Banning exam system for admission in medical colleges

It is a shame for the doctors of Bangladesh that Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) force arrested seven members, out of them three are government doctors and rest of them teachers in Rangpur, over medical admission test question paper leak.
"Total medical admission system should be reconstructed. But who will bell the cat?" One Bangladeshi parent made this comment out of frustration while this scandalous issue was discussed with him. Truthfully, it is a matter of shame that the doctors and the teachers are involved in leaking the question papers. It is also shame that parents are involved in the question leaking issue; they paid for the test question papers. Parents of three students had paid a good sum of money to buy the medical admission test question papers from a medical officer, named Mostafizur Rahman.
It is a wonder why doctors and teachers are involved in this deceitful, horrible job. Possibly, the main reason is, Bangladeshi teachers as well as government doctors are not paid enough, so they got involved in corruption easily to earn some extra money. Nevertheless, it is shocking that so called rich immoral parents lured these wicked doctors and teachers getting test question papers for their innocent children.
Poverty and morality is interlinked; thus, poverty causes different crime stories and criminal acts too. However, greed and immorality are the key reason in these doctors, teachers and parents' case, not solely poverty.
"The three doctors are Rangpur Medical College Hospital's surgery department Assistant Registrar Dr Shariful Islam Antu, orthopaedic surgery department's Assistant Registrar Dr Zillur Rahman Rony, and Sadar Upazila Health Complex's Medical Officer Dr Mostafizur Rahman alias Pavel.
 Mostafizur is the Managing Director of the local 'A-1 Coaching Centre' while the other two are its directors. The others arrested have been identified as the coaching centre's teachers Atikur Rahman Adil, Jamil Uddin and Shajratul Yakkani Rana, and Primate Coaching Centre's Rangpur branch MD Manjur Rahman, as reported by bdnews24.com.
A total of 11,049 seats are reserved for MBBS and BDS courses in medical and dental colleges in Bangladesh. Approximately 48,448 of the 83,000 students appeared for the tests this year. And the test results are already published. Now, the unfortunate students are showing their anger by peaceful demonstration across the country with a demand of cancellation of the results, so they can appear for exam again.
To face this challenge in admission process, I believe, doctors, parents and students should come forward together and call for a proper admission system in the country, especially in the teaching of medicine. A high quality medical college demands highly qualified professors, an honest administrative body and a strict student recruiting system. Thus, it is necessary for a reform in the medical student recruitment system immediately. Possibly, Bangladesh medical college board and government can seek international support for admission process such as schools of North American medical student recruitment system. They have particular mechanism of admission criteria and process. To do so, it requires a clear planning and policy and a peaceful movement in Bangladesh.  
To be a part of the global medical school and its student recruitment system Bangladesh needs to ban the current exam system for medical college admission. Identifying talented students, reducing corruption, students' year loss and frustrating situation in medical college entrance exam in Bangladesh, I suggest (My personal experience as a parent of student's admission  in North American Medical school such as Cornell University, Indiana University School of Medicine and University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine) that medical college admission procedure should be changed.
It must be acknowledged that entering in medicine studies after 12 grades (after college/intermediate level) is too early for a student to grasp the vast syllabus of Medical Science. Therefore, requirement of entrance in medical colleges should be decided on the result of under grade, and not after the graduation of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC). Every admittee must achieve GPA 3.8 in the minimum and above based on the institution's demand and criteria. They will provide 3 professors' excellent recommendation letters and a strong resume. The resume will indicate that the student has passion in verities of extracurricular performance, research skills and leadership ability. A highly qualified administrative body should be in the committee to select outstanding students for oral interview. And only selected students will be interviewed by the 3 members of panel of the interested faculty of medicine.
Same procedure can be followed while entering post-secondary institutions/public and private universities to avoid admission question leaking. After this test question paper leaking scandal, doctors of Bangladesh must come forward to protest against the current test procedure; subsequently, students and parents may create a space for a movement how an internationally accepted procedure can be established to recruit talented Bangladeshi medical students. Making talented doctors and delivering better health, Bangladesh government can obviously play a major role in this case.

The writer is a Doctoral candidate and researcher of the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada. [email protected]