Huge Fees for PG Medical Courses in Maharashtra Deemed institutes, Candidates in Dilemma

Whereas the fees for PG medical courses in orthopaedics and gynecology at deemed universities range from Rs 28 lakh to Rs 60 lakh, for pursuing MD radio-diagnosis or dermatology, the students need to pay up to Rs 65 lakh per annum, reports TOI.

So, when on the one hand, seats in Government medical colleges continue to shrink, education in private and deemed institutes remain unaffordable for the students.

Resultantly, students are either being forced to drop a year or take up less preferred specialties in government colleges.

Also Read: MD, MS, Diploma in Ayurveda 2021: Check out fee structure at Maharashtra Ayurved Colleges

As per the latest media report by the Times of India, most of the MD MS courses at Navi Mumbai-based DY Patil University cost around Rs 40 lakh to Rs 65 lakh. Whereas the fees for MD Radio-diagnosis and Dermatology are around Rs 38 lakh at Karad's Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, the same courses cost around Rs 35 lakh ar Bharatiya Vidyapeeth's Pune Campus. Most of the other courses at this institute cost around Rs 30 lakh. The students need to pay Rs 25-28 lakh for most clinical subjects at MGM and Pravara, Loni.

While commenting on the matter as to why the course fees are highest for MD Radio-diagnosis and Dermatology, an aspirant informed the daily that these two are the most sought-after courses.

"But with higher fees in private and deemed colleges and not enough clinical exposure, students strive to secure good merit ranks. But now, even with good ranks they are forced to opt for courses (in government colleges) that are not their top preferences. A student whose rank is within top 75 in state is forced to opt for MD radio in a private Mumbai college," he added.

Speaking to the daily, the dean of a deemed institute informed the daily that despite high fee structure, the seats in clinical subjects rarely go vacant. "A few in pre-clinical (such as physiology and anatomy) or paraclinical subjects such as pharmacology and pathology may go vacant, but clinical subjects are all taken," the dean mentioned adding that some of these institutes claim of having a world-class infrastructure in skills and simulator labs.

Medical Dialogues had reported last year that the National Medical Commission, in an attempt to reform the norms for fee fixation of MBBS and MD, MS courses, had issues draft guidelines for medical colleges in the public domain seeking feedback from people and various stakeholders.

The guidelines had said no to capitation fees, had clarified that fees at the newly established colleges would be determined on an ad hoc basis. Further, the guidelines had sought to regulate fees in 50% MBBS and postgraduate seats in private and deemed medical colleges.

Referring to the same, a parent representative informed the daily about pending court cases in the matter and added, "UGC and NMC both had initiated steps to regulate fees in deemed universities, but there has been no outcome till date. These universities started hiking fees after 2016, when a NEET-based centralised process came into practice. Only the super-rich can afford these fees."

She also pointed out that with Rs 65 lakh being fees for any particular course, the total course fees would touch around Rs 2 crore for the three years.