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Medical Microbiology in Crisis in India
Medical Microbiology in Crisis in India
IN INDIA
Dr.T.V.Rao MD
Medical Microbiology is a part of the whole system of Medical education which is in crisis mode
today and we are paying a very heavy price for inadequately investigating the patients to even
diagnose and rule out basic infectious diseases of more than 100 years old, with scientific
evaluations, I think I am in a mood to get out of active work in Microbiology, with many limitations
to work with integrity, certainly lack of commitment to develop the Medical microbiology leads to
crisis with the misuse of Antibiotics and today patient spends more on Antibiotics than on the basic
disease process, Many clinicians think that Laboratory Medicine is COW they can get maximum MILK
out of ignorance of the laboratory system. Ultimately the Laboratory Medicine is turning out to be
a profit making industry at the cost human life and survival. Our education system is wonderful and
MD in Microbiology course teaches many great matters in syllabus and curriculum our educational
system is wonderful, competitive and producing many graduates and postgraduates, however, if you
analyse our Microbiology our students talk many things beyond what we can do in our country. It
means we are loading them with imaginary things drifting from realities, the skills and performance.
Today our Microbiology students learn complex things beyond their need; our syllabus is excellent;
everything is told as theory and I see even the postgraduates in medical microbiology practice with
least interest in laboratory procedures, they think laboratory is a Technicians Job and they are expert
to guide system and supervise with little knowledge in basics and many may not be talented to do
few basic things even after post-graduation. It is unfortunate that very Senior Professors and many
HODs think they are born angels of Microbiology and few can read a Gram stain a basic procedure
in Microbiology it ex expected to read well by BSc student in Microbiology, It is not fault of any one
they think they are the administrators of Departments and living in illusion they know all the matters
well start kidding the students with ignorance I feel majority of the seniors never take any clue from
many events. Even after spending more than nine years to be a medical microbiologist with MD, and
another period of more than nine years in waiting to become a professor, most of us go into
unproductive work without contributing much to patient care which makes the clinicians reluctant
to accept us as a part of the system. This all happens with cumulative effect; in microbiology the
teachers, once they become associate professors, they read very little and leave the laboratory work
to assistants spending time with the so-called administrative work, finding faults with many around
as idle ness causes perverted minds and some chasing examiner-ships. As we know they are fulltime
examiners and part time teachers.
Africa otherwise we are going to have a public health crisis on our hands in the subcontinent. After
reading your opinion I just had to applaud you for the candidness in which you expressed your
thoughts and also write a few of my thoughts. Good luck.
Raj Yadav MD, PhD
Division of Rheumatology
Yale School of Medicine New Haven CT
Comment by CHUGH, TD
2014-08-23 21:25:21
Teach microbiology as case studies in collaboration with clinicians. The present format is dull and not
worth it.look at the way antibiotics are taught to 3rd year students in micro and pharma without the
teachers even knowing their proper use on patients. Times have changed, we need integrated
teaching programs. All the wet practicals for undergrads are useless. Make micro training
interesting and life -like. Give it the colour of infectious diseases. Teachers must change before u can
improve microbiology standards.
I WISH MANY TO JOIN MY LITTLE SPACE ON FACEBOOK AND CONTRIBUTE YOUR IDEAS ON RAOS
MICROBIOLOGY AND RAOS INFECTION CARE WITH HUNDEREDS OF CONTRIBUTIONS ON
www.slideshare.com www.medmicrobes.com
NEVER FORGET EVERYONES LIFE IS IN CRISIS OUR ICUS MICS WILL BE KILLER FIELDS IF THE
MICROBIOLOGY DEPARTMENT ARE NOT KEPT IN ORDER
The article carries no conflict of interest an opinion for betterment of Medical Microbiology as we
are heading to a state BUGS AND SUPERBUGS FREE FOR ALL
Dr.T.V.Rao MD Professor of Microbiology Freelance writer