Crores for medical degree: What about ROI through honest ethical practice?

Thanks to the crisis in Ukraine and the tendency of young boys and girls aspiring to become doctors by studying abroad has paved the way for what appears like a never-ending discussion. The development has simultaneously raised several concerns about the quality of medical education back home and the measures adopted for admission?

Our today’s guest Dr Anirudha R.Podder is a Gynecologic Oncologist and has experience of 16 years in the field. He completed MS-Obstetrics and Gynecology from Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Hospital, Mumbai in 2006. He did a Fellowship of Gynecology Oncology from the Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute in 2009. Some of the services provided by him include Vagina surgery and Gynecological cancers etc. Presently he is working as a Senior Consultant Gynaec-Oncologist at Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, Patna.

Ongoing war ignites heated debate: Dr Anirudha R.Podder is of the opinion: “The ongoing Russia Ukraine war has ignited the debate- has India failed its students, and medical aspirants. The comments made by the Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, that majority of the foreign medical graduates fail to pass the qualifying exam is being seen as insensitive and ignorant. Some educationists and some sections of the media are highlighting the lack of medical colleges required to cater to the number of growing medical aspirants in India. Some have attacked the existent reservation policy. As a practising doctor, who till recently was a faculty in a private medical college, I hope to offer a new perspective on this matter”…

…Which specialists will go to small towns: Firstly, many states like Odissa and Uttar Pradesh are in the process of establishing more than a dozen new government medical colleges. And a former senior colleague of mine, who recently concluded an inspection tour, wondered how the government hoped to find sufficient suitable faculty for these upcoming medical colleges. Because many of these upcoming medical colleges are located in small district towns, and unless a specialist doctor belongs to these small towns, it is unlikely that a specialist would be interested to relocate to these small towns for a lifetime of service, despite Central government pay scales”, questions Dr Anirudha R.Podder.

Dr Anirudha R.Podder

The prospect of working in a medical college is highly stagnating: “The prospect of working in a medical college is highly stagnating. This is the reason why I chose to quit what is considered a very prestigious medical Institution of Bangalore, which happens to be a very big metropolitan city. So one can imagine what will be the fate of students getting admission into the new recently opened medical colleges”, cautions Dr Anirudha R.Podder.

What about ROI through honest ethical practice? He also ponders over the perplexing situation prevailing now: “Secondly, everybody is debating the high cost of medical education in the private sector. But nobody asks- why do students want to study in these institutions which charge astronomical fees when it is unlikely that a doctor can recoup his investment through honest ethical practice?”

Only a few hospitals pay fixed/assured salaries: “I recently had the opportunity to meet a senior executive who has recently retired from a high paying corporate position. He was shocked when I told him that apart from government jobs and teaching jobs, and some charitable hospitals very few hospitals pay a fixed/assured salary to their consultants. It is usually a retainer ship that is offered for not more than 12 to 24 months, followed by a fee for service. That means doctors get paid depending on the number of patients they see, admit, operate on. So if they have very high numbers, they get paid more. The appointment is contractual and the sharing formula could be 70-30 or 60-40!” laments Dr Anirudha R.Podder.

image source: Times of India

It is unlikely one can earn in crores: He also admits: “Unless one happens to be a very reputed high volume surgeon or super-specialist, it is unlikely that one can earn in order to justify the crores of Rupees worth of education in the private sector. And this stage comes in a doctor's life only after the doctor has put in at least 10 or 15 years of hard work. The pay scales of a fresher medical graduate are disproportionately small compared to the cost of education. So the question as to why some people are so obsessed about becoming a doctor, despite not having qualified for a government medical college seat needs to be asked”.

Foreign doctors as good as any above average: However, Dr Anirudha R.Podder prefers to differ from the popular perception of students studying medicine abroad are good for nothing: “I also had the good fortune of having worked with two residents, who were graduates of medical schools of Russia and one of the former Soviet republic respectively. Both of them were as good as any above average Indian resident. Anybody who loves to work hard and to learn new things can become a good doctor. In other words, it is not difficult to be a good doctor. The only problem is that the entrance exams are exceedingly tough simply because there are far too many aspirants for the number of seats”.

Who will bell the reservation cat? “Regarding the reservation policy, who will Bell the cat. Which community Still needs a reservation, and at what per cent. Which are the communities which now need to be granted reservations? Even if we can arrive at the best formula, the question will remain, can India provide an educational opportunity of choice to every student who has completed his or her schooling. And if a student does not succeed in getting a suitable opportunity in India, is it wrong for a student to study elsewhere to pursue his/her dreams?”, sums up Dr Anirudha R.Podder.

-Manohar Yadavatti