About GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (GIMSR): Interview with faculty

GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, popularly known as GIMSR, was established in 2015. The courses offered by GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research are MBBS, B.Sc, MD and MS in the field of medicine and allied sciences and sciences. GIMSR Visakhapatnam admission to MBBS is offered on the basis of NEET UG scores and MD/MS is done based on NEET PG scores. The campus has various infrastructural facilities such as hostels, medical facilities, library, sports facilities, IT infrastructure, cafeteria, auditorium, transport facility, gymnasium and banking facilities.

In an exclusive interview with Careers360, Dr. S P Rao Dean of GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (GIMSR) talks about the vision and mission of GIMSR, admission process and accreditation for medical institutes. Dr. Niveditha discusses the common myths and facts for fresh MBBS students and various career options after MBBS. Dr Chaityana talks about the innovation and research that are important in the medical field and how students at GIMSR are groomed for this. To know more details about the GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, candidates can go through the article.

Careers360: Please talk about the vision and mission behind GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research.

Dr S P Rao: GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research was established in 2015. The vision is to become a global leader in medical education and healthcare by setting up a benchmark for quality education and making students more competent and responsible. To achieve this vision the institute has developed a mission to impart futuristic and comprehensive medical education and then has the research practices to produce competent medical professionals with a high sense of discipline and social relevance in a serene and invigorating environment.

Also Read: GIMSR courses and fees

Careers360: What sets GIMSR apart from the other medical colleges?

Dr Chaityana: GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (GIMSR) has a holistic approach to medical education where the focus will be on research, community engagement and personality development of the student. The environment at GIMSR enables and fosters interdisciplinary research and also across different schools of the university. To ensure this the campus is completely Wi-Fi enabled and the students have access to a variety of e-learning resources. In addition to the curriculum, GIMSR places an emphasis on ethical values and moral behaviour which enable a student to become empathetic healthcare professionals.

Careers360: Please explain the admission process. What are the cut-offs for admission to the MBBS program?

Dr S P Rao: The entire admission process of GIMSR is initially by the National Testing Agency (NTA) which conducts the NEET examination at the national level. For all Deemed Universities including the GITAM University and GIMSR, the admission process is through the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) which is the competent authority under the NTA that gives admission to students and the same cutoffs have been followed. The cutoff for the General Category is 50% and for the reservation category i.e. SC/ST category, it is around 40% and 45% for the disabled and EWS category. All the cutoff levels followed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the MCC are being followed by this institute.

Know about GIMSR Visakhapatnam cut-offs

Careers360: Please highlight the importance of early clinical exposure for MBBS students and practical exposure. How does GIMSR facilitate this for its students?

Roshini Ravuri: For final-year students who are training to be doctors, theoretical knowledge is not just enough for them as the application of theory to real-life patient scenarios is essential. Early clinical exposure makes it possible and here at GIMSR early clinical exposure and practical experience are given the utmost importance. Since day one, GIMSR has taken its students to the hospital and encouraged them to talk with the patients. This helps the students to develop their interpersonal communication skills and also helps them to do their clinical assessments better.

Careers360: Can you tell about common myths and facts for fresh MBBS students?

Dr Niveditha: The three common myths that fresh MBBS students believe in are- the first being only book-smart individuals who memorise can get admission to medical college. Studying MBBS is not just memorisation as it is more than that and understanding concepts, critical thinking, interpersonal communication skills and adaptability is very important to do well and succeed as a medical student. The other myth is that MBBS students do not have a social life while the workload is demanding in medical school, it is still possible for the student to have a social life. For this, a student has to learn to balance studies, clinical and social activities. Students can achieve this by being regular with their trans work, studying regularly on time and learning better time management skills and prioritisation of their work. The last myth is that medical colleges are not just like how they are shown in TV shows as they require a lot more hard work, dedication and single-minded focus to become a good doctor.

Also see: GIMSR facilities

Careers360: NEXT is the upcoming exit exam for all would-be doctors in the coming years. How is GIMSR preparing its students for this?

Dr S P Rao: The NEXT exam is one of the crucial steps for all would-be doctors in the coming years. GIMSR has introduced the mock test based on the NEXT pattern for the final year students. GIMSR has completely revamped the structured information focusing on critical thinking, clinical problems solving which is the basis for the NEXT examination. It has also introduced online computer-based, high-quality, multiple-choice tests which are brought on by formative assessment throughout the MBBS course.

Careers360: Like in other streams, innovation and research are important in the medical field. How are students at GIMSR groomed for this?

Dr Chaityana: At GIMSR, the students are exposed to different steps of research projects across the different phases of the medical curriculum. Some of the common chances where students understand how to do research is by getting involved in the ICMR short-term student projects, where they work under the guidance of the faculty and students. They are also encouraged to take a research project in collaboration with the faculty and get involved in the already existing research projects. Coming on the innovation front, the university has established a venture development centre which has well-qualified coaches and faculty who can mentor the students to develop innovative ideas and encourage them to progress towards achieving solutions for some of the challenges and problems encountered in the medical field.

Careers360: Accreditation for medical institutes- Please give your insights on the need, importance, and how students benefit from this.

Dr S P Rao: Accreditation is an important aspect that needs to be considered when any student wants to enter medical school. Accreditation lets the students know more about the medical college and its status both at the national and international levels. At present, there are NAAC and NIRF which are already ranking the institute in order to kick off with the international standards and to attract students as these accreditations are of image benefits. GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research has already secured the NAAC “A++” which is the highest ranking as per as the institutions are concerned at the national level. This accreditation will deliver strength based on the institute's performance.

Careers360: Regarding the path between Practitioners and Surgeons- can you give some details on how the paths vary and what factors students should look into while deciding.

Dr S P Rao: It's true that everybody can’t be a surgeon, though it is a wrong practice. There are certain aptitudes of the students who decide the path whether to go into a medical stream or a surgical stream. These aptitudes are usually developed during the development years and study at the medical school in the past four and half years.

Careers360: What are the various career options after MBBS?

Dr. Niveditha: Straight out of MBBS, for most of the students the obvious path that they take is to pursue postgraduation that can be done in various fields such as medicine and allied fields, general medicine, paediatrics, dermatology, psychiatric or surgical fields. Once a student finishes MBBS, students can also join services as medical officers and then they go down the lane to postgraduation at a later date. Some medical graduates, who are interested in teaching and have a passion for it, can join academic institutes and train the future generation of doctors. The other option is that students can pursue an MBA or a hospital administration course or they can be a part of administrative services, health management and healthcare administration.

Careers360: Health Sciences and hospitals are much more than MBBS. In this context, can you specify the importance of Allied Health Sciences?

Dr Chaityana: The role of allied health personnel in providing healthcare and comprehensive patient care is well-recognised in the Western world. Apart from the medical school, the GIMSR also has a College of Nursing, College of Physiotherapy and School of Allied Health Sciences. Students at GIMSR have a unique opportunity to work in collaboration with Physicians and as well as other healthcare providers to deliver holistic patient care and foster a culture of working as a team.

Careers360: In your opinion, what are the important factors to look for while choosing a medical college?

Roshini Ravuri: When choosing a medical college, a student will choose a medical college that is easily accessible for travelling which has a good infrastructure such as good classrooms and labs and provides clinical exposure including supportive faculty.

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Careers360: How are learning and outcomes at GIMSR facilitated for an MBBS student?

Dr Niveditha: The first and foremost important outcome for any MBBS undergraduate is to have a strong scientific foundation in basic sciences like Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology and Microbiology. This is done not only in classroom teachings at GIMSR, but also through practical learning that happens in the anatomy halls, various museums and other labs. The campus also takes integrated teaching very seriously at GIMSR where faculty of different subjects come together to teach one particular concept so that the students develop and understand the concepts. The next important learning outcome is for them to develop clinical skills in history-taking, and examination of patients, and this is done at GIMSR through the training that happens in the skill slab and also by posting the students early on for clinical exposure, where they get to interact with patients and develop and hone their clinical skills. GIMSR also has a very effective outcome module that is taught by experienced faculty where the students learn the principles of medical ethics, patient confidentiality and good communication skills.

Careers360: Could you throw light on the importance of trends, and research in academic curriculum for MBBS students?

Dr S P Rao: For the past so many years research in healthcare has been completely neglected and usually it is not a part of the MBBS curriculum. Research is only taken up at the postgraduation but NMC has recently for the past couple of years introduced research as an important component in the MBBS curriculum. Promoting healthcare research by offering them electives in various specialities including Super Speciality, Early Clinical Exposure, Family Adoption Programme or some of the new initiatives that promote the research aptitudes among research students.

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Careers360: Lastly, is there any message for the students aspiring to be doctors?

Dr S P Rao: Medicine is considered to be a noble profession and saving a life gives so much satisfaction that no other profession will be able to offer. Eliminating and suffering from human beings requires a lot of empathetic attitude which is a part of any medical profession. Medical students who opt for the medical profession should not compare the materialism of fellow individuals from other professions and they must keep in mind that medicine is a noble profession and they must be able to fulfil their duty to eliminate the suffering of fellow human beings and improve the healthcare of the community.

Disclaimer: This content was distributed by GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research and has been published as part of Careers360’s marketing initiative.