# Eastern Medical College

Eastern Medical College (Bengali: ইস্টার্ন মেডিকেল কলেজ) is a private medical college situated in Comilla district of Bangladesh, established in 2005. The college is located beside the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway at Mokam Union Parishad of Burichang Upazila in Comilla. Previously It was a constituent medical college under the University of Chittagong, currently the college is a constituent college of Chittagong Medical University.
It offers a five-year course of study leading to a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. A one-year internship after graduation is compulsory for all graduates. The degree is recognized by the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council and the college has been enlisted in the World Directory of Medical Schools.
The college has an attached hospital with 600 beds. Bedside teaching and clinical examinations of students take place at the hospital wing.

## History

A group of distinguished individuals, including veteran politician Shah Mohammad Selim, physicians Musleh Uddin Ahmed and Abdul Quddus Akhand, surgeon Kalim Ullah, and businessman Md. Abdur Rauf founded Eastern Medical College in 2005. One of the founders and the founding chairman of this college is Shah Mohammad Selim, who is currently serving as the managing director of the college and hospital. Currently Azizul Haque is serving as the chairman of the college.

## Campus

The campus is located beside the Dhaka–Chittagong Highway at Kabila in Burichang Upazila, in the Comilla District of Chittagong Division. total land area of the college campus is 7.5 acres. The campus has an attached 600-bed hospital, which consists of two multi-story building. In addition to this, there is an academic and administrative building, a multi-story male student dormitory, a multi-story female student dormitory, separate dormitories for male and female intern doctors, a cafeteria, a mosque, a lake, two playgrounds, a pond and doctors' and teachers' residences.

## Affiliation and administration

The college was affiliated with University of Chittagong as a constituent medical college prior to 2017. Currently, it is a constituent college of Chittagong Medical University. The college is administered by a Board of Governors, which is constituted according to the 'Chittagong Medical University Act 2016' and also in accordance with the rules and policies framed by the Chittagong Medical University subject to the approval of the university syndicate. The Governing Body acts as the executive authority of the college and exercises all powers in accordance with the regulations, rules and policies of the university. The governing body also approves the annual budget of the college and is responsible for the audit and maintenance of the college's financial accounts.
The college is approved by the Directorate general of Health Service and the Directorate General of Medical Education [bn] of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and is affiliated with the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons. Besides, the college is enlisted in Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates and World Directory of Medical School through partnership between the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) and the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER). This listing allows graduates to sit for the USMLE, AMC, and PLAB and other international licensing examinations. Additionally, the college is a member of the Southeast Asia Regional Association for Medical Education.

## List of principals

The following individuals have served as the principals of Eastern Medical College since its establishment:
| Serial No. | Name | Tenure | Tenure |
| Serial No. | Name | Start | End |
| 1. | Habibur Rahman Ansari | 14.05.2005 | 01.09.2005 |
| 2. | Sayed Sharafat Ali (Acting) | 02.09.2005 | 31.03.2006 |
| 3. | Farida Adib Khanam | 01.04.2006 | 28.07.2009 |
| 4. | Abu Mohammad Nurul Ahad (Acting) | 29.07.2009 | 31.08.2009 |
| 5. | Golam Samdani (Acting) | 01.09.2009 | 09.05.2010 |
| 6. | Golam Samdani ; | 10.05.2010 | 31.12.2019 |
| 7. | Md. Kalim Ullah; | 01.01.2020 | 31.12.2023 |
| 8. | Ruhini Kumar Das; | 01.01.2024 | present |

## Academics

The college offers a five-year course of study, approved by the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC), leading to a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree awarded by the Chittagong Medical University. But prior to 2017, students of this college received Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from the University of Chittagong.
A student studies Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Forensic Medicine, Community Medicine, Medicine & allied subjects, Surgery & allied subjects and Gynecology & Obstetrics during the course period.
The course is divided into 4 phases. Four professional examinations, one at the end of each phase, are held under Chittagong Medical University. After passing the fourth or final professional examination, a student is awarded an MBBS degree. The course curriculum is graded using the percentage system.The pass mark for the college's internal as well as professional examinations is 60 percent. Students shall have to pass written (MCQ + SAQ + formative), oral, practical and clinical examinations separately. After passing the final professional examination, a student must complete a compulsory one-year internship in college's hospital. This internship is a prerequisite for obtaining registration from the BMDC to practice medical science.
In addition, the college also runs post-post-graduate training courses of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons in different disciplines. Postgraduate training for the FCPS course of the BCPS in the disciplines of Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Dermatology can be completed at college's hospital. The college is an affiliate college of the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS).
Eastern Medical College Journal which is Index Medicus/MEDLINE listed, is the official journal of the college. It is a peer-reviewed, indexed open access journal, published twice a year in January and July. It accepts original research articles, review articles on topics of current interest, and interesting case reports.
In addition to Bangladeshi students, the college also enrolls students from other SAARC and Asian non-SAARC countries, including India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan etc. 45% of the total seats in the college are reserved for international students.
Admission for Bangladeshis to the MBBS programme at all medical colleges in Bangladesh (government and private) is conducted centrally by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). It administers a written multiple choice question based exam simultaneously throughout the country. Candidates are admitted based primarily on their score on this test, although grades at Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) level also play a part. As of July 2017, the college is allowed to admit 115 students annually.