Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 26: In a first, the Department of General Surgery at Government Medical College (GMC) has roped in final-year MBBS students to familiarize them with the nuances and techniques involved in Minimal Invasive Surgery (MIS). This initiative, in line with the new curriculum of the National Medical Commission (NMC), aims to ensure that students understand the surgery and specifically, laparoscopic surgery.
In the first phase, nine students received guidance under the mentorship of different professors of the PG Department of General and Minimal Access Surgery at SMHS Hospital.
Dr Iqbal Saleem Mir, Professor at the Department of Surgery, GMC Srinagar and Unit Head of the PG Department of Minimal Invasive Surgery, said, “We thought that if the students come to us with zeal and want to learn something, how best would it be to make sure they understand what laparoscopic surgery is. We came up with the idea of teaching them about it, exposing them to the theatre and showing them patients who have undergone laparoscopy or those who are being worked up.”
The initiative was taken to develop an interest in laparoscopic surgery among young doctors, aiming that once they appear in their final exams and go for post-graduation, they choose the appropriate branch in accordance with their interest.
As per the NMC curriculum, students joining the final year of MBBS are exposed to their areas of interest in which they have some sort of affiliation. The elective posting was earlier for 30 days; however, now it has been reduced to 15 days for pre-clinical and 15 days in clinical settings.
Dr Arshad Rashid, Consultant Laparoscopic and GI Surgeon, Assistant Professor at the Department of Surgery, GMC, Srinagar, said, “The team came up with an idea to make sure that the students work harder than they do, and we made sure that they are screened properly and effectively exposed to laparoscopic surgery.”
He added that in the outdoor settings, the students were exposed to patients undergoing different surgeries aiming that their vision improves and they understand laparoscopy. “Once the students were taken to the theatre, they were placed on the table where advanced laparoscopy is done so that they could learn effectively.”
Dr Rifat Ara, Consultant Laparoscopic and GI Surgeon at the Department of Surgery, GMC, Srinagar, said that the move would greatly benefit the students, and more importantly, it would ensure that more students are drawn towards Minimal Invasive Surgery.
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