After a wait for 13 years, 40 GMERS associate professors finally get elevated to professorship

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society (GMERS) recently experienced significant promotions for its medical faculty. A total of 40 associate professors in the Medical Colleges and Hospitals (MCHs) under GMERS were promoted to the position of full professorship. 

The promotion of 40 associate professors to full professorship represents a significant and long-awaited development. This promotion marks the first time in 13 years that such a large number of associate professors have been elevated to the rank of full professor within the GMERS organization.

This move is likely to have a substantial impact on the academic and administrative landscape of these medical institutions and may reflect positive changes within GMERS.

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According to a recent media report in Ahmedabad Mirror, the promotions were conducted through the Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs) and occurred a day before the retirement of Manoj Aggarwal, the Additional Chief Secretary for Health, who also serves as the ex-officio Chairperson of GMERS, on October 31. Of these 40 promotions, 32 orders were issued on October 30.

It's worth mentioning that the last time there was a significant change in leadership at GMERS, Dr. Yogeshanand Goswami, the dean of GMERS Dharpur MCH in Patan, was appointed as the CEO of the society in August 2022. 

Regarding recent promotions, it typically takes around 5 years for an assistant professor to be promoted to the position of associate professor and an additional 3 years to reach the full professor rank. Subsequently, it takes another 10 years for a professor to become eligible for appointment as a dean of a medical college or superintendent of a civil hospital. 

However, the GMERS still faces challenges in filling leadership positions. Currently, 13 MCHs are awaiting permanent leadership appointments, and the timeline for when senior professors will be promoted to fill these vacant top posts remains uncertain. Specifically, 26 positions for deans and superintendents in these institutions have been vacant for the last 8 months. Some of these MCHs have been without heads for even longer durations.

In order to meet the National need for more doctors and to improve the Human Development Index in the state by increasing the availability of qualified doctors, the State Government of Gujarat established new medical colleges under the Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society which have commenced setting up institutions of excellence in medical education and research in various parts of the State, thus ensuring spread of health care services and medical knowledge. GMERS, with its 13 MCHs, represents the largest group of medical education and healthcare institutions in Gujarat. 

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