From the validity of the university itself to the representation of medical practitioners in its senate, city medical practitioners voiced their concerns at the Indian Medical Association (IMA) house.In the present system, medical colleges in the state are affiliated to different universities in their respective cities. Now, with the new university, all medical colleges will be affiliated to this university. Degrees holders like MBBS (Bom) and MD (Bom) are apprehensive about losing their `exalted' status to the `downmarket' university at Nashik, stated the doctors. Allopathic doctors also voiced their concern that their degrees would be equated with traditional streams of medicine like Ayurveda, Unani, homeopathy and Yoga.

Both Dr K S Aithal, president of IMA'sBombay West Suburban branch and IMA Mumbai branch President Dr Kishore Gandecha, said no discussions were held.Officer on Special Duty, Dr More-Patil, assured the doctors that they could retain the distinguishing mark (Bom) against their degrees. The newly appointed vice-chancellor Dr Dayanand Dongaonkar, said if allopathic doctors were good, they had no reason to fear competition from other streams. He admitted that Mumbai would have been the first choice had it not been for space constraints. ``Even Grant Medical College, which has the largest campus in Mumbai, is facing problems in expansion today. In Nashik, we have over 1,000 acres of land, " he stated. Dr K R Shetty, member of the Medical Council of India, said the Chennai Medical College has disaffiliated itself from the MGR Medical University (established on similar lines as Nashik) and become a deemed University. ``Other medical colleges in Tamil Nadu would like to qualify for deemed university status. The influence of the affiliating system willdisappear. This is likely to happen in Nashik as well,'' he opined.