Date clash between PGI Nov 2012 and AIIMS Nov 2012 resolved

Confusion over medical institute tests cleared

CHANDIGARH: Clearing the clouds of uncertainty, at least in the country's prestigious medical institutes, the Union ministry of health and family affairs has instructed the PGI to conduct the postgraduate MD/ MS exams on 11 November and the AIIMS will continue with its previous schedule of 18 November. This comes a day after the TOI had highlighted how the instability of the UPA government had left over lakhs of medicos taking the exams in these institutes in lurch.

This has come as relief to the doctors who were in a dilemma on where to apply for the various post graduate specialties. Informing the TOI from Delhi, Dr R C Deka, director, AIIMS said, "We had been pursuing the government on the issue. Accordingly the ministry has clearly sent instructions on Friday to the PGI to make it on 11 November."

The director AIIMS had explained his apprehensions to the ministry about his institute's inability to make any amendments for the examination. "We have five examination centers in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Guwahati. And to change dates in all these assigned centres is not feasible. PGI has its centre located in Chandigarh alone."

The instructions from the ministry also have lashed out at the AIIMS and the PGI for lack of coordination in fixing the schedule as this clash has never been in the history of the institutes. There are over 10,000 medicos who take the exams for the PGI, while over lakhs of medicos attempt for the tests in the AIIMS. The competition is so fierce that there are a total of 148 seats in all specialities including the reserved category in the PGI and 289 in the AIIMS.

Cheering the last moment decision, Dr Abeer Goel, a pass out from the Government medical college and hospital, Chandigarh said: "It has come as a respite as the pattern for both exams is different. I have time to revise for both the exams and can now take a chance in AIIMS and the PGI."