Gone are the days when a doctor was an ambassador of humanity and medicine was considered to be the noblest of all professions. In present times, an insensitive doctor is more likely to make news than one who upholds the nobility of the profession. Missionary zeal is now a thing of the past -- what remains is money with no boundaries.

If this is the crude reality for those who are in the profession, then it is useless to expect nobility from those who impart medical education. After all, everything today requires big money, be it real estate, equipment or infrastructure. And a comprehensive MBBS course is no different. There are plenty of aspiring students, or rather aspiring parents, ready to invest big money in the courses on offer. This is where the MBBS programme being offered by the Universal Institute of Medical Sciences (UMIS) scores a point.

The institute proposes to grant membership to the parents/guardians of the students at a fee of $20,000. The academic tuition fee for the programme amounts to $15,000, payable in five installments, and hostel and mess fees cost around $100 per month.

It's hardly surprising that private institutions such as this are so popular. Here are some of the reasons: The scenario of medical education in India has been far from satisfactory. The ratio of the total number of government recognised seats to that of those seeking them is preposterous. This is so despite the fact that the number of doctors with respect to our population is dismal. At least half of all science intermediates in the country try their luck at the MBBS entrance exam and the competition is cut-throat by all standards. The number of those qualifying is negligible when compared with the vast number who take the various medical entrance examinations. Also, all those who do not succeed cannot be dismissed as non-deserving ones.

Private institutions come as a reprieve for those not able to make it to the better known MBBS courses, especially as there are many who do not mind paying a capitation fee. Whatever opinion we may have of all these lopsided phenomena, we cannot undermine the significance of the study of medicine as a whole. Viewed from the other perspective, that of the education provider, the mission cannot be completed without ample money, in the absence of any government support.

Another fallout of these circumstances has been a fascination for MBBS courses abroad. This has been best represented in the erstwhile Soviet Union, where the number of Indian students seeking a medical degree was more than in any other country. The biggest demotivating factor in this case has been the language barrier, which limited the feasibility of the course. Taking these factors into consideration, the UIMS course is on a relatively better platform.

The institute is owned by Kerala-based NRIs and the course is affiliated to Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and recognised by the medical councils of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The course proposes to prepare students for the United States Medical Licensure Examination (USMLE).

With a total of 100 seats, the UIMS is beginning its first batch early next year. As K T Harikrishnan, director of the international operations of the institute, put it: ``Nepal is a satellite country of India and, because of its proximity to the Indian subcontinent, has a distinct advantage.''

Despite these positive signals, one thing is for sure -- the institute is yet to prove its credentials.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.