Medical Education in Bangladesh

Medical education is education related to the practice of medicine and surgery. To be a medical practitioner; minimum MBBS or BDS is required in our country. After graduation from any medical or dental college one has to go for one year internship then he will be able to apply to Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council. They will registered the individual as a practitioner by giving a BMDC number. 

Various teaching methodologies have been utilised in medical education, which is an active area of educational research.We are the follower of British curriculum, the method of teaching is also English. Like British we had fellow and membership in post graduation.  Bangladesh college of physicians and surgeons is the issueing authority of the certificates. Recently the only medical university has started providing Masters in surgery and doctor of medicine degrees. 

The method of teaching medical science in this country is very tough. Theoretical part gets privilege over the practical one. Here you will found students are passing their valuable time with the reference books.  

Earning money gets priority over giving  humanity service. After liberation the financial condition of this country was very poor. There was limited source of income. The meritorious student at that time invested their brain in medical sector as because there was job security as well as opportunity to do private practice and earn some extra money.

With the advancement of anesthesiology the number of operations has been increased. Now no body is interested to take delivery pain if she can afford small amount of money. Almost every part of this country CS operation is gong on.

             
Even few years back we had a very bad shape of our health indicators. Our infant mortality rate was 140 and maternal mortality rate was also very high. The advantage of CS operation is the dealth incidence has drastically fall both maternal and infant. Birth trauma was one of the leading cause as there was no ante natal check up at the rural areas.

In Bangladesh, a medical school is more often referred to as a medical college. A medical college is affiliated with a university as a department which usually has a separate campus. Currently, there are a total of 94 medical colleges in Bangladesh, 41 of which are public and 53 private. All but two colleges are listed in International Medical Education Directory.

After successfully completing five years of theoretical and practical (clinical) training in the medical college and affiliated teaching hospitals the graduates are awarded a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. The graduates are then eligible to apply for a medical license from the BMDC. The curriculum for all colleges, irrespective of their regional location and university affiliation, is designed by BMDC. Main courses of the curriculum, respective of the academic year they are examined in, are as follows:

All medical colleges  are regulated by respective affiliated universities and the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council, However the DGHS and ministry of health remains the final authority for the same. 

 Entrance into the medical colleges is based on merit under the guidelines of BMDC. Both the academic performance at the HSC (grades 11-12) and an entrance test like MCAT are taken into consideration for the eligibility to enter most of the medical colleges. Recently there is a single day comparative exam which sets minimum standard.

Curriculum

After successfully completing five years of theoretical and practical (clinical) training in the medical college and affiliated teaching hospitals the graduates are awarded a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. The graduates are then eligible to apply for a medical license from the BMDC. The curriculum for all colleges, irrespective of their regional location and university affiliation, is designed by BMDC. Main courses of the curriculum, respective of the academic year they are examined in, are as follows

First Professional Year - Part I and II: Anatomy, Embryologyand Histology Human Physiology Islamiat/Ethics andPakistan studies Medical Biochemistry

Second Professional Year: Behavioral Sciences Forensic Medicine andToxicology General Pathology and Microbiology Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Third Professional Year: Community Medicine Ophthalmology Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) Special Pathology

Fourth Professional Year: Gynecology and Obstetrics Medicine, Psychiatryand Dermatology Pediatrics Surgery, Orthopedics and Anesthesia

Total number of medical colleges in Bangladesh in now more than 100. Government is trying to give approval more. Almost all district level there is one medical college. Now if some one dream to be a medical graduate its possible.

                                    Financial misappropriation is a major barrier for the development in medical sector. The power and politicians directly or indirectly involves with this. Recently an investigation is going on in the only medical university of Bangladesh of about 600 cores taka. The former VC Pran Gopal Dautta has to satisfy the three members board one of which is a MP also that the allegation is not true.
                               

This single example is good enough to under stand what is going on in the health sector of Bangladesh. To make this university center of excellence 500 core taka were allocated and bulk of them is either misused or taken into pocket with out implementing the project.

Government is approving handsome amount of money for the development of health sector but multiple problem stops its progress. In has been observed costly instruments left unattended in several hospitals due to lack of man power. Either due to political discrimination or lack of planning man behind the machine in absent.