RGUHS to Revise Exam Rules

Medical education in Karnataka is set to cut the flab courtesy the recently constituted “think tank” or planning board of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS). While this may translate into a tougher academic course and more stringent benchmarks for students of medicine in future years, the team is looking at boosting standards in medical education and increased collaboration among colleges.

First on the planning board’s checklist is a revamp of the marking scheme to comply with Medical Council of India (MCI) guidelines. Starting from the next academic year, students in medical colleges will have to walk that extra mile in their university examinations and cannot fall back on their internal marks (awarded by colleges) to clear various stages of the medical course.

“The most significant change will be that students will have to score a minimum of 50 per cent marks in exams conducted by the university to pass the examination,” RGUHS Registrar Vasanth Kumar told.

Scraping Through

While the university examination accounts for 200 marks (theory and practical), 100 marks are decided at the individual college level, following the formative assessment model used for most professional courses. So, if a student is awarded 90 marks by the college in internals, he/she can scrape through by scoring just 60 marks out of 200 in the examination conducted by the university.

New Rules

While the student has to still secure 35 per cent in his internal assessment (practical and theory combined), the university has also decreed that the 50 per cent pass criterion will be a twofold one: students will have to score 50 per cent in the university examination and also manage an aggregate 50 per cent in the university examination and internals combined.

For a university with a pass percentage averaging between 60 and 70, raising the bar further is a bold move. However, academics on the planning board felt that misuse of internal marks and nepotism in some colleges were leading to a dilution of standards.

“Some colleges give students 58 or even 59 out of 60 marks in theory internals. In a field like ours this is equivalent to implying that the student is fit to be a professor. What is the use of fostering such a culture,” the Registrar asked.

This is in compliance with a Supreme Court decision in a case filed by a student against the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Mr. Kumar explained. However, the new rules will be implemented only for students who join the university in 2009.

Formed Last Month

The planning board, which has been on the cards since the inception of the university, was constituted in November by Vice-Chancellor Ramanand Shetty to revamp medical education. S. Kumar, Principal of M.S. Ramaiah Medical College, and member of this board, said that several changes were on the anvil.

“We are looking at resource sharing and better collaboration among institutions. We will identify institutions of repute and encourage external posting of students so strengths can be shared,” Dr. Kumar added.

Via - The Hindu