Located in one of India’s hubs of education, Santiniketan Medical College (SMC) reflects the vibrant energy of Bolpur, West Bengal. Bolpur is the location of Visva-Bharati, the acclaimed university set up by Nobel laureate and poet Rabindranath Tagore. The Bard of Bengal chose this location for his Ashram School in 1901 and eventually established the varsity in 1921 for advanced study and research. Now, after a century, in 2020, the city got SMC, which has been working to reform medical education delivery in the country.
A MODEL PARTNERSHIP
The SMC is India’s first medical college built through a public-private partnership under the National Medical Commission Act. The college is the first one to come up after the Centre’s decision to open a path for private players to partner with government hospitals and build medical colleges. Set up under the supervision of NITI Aayog, the teaching hospital is affiliated with Bolpur Sub-divisional Hospital.
Another important driver behind SMC’s foundation has been the difficulty millions of ambitious and determined medical aspirants in India face while choosing a national institute to study. SMC’s priority has been to become their top choice and help them shape their careers with the ethos of holistic knowledge and service to humankind. The college believes in “producing doctors with a difference,” so that the students come out as doctors who are professionally competent, ethically and morally excellent, well aware of community health requirements, well-versed in the latest health technologies, and capable of meeting global health challenges. The purpose required a host of resources and facilities – from well-equipped labs to the most highly qualified and well-experienced faculties from all over the country – to provide students with an unparalleled academic experience. The college has not only achieved these parameters, but also ensured an environment suitable for their holistic growth.
ON A NOBLE MISSION
In addition to producing globally competent medical professionals, the medical hospital-cum-institute provides world-class medical services compassionately at a reasonable cost. All faculty members and student doctors at the college work toward serving humanity with sincerity, passion towards lifelong learning, meaningful research, and patient care guided by ethics.
The potpourri of learning experiences at the college helps students grow in and out of the classroom. It aptly puts its motto as “MANTRA,” the acronym for Medical care with compassion, Academic excellence, Nurturing student quality, Technology driven education and care, Research and innovations, and Achieving continuous and lifelong excellence. In addition, it has hired a team of passionate and skilled faculty and staff to help students become successful professionals and change the world for the better.
A CAMPUS WITH A DIFFERENCE
The sprawling 25-acre campus of SMC is a self-contained area with complete and excellent infrastructure and teaching-learning resources that provide an intellectually stimulating and enjoyable learning ambiance. The hostels accommodate over 200 males and females students. The campus has the best amenities and offers its residents and visitors an eco-friendly environment with no presence of mobile phones, vehicles and plastic.
The college has an array of modern laboratories with the state-of-the-art equipment, where trained staff assists and guides students. Its Skills Lab is a unique facility to teach students using simulation technology. This lab aims to provide a safe environment for students to learn, practice, and be observed performing skills in a simulated environment, thus mitigating the risks involved in direct patient exposure without adequate preparation and supervision.
An exciting feature of the SMC campus is its unique museums. Here, medical facts and oddities of the human body are displayed to mesmerise and motivate the learners. The museums, such as the Anatomy museum, preserve a collection of over 300 dissected specimens and 500 models and other fascinating rarities removed from the human body, making the place a veritable bank of visual reference.
DIFFERENT FROM THE REST
Within a brief period, SMC has built a system where quality care and learning thrive simultaneously. It uses international level teaching materials and ensures that learning is an enriching experience for students. With a perfect blend of discipline and comprehensive education, the campus offers a friendly environment where students achieve more than just degrees. Santiniketan Medical College pays equal attention to medical students’ co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. It is crucial, as it aims to evaluate students based on their physical, mental, social, emotional, and intellectual quotient so that they can face and overcome all life challenges with firm determination, extraordinary patience, and persistent diligence while achieving their goals.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Within a very short period of time, Santiniketan Medical College has built a system where quality prevails. It has been chosen as the Best Medical College in West Bengal at the Asia Education Summit and Awards 2022. Dedicated to its mission of building India’s next-generation doctors and changemakers, the college believes that its real awards will be its doctors who will bring laurels to the country.
