direction to the professional group to progress in the right direction. If that is the purpose , it may be an excellent idea.However, if it if it becomes an instrument of politics and furthering the interests of some individuals, then it may not be worth the time and effort. Case of Indian medical Association is an example.How much purpose it is serving and whose purpose it is serving- is well known to all the medical professionals in the country.

-Dr S K Joshi
RITA SOOD Apr 23 02:10PM +0530 ^

Dear Avinash, Sanjay and all,

As told by Sanjay, during the deliberations of NCME 2007 in Delhi, forming a
National Association of Medical educators was one of the top five priorities
expressed by the participants (about 125 in number) and one SIG (special
interest group) was formed who would take up this issue and work further on
laying down the modalities and defining the processes towards achieving the
same. Since the group did not take off, during various discussions amongst
some of us and reasons mentioned above by Sanjay, we thought it was a good
idea to have a platform where all the like minded people and people
committed to the cause of medical education could connect together and form
a network & that is how this group was formed and spearheaded by Sanjay, it
has enlarged to the present status.
However, when it comes to having a voice with the policymakers, associations
certainly hold value and someday I think we should be doing that.
Those of you who were not present for the conference and are interested to
know, the proceedings of the conference are available on the website
which is still open www.ncme.in
I would just wish to inform the group about the status of the association
for medical education in the SEA. SEARAME (South East Asian Regional
Association for Medical Education), one of the six associations recognized
by WFME, and which had become dormant for many years was revived in the year
2006. It has its Secretariat at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok with its
President and Secretary from the University. Thomas Chacko and myself have
been the executive members (present executive is all founder members) from
India. Besides Thomas, myself and another executive member from Nepal, most
of the executive members (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Burma and
Thailand) are representatives of their National associations or are
nominated by their councils.

So now that we have this network of interested medical educators (though we
need to have some way to increase participation from South and Eastern part
of the country), some of the group members can take the lead and regroup as
a SIG to work out the details and modalities. And may be before or by the
time the next National conference happens (should happen by Nov-Dec 2011),
an association should be formed.

For the information of the group, the second activity (the first was the
Journal SEAJME) that has been initiated by SEARAME is to have a periodic
conference where people from the region can share best practices and learn
from each other and network with health professions’ educators from SEA
region. The first such conference is being planned at Yogyakarta, Indonesia
from 20-22nd Nov’10. It is being organized by one of SEARAME executive Dr.
Titi Savitri from Indonesia. The details of planning and program etc were
one of the issues during the SEARAME meeting held last month. She will soon
be opening the website informing details of the same and I’ll post it to
this group.

Best regards

Rita
________________

alka rawekar Apr 22 11:03PM +0530 ^

Dear Ranbir and All



Yes you are right that empty vessels make more noise, but we have so many
vessels that are studded with leadership qualities and facts of medical
education.

At institutional level we face so many problems; medical practitioners have
their own problems.

So I think it will be an excellent thought to make such type of association.

Can make five zones east, west, north, south and central and have a
representative from each zone.



If our mindset is clear/ understandable, objectives are set, our Heart is
pure, then this creation will definitely have bright future.



Alka Rawekar