PG medical admissions: Controversy at Osmania over extension of internship of MBBS medicos

Hyderabad: MBBS interns at Osmania Medical College, who were allegedly shunning their internship work and then cleared NEET PG have been allowed an extended internship along with their PG medical studies.

This allowance has created a stir within the faculty and administration of the medical college

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that many MBBS graduates pursuing unfair means to secure medical posts without actually doing the internship. They are allegedly using fake internship certificates to get these postings. In this current case, certain MBBS graduates allegedly completed their internship by forging the signature of their respective department heads and secured seats in PG medical courses, as per a media report.

Now with the extension being allowed to them, many professors and doctors practising at the Osmania medical college have come in opposition against the officials who had granted the extension to the erring medicos.

The matter had surfaced after the Superintendent at the well-known Osmania General Hospital; received a complaint against some MBBS graduates, who were absent from internship and yet received postings.

MBBS students in the state, after completion of their UG course, are supposed to complete their compulsory internships for 1-year tenure in a medical college affiliated hospitals or approved hospitals. For the same, temporary registration certificates are given to the students during their internship tenure. After completion of the internships, the medicos have to show completion certifications to get their degrees and consequently a permanent registration with the Telangana State Medical Council (TSMC).

However, using various illegal tactics to get fake internship certificates, many of the MBBS students are allegedly shunning their intern work and getting postings at medical colleges and hospitals.

In the complaint received by Superintendent Osmania General Hospital earlier in January, it had been stated that interns, who had to report at the orthopaedics and other departments have not reported for the month of December.

Read Also: Hyderabad: Osmania launches investigation as many MBBS allegedly get postings without completing internship

However, now the MBBS students have been allowed an extension in their internships and were asked to continue against the rules of the health university.

According to the doctors and faculty at the medical college, as per the stipulated regulations, MBBS passouts should have completed their internship programmes by March 31 this year, but they were allowed the extension. These medicos are still completing their internships and therefore are technically not eligible for the PG course, they claimed.

Some professors and junior doctors alleged that there have been discrepancies in issuing the extension period certificates. “Action must be taken against the students involved and the officials who facilitated this. Students cannot escape from the internship,” said a professor from Osmania General Hospital.

Hospital’s Superintendent Dr Nagendra clarified while speaking to Deccan Chroncile, “We passed the extension order and the students are currently serving their extension. They can only apply for the PG course and attend counselling, and not join the course without the certificate that testifies they have completed their internship. We will issue the certificates after the completion of the extension programme. The PG allotment is still in progress. We haven't issued temporary completion certificates to anybody.”

The Junior Doctors Association has demanded a fair inquiry into the issue for a better medical education system in Telangana state adds the daily.

Some of the reasons for this internship avoidance suggested by a Professor at a medical college were that the MBBS graduates have to prepare for competitive examinations such as National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Post-Graduation courses, NEET PG or to practice medicine in the United States for which they have to appear for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).

Read Also: Faculty shortage: No Principals, PG medicos teaching MBBS students at Telangana Medical colleges