Postgraduate Medical Studies (PG) in Nepal, including MD, MS, and MDS programs, are facing uncertainty this year as private medical colleges have not claimed seats for these programs. This has created confusion around the admission process for postgraduate medical education.
Medical colleges are required to conduct a self-assessment and submit applications to the Medical Education Commission, detailing the number of seats they need for each subject. Following this, the commission monitors the colleges and determines the seat numbers. However, this time, private medical colleges have not submitted applications specifying the required number of seats.
The commission had set a deadline for private and public medical institutions to submit their self-assessment forms and request seat allocations for specific subjects by last Friday (Bhadra 21). Despite this, no private medical college submitted the required applications within the given time.
The primary reason for this delay is the new provision introduced by the Medical Education Commission, which mandates that postgraduate medical trainees (PG doctors) should be provided with the same allowances as government doctors.
The executive Vice-Chairman of the Medical Education Commission, Dr. Anjani Kumar Jha, confirmed that private medical colleges have not applied for PG seats. He added that the issue can only be resolved by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is also the chairman of the Medical Education Commission.
Dr. Gyanendra Man Singh Karki, President of the Association of Private Medical and Dental Colleges of Nepal, stated that the colleges were unable to submit their applications as they cannot afford to provide the allowances mandated by the government.
