Novel approaches to boost medical research: Sri Ramachandra University introduces "Integrated" and "Split" Ph.D Programmes for medical postgraduates.

The Ministry of Human Resources Development through UGC and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through ICMR have proposed policy recommendations to promote the quality of Ph.D research in Indian Universities and Medical Universities Respectively. Keeping in line with these guidelines, Sri Ramachandra University has revised its Ph.D guidelines and the same was approved by its Board of Research Studies on the 22nd June, 2007. It is scheduled for implementation during this academic year itself and admissions would be made in September, 2007.

The primary objective is to attract M.D/M.S/M.D.S qualified Medical and Dental post graduates to take up Ph.D research and to provide opportunities for Pharmacy, Nursing and Science Post-graduates to conduct Ph.D in cutting edge areas of Medical Sciences. With the state of art infrastructure available, Ramachandra is fully equipped to conduct Hi-Tech research in The areas of Medicine, Surgery, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Allied Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences & Technology and Health Management Sciences.

Besides many updated guidelines for Ph.D to improve quality of Ph.D research, TWO special schemes are being introduced. They are:

• Integrated Ph.D which is called as M.D-Ph.D programme in Foreign universities like Harvard University, etc.,
• Split Ph.D Programme.
  
  

For the first time in Indian Medical Universities, the Integrated Ph.D is being introduced since the emerging areas of medical, surgical and dental sciences are in need of research qualified manpower to develop internationally competitive curricula, strong operational knowledge requirement to be applied for Community Health and Patient Care and to find newer drugs and treatment methods for incurable chronic diseases.

The Integrated Ph.D, is a full time programme of Five years duration for M.D/M.S/M.D.S/ undergoing candidates. In the first Three years, they will do their medical and dental post graduation which will be continued for Ph.D in the next Two years. The whole Ph.D curriculum is designed without any deviation from Medical and Dental Council guidelines.

The Split Ph.D programme is designed to provide opportunities for the candidates to conduct a part of their Ph.D work in a recognised foreign university/ research institution or a recognised Indian university/ research institution with which Ramachandra University has signed an academic MoU. This would be required for our proposed research in the areas of Tissue engineering & Stem cell technology, Medical Electronics. Biomedical engineering, Biomedical Nanotechnology, Development of newer drugs, medical gadgets and appliances.

The basic objective of this scheme is to develop productive Research relationship and future collaborative research projects besides bringing the international and national universities and Research institutions/ industries closer with Ramachandra University through Ph.D program also.