CHENNAI: Candidates who surrendered government quota MBBS seats on the first day of engineering counselling cited the long duration of medical course as one of the main reasons for their decision. Currently, MBBS duration is five-and-a-half years which includes four-and-a-half years of curriculum and one year of internship. In engineering, students have a bright chance of getting campus placement after four years if they get admission into top colleges.
S.I. Tamizhi of Erode got an MBBS seat in Government medical college at Omandurar Government Estate in Chennai. She was interested in engineering and management from the beginning. “In medical stream, it will take eight to 10 years to get settled. Some medical graduates I know are still studying at the age of 25 or 26,” she said. “My cut-off mark for engineering (197.75) is lower than I expected and I had doubt about getting admission in top colleges like Anna University. So, I participated in medical counselling,” she said.
After surrendering her MBBS seat, she selected computer science engineering in PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore. Another candidate P. Muraliprasath of Coimbatore also surrendered his MBBS seat and joined PSG College of Technology. He got MBBS seat in ESIC medical college in Coimbatore. His mother M. Radha said they were confused before taking the decision. Finally, she agreed to her son’s wish which is to become a software engineer.
M. Sowmia of Chennai surrendered her MBBS seat from ESIC medical college in Chennai. She selected Chemical Engineering in Alagappa College of Technology. Though her father Mukundan is a paediatrician at Korattur, she said her parents left it to her choice. Tamil Nadu Engineering Admission committee officials said that on the second day of counselling no student surrendered MBBS seat.
