The Hindu will host a live webinar titled, ‘Who should teach future doctors? The debate over non-MBBS Ph.D. faculty’, on August 16, at 5:00 p.m.
The inclusion of non‑MBBS distance Ph.D. degree holders to core teaching posts in medical colleges has now become a flashpoint among educators.
While the section against the inclusion states that this method of filling perceived faculty shortages dilutes the clinical and ethical standards, those supporting the move state that distance or part‑time Ph.D. programme educators are competent, trained, and well-equipped to provide education to medical students.
Those against add that a distance‑mode doctoral program and M.Sc. by Non-MBBS teachers pursued parallel to unrelated full‑time employment cannot replicate the crucible of supervised patient contact, procedural stewardship, morbidity–mortality analysis, ethical case discussions, real laboratory quality systems, and iterative assessment that shapes judgment in a medical graduate.
Register now for free to ask questions and interact with the panellists. The three best questions will receive a free online subscription to The Hindu.
To delve deeper into the topic, The Hindu will host a live webinar titled, ‘Who should teach future doctors? The debate over non-MBBS Ph.D. faculty’, on August 16, at 5:00 p.m. The panellists include: Dr. Anoop Singh Gurjar, Head of Anatomy, GMC, Pali; Dr. R. P. Parasher, National President, All India Doctors Association of ISM; Dr. Shashank Kambali, President, The M.Sc Medicine Association. The webinar will be moderated by Bindu Perappadan, Senior Assistant Editor, The Hindu.
Register now for free to ask questions and interact with the panellists. The three best questions will receive a free online subscription to The Hindu.
Panellists
Dr. Anoop Singh Gurjar, Head of Anatomy, GMC, Pali
Dr. Anoop Singh Gurjar is the Head of the Department of Anatomy at Government Medical College, Pali, Rajasthan, India. He is also the Additional Principal of the college. Mr. Gurjar is a member of the Rajasthan Medical Council in Jaipur. He is part of the Medical Education Unit at Government Medical College, Pali. He serves on the Institutional Review Board of the college. He is also a member of the Foundation and AETCOM Committee.
Dr. R. P. Parasher, National President, All India Doctors Association of ISM
Dr. R. P. Parasher is a medical professional with qualifications in both Ayurveda and psychology. He is currently the Chief Medical Officer (SAG) at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and serves as the Centre In-charge of the Rohini Diabetic Centre, Sector-16, Rohini. He is also the National President of the All India Doctors Association of Indian System of Medicine (ISM). Dr. Parasher holds a BAMS degree, a Diploma in Pharmacy, and postgraduate qualifications in Psychology and in Guidance and Counselling. He has been working with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi since 1983.
Dr. Shashank Kambali, President, The M.Sc Medicine Association
Shashank Kambali, MSc (Medicine), is a Ph.D. Scholar in Medicine and an Assistant Professor in Physiology. He is the President of The M.Sc. Medicine Association. He has been associated with medical education for 17 years and has over 11 years of experience as a medical teacher. He works for the rights and welfare of M.Sc. (Medicine) postgraduates.
(For any feedback or suggestions, reach out to us at education@thehindu.co.in)
Published – August 11, 2025 03:16 pm IST
