MUMBAI: As many as 180 first-year MBBS students from HBT Medical College attached to Cooper Hospital and 125 from LTM Medical College attached to Sion Hospital have been debarred from writing at least one university exam for not fulfilling the minimum attendance criterion. College officials said multiple warnings were given to the students.
Students are expected to complete 75% attendance in theory and 80% in practical sessions, but some of the 305 debarred students have recorded a turnout of as low as 35%. Missing even one exam could cost a student a year.
Exams conducted by the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences are scheduled to commence at the end of October. Students filled their exam forms, but the colleges have not given them their hall tickets.
At HBT Medical College, the administration had taken an undertaking from defaulting students in March that if they did not make up for the shortfall in attendance, they would not be allowed to sit their university exams. Monthly warnings in classrooms were also given. At LTM Medical college, names of defaulters were put up on notice boards.
The huge number of students skipping classes have raised concerns over whether classroom teaching in pre-clinical years has become obsolete. A senior medical student said some students start taking coaching for NEET-PG from their first year, resulting in poor attendance throughout the course.
A teacher from a civic-run college said attendance has always been a problem. “The first-year scores have no bearing on their final MBBS results or their NEET-PG scores. Students have to just pass the first year. So, there is a general lack of interest among students to attend classes.” Pointing out that students of government and civic colleges get highly subsidised medical education, another teacher rued that they “are taking the system for granted”.
Sudha Shenoy, a parent representative, said many students prefer self-study in libraries or learn using mobile learning platforms. “Attendance has never been good in the first two preclinical years of MBBS. This sudden decision could cost them a year. They could have been debarred from mid-term exams or prelims,” she said.
Globally, too, medical students not attending classes in their pre-clinical years has been a concern.
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