Medical students in State-run colleges will soon be able to go to universities and medical colleges in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Australia on exchange programmes. The State government plans to kickstart these exchange programmes from the 2020-21 academic year.
Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar told The Hindu that the government is in the process of finalising some of the modalities and deliberating about who would bear the cost of this programme. “We have chosen these three countries as they have some renowned medical schools and also language would not be a barrier. Some institutions, like King's College and Imperial College in London, have already invited me to visit their colleges as I have been part of charity associations. We will work with institutions that are known for the quality of education they impart,” said Mr. Sudhakar.
The aim is to help medical students here broaden their horizons, get first-hand experience of advancements in technology and equipment. “Students from our State, who go on these programmes, will also get to study the health policies and visit some of the top hospitals in the host country,” he added.
As part of the exchange programme, students from participating colleges abroad will come to Karnataka and study in medical colleges here.
Training for NEET
The government is keen on improving the performance of students in the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET).
To achieve this, students from Karnataka will be trained for the competitive exam next year.
“We want more Kannadigas and students from the State to get top ranks in NEET so that they are able to bag seats in medical colleges,” he said.
Medical or dental seat aspirants will be able to avail of this training programme that will be conducted over the weekends in 17 government-run medical colleges.
“Recordings of some of the best professors will be screened. Students will get insights and strategies on how to prepare for the NEET,” said Mr. Sudhakar.
