JIPMER plans 'centre for excellence' upgrade for medical education department

Soon, the Department of Medical Education (formerly the National Teacher Training Centre) is set to complete 50 years of its establishment. On this, a press release has been issued through which JIPMER has expressed its intention to upgrade this department into a 'Centre of Excellence' focused on curriculum and leadership development.

Through this release, JIPMER also informed that it is collaborating globally to launch advanced academic programs and to promote faculty development and training. In this regard, the institute has been working towards strengthening its leadership capabilities in the field of medical education through its 'Vision 2030' roadmap.

“Over the decades, the department has grown into a pioneering institution and is widely regarded as the ‘Mother Centre’ of medical education in India, having laid the foundation for similar centres across the country. A defining hallmark of this legacy is its unmatched continuity in conducting the prestigious National Course on Educational Science for Teachers of Health Professionals, which has been held regularly since 1976 without interruption, making Jipmer the only Centre in the country to sustain this national-level faculty development programme,” the release added.

The National Teacher Training Centre has trained over 2,500 faculty members from various states and Union Territories, as well as from abroad, so far. This department was recognised as a Regional Centre by the National Medical Commission in 2015 and was subsequently upgraded to a Nodal Centre in 2023.

As per The Hindu media news report, speaking about the celebrations marking the department's 50th anniversary, JIPMER Director Veer Singh Negi stated that this centre has played a pivotal role in training several generations of medical educators, who, in turn, have strengthened healthcare systems across India