Maulana Azad Medical College

One of India's premier medical colleges, ranked amongst the top five medical schools, is situated in central New Delhi, India, amongst the ruins of most famous British Jails- 'Khooni Darwaza', (literally the bloody door).

The Maulana Azad Medical College is named after Indian freedom fighter and first education minister of independent India Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. It is located in Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi ^[1]

The college has the following hospitals attached to it:

1. Lok Nayak Hospital
2. G B Pant Hospital (both named after freedom fighters,
3. Guru Nanak Eye Hospital,
4. Sushruta Trauma Centre (named after the biggest surgeon India has produced)
5. Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya (a purely Hindi name which roughly translates as "Uncle Jawaharlal Nehru Children's hospital). (Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of independent India)^[2]

The hospitals have a combined bed strength of more than 2400 beds (with further expansion underway) and cater to a population of more than 2 million people in Delhi alone and many more from the surrounding states in north India. The college is a tertiary care referral centre and has teaching programs for graduation, post graduation and subspecialities (referred to as superspecialities in India).

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History of the college

  The history of Maulana Azad Medical College, could be traced to 1936, when India was being ruled by the British. Indian Medical Service at that time was heavily manned by the British. In 1936, Lt. Col. Curickshank of the Indian Medical Service (IMS) [a British national], then Medical Superintendent and Chief Medical Officer of Irwin Hospital saw the dream of building a medical college complex near Ramlila Ground.

But before his dream could come to fruition, the Second world war started in 1939, and the plan of a new medical college had to be dropped. During Second World War some barracks were rapidly constructed near Safdarjung tomb to establish a medical center for American Troops fighting in this region. This hospital was well equipped with x-ray machine, laboratory and other facilities for various emergency procedures. After the Second World War was over American handed over this place to Government of India. This place, where the present Safdarjung Hospital exists was to be taken over as an extension of Irwin Hospital Later CGHS took over this place directly to be run by Central Health Ministry.

An interesting fact is that the foundation stone of AIIMS was initially laid in this campus near abandoned jail area but was later shifted to present site for AIIMS, after it was decided to make later an autonomous institution.

Ranking in India

Although many surveys have given it various ranks, the overall ranking of MAMC has always been in the top ten. Today MAMC is widely considered the 5th best medical school in India. Its location in the capital city makes it a particularly attractive choice among students across North India.

MAMC is one of the only 9 medical schools in India, whose basic medical degree, ie, MBBS (equivalent to MD in the United States), is recognised by the Singapore Medical Council for all purposes of training and job placements.

Firsts in India from MAMC complex

1. Ear Drum Transplant
2. Transpulmonary Correction of Tetrology of Fallot
3. Right gastroepiploic artery as a conduit in coronary artey bypass surgery
4. Maze III procedure for co-arctation of aorta
5. First balloon Mitral Valvotomy
6. First balloon angioplasty for co-arctation of aorta
7. First Renal Angioplasty
8. First Closure of Patent Ductus Arteriosus and Atrial Septal Defect
9. Combined modality treatment in muscle infilterating bladder tumour
10. Feasibility study of role of PAP smear in preparation and early detection of Cancer of the Cervix
11. Typing of MSRA
12. Pulse Polio Program
13. Motiabind Unmoolan Abhiyan (public health program for eradication of cataract)
14. Shravan Shakti Abhiyan
15. Occupational and Environmental Medicine Department in a Medical College
16. Post Graduate (Residency) program Course in Radio-therapy
17. Centre of Excellence in Non-scalpel Vasectomy
18. First Non-scalpel Vasectomy
19. First Laser Micro-neurosurgical Procedures
20. First CUSA assisted neurosurgical operation
21. First successful MVD for trigeminal neuralgia
22. First successful trans-oral odontoidectomy for CV junction anomaly
23. Delayed surgical decompression in partial spinal cord injury
24. Extra-cavitory anterior decompression in thoraco-lumbar diseases
25. Longest duration and longest running Continuing Medical Education (CME) program in Surgery for postgraduates. The program runs with the name 'Surgery Update'.

Courses offered

The medical school offers the undergraduate degrees of M.B.B.S (Bachelors in Medicine, Bachelors in Surgery). It has attached schools offering degrees in nursing and pharmacy. The attached hospitals are well renowned for the training programs in all medical specialties and subspecialties.

Admissions

Competition for entry to this institute, is, to say the least, 'cut-throat'. Successful students are required to score higher than the 99.9%ile in a competitive medical college admission test (held once a year). This institution is known for the high quality of teaching. 180 students are admitted each year. Reservation for the backward and underpriveledged class exist, as it is a government institution, to the extent of almost 33%. In-state residents have a preference towards almost 75% of the seats. Students who have graduated from high school can appear for the admission test. Rankings are given for this exam and during counselling students are asked to give their choices of medical college. The first choice of most students in North India is Maulana Azad Medical College.

Notable faculty and Alumni

This institution is well known for the highest rates of 'brain-drain' among medical schools in India !

Significant percentage of its alumni are currently working in the United States (more than 25% graduates), United Kingdom (almost 25% graduates, this number is likely to go down with the new EU regulations) and other countries (Australia, New Zeland, Singapore etc), and those in India are usually well known private practitioners.

Most members of the faculty visit Europe and America for conferences, training programs etc, and bring with them rich experience that enhance the educational experience of its students and Physicians-in-training.

Notable alumnus around the world include

• Dr. Raj Goyal, Mallinckrodt Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Founder President of the American Motility Society, Former Chair of the Division of Gastroenterology at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston.

• Dr. Ravi Vij, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. Reviewer for several journals, including Blood, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Experimental Hematology.

• Dr. Charu Taneja. She is a Surgical Oncologist and Director of the Breast Health Program at Roger Williams Medical Center at Boston University.

• Dr. Tajinder Singh, Pediatric Cardiologist and Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School.

• Dr. Mandeep Bhargava, Staff Cardiologist, Cleveland Clinic, USA

• Dr. Rajeev Diddy, the only Indian Radiologist licensed to privately practise in Germany

Some of the notable members in India-

• Col. Bashi Lal Taneja (The first Dean of the college). The block where the hospital faculty has its offices, is known as Col. B.L. Taneja Block, after his name

• Dr. I. D. Bajaj. First reader of anatomy dept. He later rose to the position of Director General of Health Services.

• Dr. P.C. Dhanda. Padma Bhushan, 1962

• Dr. Narottam Puri. Primarily an otorhinolaryngologist, but also a musician, singer, encyclopaedist and a quiz master. His sports quiz on TV during 1970s and 1980s was a much watched show. He currently heads

• Professor Arun Aggarwal, Otorhinolaryngologist (Current Dean)

• Dr. Premashis Kar, noted Physician-Scientist in the field of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, recipient of many National and International awards, over a 100 international research publications

• Dr. Ravi Kant, Professor of Surgery and President, Indian Association of Surgical Oncology

• Dr. Jugal Kishore, Department of Family & Community Medicine, recipient of many national and international awards and author of popular textbooks, listed in Marquis’ Who’s Who in the World 19th Edition 2002 published from USA.

• Dr. Anil Aggrawal, Forensic Pathologist, and editor of Anil Aggrawal's Internet Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology

• Dr Pawanindra Lal, Professor of Surgery at MAMC is from the 1985 batch and is responsible for setting up the first Clinical Skills Laboratory at MAMC for hands on training in basic and advanced surgical techniques. He is also the College Tutor, Examiner and Local Convener of the MRCS examinations of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh at New Delhi. His contributions have gained him a listing in Marquis Who's Who in the world in Medicine, Who's who in Science & Engineering, Who's Who in Asia.

Notes & References

(The Greatest man ever.)