IIT Madras will now offer MBBS, MD degrees, says director
What's the story
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras Director Professor V Kamakoti has announced plans to launch a school of medical sciences at the institute. The new school will offer its own medical degrees, including undergraduate MBBS, postgraduate MD, and doctoral PhD programs. "IIT Madras will certainly launch a school of medical sciences," Professor Kamakoti told India Today. "We want to give medical degrees, and I think that will be something which will make the institute much bigger."
Current initiatives
Building on existing department
The proposed school of medical sciences builds on IIT Madras's existing Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, established in May 2023.
This department is the first of its kind in India and offers a four-year undergraduate degree to train hybrid graduates who are part engineer and part biologist.
These graduates are intended to design scanners, implants, and software rather than treat patients directly.
Strategic vision
Need for self-reliant medical equipment
Professor Kamakoti said he believes that every technology institution should have a medical school to survive in the modern medical market.
His belief stems from the pandemic, which exposed how much modern medicine relies on technology and stresses the need for India to develop its own high-end medical equipment instead of importing it.
"Any technology institution must start a medical school," he said, adding that this is essential for India's self-reliance in healthcare technology.
Approval process
Challenges in starting medical school
However, starting a medical school is not as simple as it sounds. The National Medical Commission regulates medical education in India and decides who can run a medical college and grant degrees.
To get approval, IIT Madras would need to set up a teaching hospital where students can learn while treating real patients.
This is similar to the path taken by IIT Kharagpur, which built its own hospital and got approval for a postgraduate MD course.
Infrastructure readiness
Existing resources and collaborations
IIT Madras already has several medical facilities on its campus, including a healthcare technology center and a brain-mapping institute.
The Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre (HTIC) is a multidisciplinary R&D facility that brings together technologists, engineers, doctors, and healthcare professionals as well as industry and government players to develop healthcare technologies for the country.