Medical students at Government Medical College (GMC), Dholpur, Rajasthan’s relatively new medical institution, are voicing serious concerns about faculty shortages, academic neglect, and a lack of basic infrastructure. 

“There is not one but multiple issues at the college right now,” said a third-year MBBS student who spoke to EdexLive on the condition of anonymity. 

“We are the first batch, currently in our third year. We do not have faculty members for several subjects here. For example, we do not have faculty for Community Medicine,” they allege.

Instead, the student claimed, it is MBBS interns, students themselves, who are teaching subjects such as Community Medicine and Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (FMT).

“Our seniors, MBBS interns teach us these subjects who have not even graduated themselves yet,” the student explained.

Despite repeated complaints, they say their concerns have gone unheard.

“We have tried to complain several times, but the issue was not addressed,” the student claimed.

Thr college first opened admissions in 2022, for MBBS students. However, three years in, the academic and infrastructural issues have not only persisted, they’ve grown more frustrating, say the students.

“Considering that we were the first batch, we thought that it would get better,” another student said and added, “But still, we do not have 24-hour electricity. Sometimes, we do not get Wi-Fi, which is very important as a medical student.”Currently, the medical college has about 300 medical students enrolled.

Without steady access to electricity and internet, students claim they are unable to access online lectures, or even prepare for competitive exams like the NEET-PG, the student added.

The infrastructural woes came to light last week when students raised concerns after enduring three consecutive days of power cuts on campus. Following the uproar from the student body, the authorities finally provided a power backup.

This issue was also highlighted on X by medical influencer Dr Dheeraj Maheshwari (autopsy_surgeon).

GMC Dholpur is one of several new medical colleges established across India in recent years under centrally-sponsored schemes aimed at expanding medical education infrastructure. While these institutions have increased the number of MBBS seats available, many have been flagged for poor facilities and staffing issues.

According to National Medical Commission (NMC) norms, medical colleges are required to have faculty in all pre-clinical, para-clinical, and clinical departments to ensure students receive standardised education. However, in several colleges, students report that the shortage of qualified teachers is impacting their training.