Name of the Institution: Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College

Location: Salem, Tamil Nadu, India

Year Established: 1988

Courses offered: MBBS, Postgraduate Courses, Superspeciality Courses, B.Sc. Nursing, Paramedical Courses

No. of seats: 100 (MBBS)

Hospital Bed Count: 1600 (Approx)

Website link: http://www.gmkmc.ac.in/

Contact info: 9840182189

A rapidly growing center of excellence; is what best describes my 33-year-old medical college, with a history that spans back to 1917 when the hospital itself was first established.

The hospital is situated at the very heart of Salem city while the medical college is situated 10 km away in the town of Kollapatty, away from the hassles of city life, on a 150-acre campus that was originally a part of Salem Steel Plant.

Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College campus sits at a picturesque location, looking at a range of mountains, surrounded by green trees and shrubs and a glimpse of Tamil village life. This campus includes staff quarters apart from hostels for girls and boys, lecture halls, examination halls, administrative offices, department buildings, and a library.

The nursing college along with its hostels is also situated at another end of the campus. The students love to hang out by the side of what we call the ‘LH road’, lined on both sides by tall, covering trees that throw shade over the whole road. It is a quiet campus, calm and peaceful, just what a medico needs amidst their hectic academic life!

The now Tertiary Care Centre complying with the latest treatment modalities was originally established in the year 1913 to serve British officers based in Salem and the general public. The medical college was inaugurated in 1988 by the then-Indian Prime Minister Sri. Rajiv Gandhi, and was named in honor of the former Minister of Steel and Mines, Sri. Mohan Kumaramangalam. The Super Specialty Block would come later in the year 2005 under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Yojana and serves as the main tertiary referral center for surrounding districts.

Our hospital was recently ranked as second best in performance among Tamil Nadu government colleges, proving that it is an emerging center with scope for achieving great heights in terms of providing quality healthcare to the under-served population.

Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College admits 100 MBBS students per year and provides all support in the form of relevant academic activities and the latest teaching aides to prepare the students for the challenging times in the medical arena. The students also get the opportunity to polish their soft skills in the essential practice of community medicine through speaking and performing sessions in classrooms and conducting of surveys and awareness drives to the nearby colonies and village areas.

Apart from college-centered activities, a yearly nationwide quiz program, ‘Glanzendo’ is conducted to give the students an insight into the academic levels of their counterparts.

The main attraction, though, is the 2 monthly long cultural fest with its own unique theme each year. The fest witnesses ‘bookish’ medicos turning into rock stars with their golden talents being taken to the next levels as they compete on their toes for the trophy. It is a relief from the daily study routine and the college comes together as a whole to make it a grand success every year. There is also a day exclusively set for programs of cultural importance titled ‘Tamil Mandram’ which honors Tamil culture and history.

A yearly intercollegiate sports fest occurs around the same time, called ‘Riviera’ where medicos show off their grit and strength in a bunch of major sports events.