Ahead of its Gratitude Gathering, the All India Pre and Para Clinical Medicos Association (AIPCMA) has announced that it will organise a press conference on September 16 at the Press Club of India, New Delhi. Announcing this, the AIPCMA has issued a circular which read, "You are cordially invited to a press conference on September 16th, 2023, Saturday, at 12 noon, hosted at the Press Club of India, New Delhi." 

Disclosing details about what will be discussed during the press conference, the letter read, "We will be addressing critical issues in medical education, unveiling important developments and insights. Your presence will greatly contribute to spreading awareness on this vital topic."

While the gathering is being held to express their thankfulness towards the National Medical Commission (NMC) for the new Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum and the Minimum Standard Requirements (MSR) Gazette, the press conference will highlight the association's point of view regarding the concerns in the medical education field.  

Speaking to EdexLive, AIPCMA President, Dr Abhinav Purohit said, "In the press conference various issues like CBME and MSR regulations will be briefed about and discussed." Moreover, concerns like recruitment of non-medical faculty in the medical colleges will also be discussed in the press conference, he added. 

This will witness the participation of the chairholders and the members of the association across the country, Purohit said. 

In an earlier poster released by the association on September 2, it stated that it is organising a Gratitude Gathering at Jantar Mantar, Delhi where approximately 200 to 300 medical doctors and students across India will be seen participating. 

New regulations 

What are these new changes? While MSR reduces the appointments of non-medical graduates as faculty members in Indian medical colleges, CBME regulations include several changes to the admission and academic process of medical education in India and redesigning the existing curriculum for undergraduate (UG) medical education.

The new CBME curriculum states that universities shall organise admission timing and process in such a way that the first professional year commences by August 1 of each year from the academic year 2024-25 and there shall be no admission for any academic session beyond August 30.

Both developments were positively accepted and appreciated by the medical fraternity.