GMCH Aurangabad launches guardian-cum-advisor program for MBBS students

Maharashtra: GMCH has recently launched a new campus program which envisages every medical teacher as a guardian and an academic advisor to MBBS students. This is an initiative by the medical college to forge a strong relationship between the student and the teacher; therefore, helping the students, pursuing an MBBS course at the medical college, to achieve excellence in their career. This will help the students reduce their stress and help them excel in their career.

This decision by the medical college administration comes after a recent incident reported at its premise. A medical intern had fallen from the first floor of the hostel building. Also, there is a high-depression rate noted among the UG medical grads at GMCH.

"A 24-year-old medical intern at the GMCH was found unconscious on the first floor of its three-storied hostel on Sunday morning. Hence, the hospital administration has decided to hand over the role of academic guardian-cum-advisor for undergraduate medical students to the medical teachers," said GMCH dean Chandrakant Mhaske to TOI.

Mhaske further implied that even though the college administration has implemented stringent norms and also increases frequency of visiting teachers to the hostel room, there is still a gap which needs to be addresses. This can be achieved through strengthening the existing bond between the teachers and the students. Currently, the medical college hospital has strength of almost 180 teachers. Each one of them will be assigned the guardianship for bonding and understanding the problems of 2-3 students. The about 100 male teachers can bond with male students. Likewise, about 80 female teachers at the college can adopt female students at the college. Currently, the proposal for the program is under consideration by the medical council. Further suggestions are also being sorted from senior teachers.

A senior teacher implied on the matter that there are many people who are happy to see their children take up a professional course in medicine or engineering. However, during the 4 years of course there are many hardships which a student has to undergo. 4 years of hard work and effort coupled with a year of internship to secure a MBBS degree can take a toll on the students. It often leads to frustration when their colleagues pursue specialization and super specialization.

They start feeling that being a general practitioner was never their aim in life. If timely help is denied, the effect can be disastrous as reflected in the rising number of suicides. Helping them is the least the seniors can do for juniors in the medical fraternity," the teacher said to the media.