UP: Benefit to doctors serving in rural areas in PG entrances

Uttar Pradesh: A recent order by the Supreme Court has left many MBBS doctors-keen to pursue PG medical courses- in the lurch . According to the court’s order, a clear preference will be given to MBBS doctors who have served in UP’s provincial medical services (PMS). Even the counselling held for PG courses from April 4-8 has been nullified and will now be conducted again, as per the courts fresh perspective on the matter.

The state currently has a total of 200 PG seats in the most sought after courses. These are MD (Doctor of Medicine) and MS (Masters in Surgery). Compare this will almost 4000 MBBS aspirants appearing for the PG entrance exam every year.

With the new court order, doctors serving in rural areas for one year will get 10% extra marks as an incentive. While a doctor with three years of rural service will get 30% extra marks. So now, there is a clear bracket for incentivizing students (doctors) to gain more rural experience.

Officials told TOI, 30% of the seats used to be reserved for PMS doctors serving in rural areas until Allahabad high court struck down this reservation on April 6. PMS then moved Supreme Court against the HC decision and won a 3-tier incentive (10%, 20% and 30% extra marks) that has given its doctors an unassailable advantage depending on the length of their rural service.

Ground reports suggest that there are 4 doctors who had appeared for the now cancelled counseling in April. These doctors are from LLRM Medical College, Meerut. Now, there fate hangs in balance.

Dr Nimesh Singh, one of the four doctors, said to TOI that, "With this ruling, 189 of the 200 seats have gone to PMS aspirants while 11 have been left for the others." He pointed out that, as a result of the high incentive for rural service, 15 aspirants from all over UP have scored more than full marks.

Many students held a protest at LLRM medical college against the new order, and have also reportedly filed a review petition in the apex court.