Redescribe Medical Education Commission Needs Urgent Reform, Say Experts

Nepal's Medical Education Commission is facing calls for reform and scrutiny from experts and parliamentarians, with concerns over the recent decisions regarding the increase in admission quotas for MBBS and other medical courses.

Proposed reforms and expert suggestions include:

Cautious approach to increasing admission quotas: Dr. Govinda KC and other experts strongly advise against rapid expansion of medical colleges until there is adequate infrastructure, qualified faculty, and patient flow to maintain education quality. They warn that hasty expansion risks producing poorly trained doctors lacking essential clinical skills.
Ensuring infrastructure and faculty capacity: Experts emphasize that private medical colleges often lack the necessary facilities and human resources, which undermines quality medical education. Reforms should prioritize upgrading infrastructure and faculty quality before increasing student intake.
Transparency and accountability in the Medical Education Commission: There is concern about decisions made under pressure from private medical college operators, perceived as non-transparent and possibly favouring profit over education quality. Reform advocates call for more transparency in decision-making to restore credibility.
Reforming seat allocation policy to be equitable and quality-driven: Government seats have not been increased due to infrastructure constraints, while private colleges have expanded significantly. A balanced reform would require aligning seat allocations with actual capacity and quality standards.
Integrating quality assurance measures tied to licensing exam performance: The high failure rate in Nepal Medical Council licensing exams highlights deficiencies in education quality. Reforms may include linking seat expansion to demonstrable improvements in educational outcomes and licensing exam success rates.

From the parliamentary angle, the decision to increase seats was influenced by a strike and demands from resident doctors for better pay and facilities, with government assurances tied to seat increases. However, some members and experts emphasize infrastructure readiness as a prerequisite and propose reforms around capacity building before further seat hikes.

In addition to these proposals, the National Academy of Medical Sciences Vice-Chancellor Prof. Bhupendra Basnet calls for a focus on quality in health education, as Nepal has made significant progress in this area with an adequate number of medical personnel. The Nepal Health Professional Council Chair, Subodh Kumar Sharma, expresses concern over declining results in council exams and emphasizes the importance of quality in medical education.

Private Medical and Dental Colleges Association Chair Dr. Gyanendra Man Singh Karki calls for better coordination between the commission and the Ministry of Health due to the shortage of medical faculty in Nepal. MP Prof. Chanda Karki emphasizes the importance of opening medical colleges based on regional equality in the health system.

The commission is preparing standards to ensure quality in its programs and is working on developing curriculum benchmarks and improving examination systems across universities. Kathmandu University Prof. Manoj Humagain suggests universities should regain control over entrance examinations and proposes clear criteria to determine seat numbers and fees.

Association Vice-Chair Dr. Buddhi Man Shrestha calls on the state to protect private sector investments in the medical field, stating that private institutions invest not only to earn profits but also to serve. Shiv Kumar Sapkota, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, is preparing to review the commission, focusing on human resources and quality education.

In summary, expert and parliamentary reform proposals for Nepal’s Medical Education Commission focus on ensuring infrastructure and resource adequacy, maintaining education quality over quantity, increasing transparency, and aligning seat expansions with capacity and educational outcomes rather than merely increasing admission quotas. The reforms advocate a measured, quality-centered approach to medical education governance in Nepal.

The proposed reforms for Nepal's Medical Education Commission aim to ensure a measured approach in increasing admission quotas for MBBS and other medical courses, as Dr. Govinda KC and experts emphasize the need for adequate infrastructure, qualified faculty, and patient flow to maintain education quality.
Experts are advocating for reforms that prioritize upgrading infrastructure and faculty quality before increasing student intake, as private medical colleges often lack the necessary facilities and human resources that undermine quality medical education.
Transparency and accountability in the commission's decision-making process is another key focus, with concerns about decisions made under pressure from private medical college operators.
Reforms should aim to align seat allocations with actual capacity and quality standards, as the government seats have not been increased due to infrastructure constraints, while private colleges have expanded significantly.
Quality assurance measures tied to licensing exam performance are proposed to address the high failure rate in Nepal Medical Council licensing exams, with the idea of linking seat expansion to demonstrable improvements in educational outcomes and exam success rates.
In addition, the call for quality in health education is emphasized by the National Academy of Medical Sciences Vice-Chancellor Prof. Bhupendra Basnet, as Nepal has made significant progress in this area. The Nepal Health Professional Council Chair, Subodh Kumar Sharma, expresses concern over declining results in council exams.