Vacant PG Medical Seats in Karnataka: Medical colleges move to lower fees

Karnataka: Amid the low demand for pre-clinical and para-clinical postgraduate medical courses leading to vacant seats, some of the medical colleges in Karnataka have announced fee waivers to attract students.

In this regard, Bengaluru-based medical colleges such as Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre and Oxford Medical College Hospital and Research Centre have written to the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) announcing their decision to waive fees for those who select pre and para-clinical seats in the stray vacancy round, which will be held shortly, Deccan Herald has reported.

The data available from the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has shown that among the 921 pre and para-clinical PG medical courses available this year, 496 seats are still vacant after the mop-up round. Therefore, KEA is planning to hold a stray vacancy round to fill up these vacant seats.

Pre and Para-clinical courses include physiology, anatomy, microbiology, community medicine, pathology, forensic medicine and biochemistry. As per the available details, the fees for these courses ranges between Rs 94,025 to Rs 1,94,025.

Also Read: Medical colleges offer incentives due to low enrollment in pre, para-clinical NEET PG seats

As per the latest media report by Deccan Herald, among the colleges that have reduced the fee, Bengaluru-based St John’s Medical College has reduced the fees for these courses to Rs 68,525. Meanwhile, Vydehi Institute has offered to reduce the fees for all the pre and para-clinical courses except pathology.

While the colleges are ready to reduce the fees, KEA authorities have informed about their inability to consider the same. Commenting on the matter, the Executive Director of KEA, Prasanna H told the Daily, "Actually, we are in dilemma whether to consider fee waiver and fee reduction, because during last year’s seat allotment when few colleges offered free seats after two rounds of counselling, the poor meritorious students who have opted seats in first and second round by paying the full fee have raised objection for the same."

Experts have opined that the demand for pre and para medical courses has come down due to the belief of the students that it is possible to earn well only if they pursue the clinical courses.

Commenting on the matter, Dr Naveen S, Medical Director of Chamundeshwari Medical College, Channapatna, said, "It is because students think they will be fit only for teaching as they lose touch with patients and hospitals for three years. There is a high demand for those who studied pre- and para-clinical courses in medical colleges. We are offering a high salary package for them."

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that amid the low enrolment in the pre-clinical and para-clinical postgraduate medical courses, several medical colleges recently started offering incentives to fill up these seats.