With the first-year MBBS classes set to begin in a few days, several students are concerned that they will lose the initial few days of the academic year with the allotment process being still under way.
The second and final round of allotments to MBBS seats will conclude on Monday, following which the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations will release the allotment list on July 31. Under the circumstances, candidates who are re-allotted on the basis of their preference will be unable to join the allotted colleges when they reopen on August 1.
Opportunity denied
A candidate who managed to secure admission to the Government Medical College, Alappuzha, laments that he might have to join the classes midway with the current schedule denying him the opportunity to participate in the orientation programme.
“I stand a realistic chance of getting re-allotted to the Government Medical Colleges in Thiruvananthapuram or Kottayam, which are my two preferred options, on the basis of my State rank of 415. But, by the time I manage to obtain a transfer certificate and complete the admission formalities at the newly allotted college, I would have lost many academic days. Sadly, I might also be unable to participate in the orientation sessions, which are integral to medical education,” the student said.
This is bound to affect numerous students with several seats yet to be filled, particularly in the government-run medical colleges.
In the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College alone, around 150 out of the total 250 seats are likely to be filled only after the second round of allotments. Similar is the case for all other institutions where around half of the total intake lies vacant.
Official sources say that the government is bound by a Supreme Court direction to begin the academic year on August 1.
However, the Directorate of Medical Education has found a way around the problem to ensure that the students are unaffected.
Introduction only
A senior official said the activities on the initial day will be confined to providing an introduction to the course for the students and their parents.
The classes will then be suspended until August 12, providing the re-allotted students ample time to secure admissions.
“Conducting classes for less than half of the students will be illogical, considering that the portions might have to be repeated for those who join at a later stage. Instead, classes will resume in full swing in the second week of August with a month-long foundation programme. The lost days will be compensated before the Onam vacation either by stretching the class hours or by conducting classes on some holidays,” the official said.
