PGI resident doctors can now select their own guide for MD thesis

Chandigarh: Resident doctors at PGI pursuing MD/DM thesis can now select their own guide. The move, approved by the PGI director, will help doctors to choose any faculty under whom they would like to do their thesis work. “This is nowhere in any medical institute of national importance in the country. The freedom of choice for MD/DM residents is paramount for proper progress and harmony within a system,” said PGI director Prof Vivek Lal.

During the MD/DM programme, junior and senior residents had to choose a research topic for their thesis. Thereafter, a guide was assigned randomly either by the head of the department or through a lottery system.

“Often those who want to pursue a research in cardiology, for instance, after specialisation in medicine, are assigned a faculty from some other department. As student’s area of interest does not match with the guide’s area of work, the quality of the thesis is affected,” said Dr Rahul Chakraborthy, president of Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), PGI.

This can also allow students to select any faculty, but there will be a capping so that a faculty is not overloaded with too many students. “The concept of a guide being given to a student is slavish. Our PM has also said that after Class XII, the students know what they want. We need to remove all shackles of exploitation.”

Sources said when the MD/DM students have no choice for a thesis guide, they are compelled to carry on with a research without proper guidance. There are around thousands of residents in the institute who are the backbone of the PGI as they manage the OPDs and emergencies round the clock.