Short-cut to a medical qualification?

摘要

The shortage of quality health services in rural areas is a major challenge in India. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has repeatedly stressed upon this issue. Recently, the government announced its intention to introduce the Bachelor of Rural Medicine (BRM), a medical degree that could be obtained in three-and-a-half years. The decision has raised quite a storm in the medical fraternity.There can be no short-cut to a medical qualification. The shortened version of the course, Bachelor of Rural Medicine and Surgery (BRMS), may compromise on basic sciences such as anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology and microbiology, which form the backbone of medical science. It is on this solid foundation of basic sciences that clinical subjects stand. Half-hearted efforts do not yield half results, they yield no results. The human body is ultimately one functioning unit, and a comprehensive understanding of various disease processes that alter body physiology requires thorough knowledge. Half knowledge is dangerous, and in this case, the price may be paid by the patient.