MD-PhD courses in IIT-M to bridge research, practice

The aim is to train next generation of physician-scientists

Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, is planning to introduce MD-PhD courses, R. Nagarajan, its Dean, Office of International and Alumni Relations, said on Sunday.

The idea is to train the next generation of physician-scientists to solve “disease-oriented research problems and promote low-cost treatment technologies,” he said, adding that despite IIT Madras’s success in many areas, lack of collaboration between engineering and medical professions was its weakest link.

“The mode of doctors with MD and PhD degree is quite prevalent in the US. This is something that we are also considering. The MD education will be interspersed with PhD training,” Professor Nagarajan said, speaking at the inauguration of Dr.M.S.Ramakrishnan Memorial Endowment Oration.

The basic difficulty in doing collaborative research between the engineering community and the medical community in India is that engineers and doctors were busy serving their clients.

“It is difficult for us to take time out and do collaborative research,” he said.

“The intermixing is very important. In order to do a PhD-level research, you do need continuous access to mathematical techniques, physics concepts and chemistry concepts. If you complete your MD degree and come back to do your PhD, it is difficult because you have lost touch with mathematical sciences. So, an ideal MD-PhD program would be one that interweaves these two in the best way possible. They can provide the missing link between technological research and the practising medical professionals,” Dr. Nagarajan said.

Sources recalled that during M.S. Ananth’s period as director, IIT made a pitch to launch a medical college and offer MBBS courses.

But it was suggested that the institute start an M. Tech programme in clinical engineering, in collaboration with Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Tiruvananthapuram and Christian Medical College, Vellore.

“Research actually happens when there is collaboration across disciplines, laboratories, institutions and countries. There are huge opportunities to explore. The engineering profession is somewhat distanced from the medical profession. One reason is that the Indian Institutes of Technology are not allowed to have medical colleges on their campus. IIT-Kharagpur does have one now,” Prof.Nagarajan added.

(Additional reporting by

R. Sujatha)

The institute once offered to open a college for

MBBS courses