“Our country is short of 15 lakh medical specialists and currently we produce only 65,000 postgraduates every year seemingly impossible to cover the gap,” said Dr Minu Bajpai, Executive Director, National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) and Former Dean, The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi.

In his key note address at the two days Global Health Conference on the theme – Augmenting Synergies for Universal Healthcare organised by Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SMSIMSR) in association with The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi at Sathya Sai Grama at Chikkaballapur district in Karnataka on December 8, 2023 he said “In order to spike up the postgraduate students, the intake of undergraduates must be increased through the tripartite model of National Board, medical colleges, and private hospitals.” 

“Looking at the awe-inspiring service provided by SMSIMSR, I am going to propose the board to make this institution a centre in South India for conducting National Board examinations and also to be one of the 25 centres of National Centre for Skill Development to be launched by National Board soon,” he added.

It may be noted that National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) is an autonomous body entrusted with the task to bring standardisation in postgraduate examinations conducted in India. With a prime objective to improve the quality of medical education in the country, the NBEMS was established by the Government of India in 1975. For the award of Diplomate of National Board, NBE conducts examination at postgraduate and postdoctoral exam level in 54 diverse disciplines.

Prof. Minu Bajpai is the Vice President & Honorary Executive Director, NBEMS. Every year, National Board of Examinations conducts nine major examinations.

SMSIMSR, India’s first free private rural medical college which imparts free-of-cost values-based medical education to underprivileged students is a part of Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital, (SSSSMH), Muddenahalli, Karnataka, a multi-speciality completely free-of-cost hospital that treats over 1,300 outpatients and 300 inpatients on any given day.