Cox's Bazar Medical College

In the year 1978–1979 Bangladesh government planned to establish medical colleges at Bogra, Comilla, Dinajpur, Faridpur, Kushtia, Khulna, Noakhali and Pabna with a view to improve the healthcare services in the country. Subsequently, the programme was abandoned. Than the government felt the need for more medical colleges for medical education facilities. Accordingly, the government committed to establish five new medical colleges at Pabna, Jessore, Noakhali, Cox's Bazar and Rangamati with annual intakes of 50 students at each. The college was established in 2008. In 2008 it started educational service in a part of general hospital with 34 students and only 3 college staff. Professor Dr. B M Ali Yusuf was the founder principal of Cox’s Bazar Medical College. The College was temporarily started in the annex building of 250 bed Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital in 2008. At the beginning there was not ampoule opportunities for the students regarding college hostel, adequate teachers and other lab facilities. The first three batch in the year of 2010-2011, have gone through regular protests to set up the permanent campus and providing proper facilities for the students. Bedsides, the lacking of teachers was a big challenge for the college to carry out the academic excellence. Further, after tireless work and advocacy by the then principal Dr. B M Ali Yusuf, government finally allocated the land for the medical college and the government did provide few teachers in different departments especially in the basic subjects (Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Community Medicine and Forensic Medicine). The construction of the academic building was started in the year 2013 and completed in 2016 including two hostel for the boys and girls. Finally the college was shifted on campus in 2017 without the medical college hospital. The campus is currently running in campus, yet to construct the hospital. Despite of these challenges faced the college and the students in the early stage, they were engaged in various co-curricular activities like sports, debating, running voluntary organisations. Having dificulties with college campus, teachers, hostel facilities the students prove their merit by securing merit position in the professional examination (1st prof and onwards) from the very beginning, with the most pass rate under Chittagong University, which is still carrying out by the college.

Cox's Bazar Medical College moved to the permanent campus with its own Academic buildings and hostels for students in 2017.[4] There is a Mosque and a beautiful Shaheed Minar.

The whole Campus is secured under 24 hours CCTV surveillance.

It has a 250-bed hospital where the students do their internship after completing the 5-year MBBS course. The work for hospital building will be started soon.

Currently there are 76 teachers working in different departments.[2] Prof. Dr. Subas Chandra Saha is the current principal.[1]

Cox's Bazar Medical College is affiliated under Chittagong Medical University. The students receive MBBS degree from Chittagong University after completion of their fifth year and passing the final Professional MBBS examination. The Professional examinations are held under the university and results are given thereby. Internal examinations are also taken on regular interval namely Card completions, term end and regular assessments.

From the MBBS Session 2017–18, Affiliation of Cox's Bazar Medical College has been changed to the newly established Chittagong Medical University.[5]

Design of main campus

Cox's Bazar Medical College admits 70 students into the MBBS programme yearly under the government medical admission test. Admission of Cox's Bazar Medical College is administrated by Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) under the Ministry of Health, Government of Bangladesh and curriculum by Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council.

Basic requirement for admission is that a candidate must have passed Secondary School Certificate (SSC)/'O' Level and Higher School Certificate (HSC)/'A' Level or their equivalent examinations although the minimum grade points required vary from year to year. It is also required that a candidate must have Biology, Chemistry and Physics among the subjects taken in HSC.

The admission test is conducted centrally by Director of Medical Education under DGHS. The test comprises a written MCQ exam, which is held simultaneously in all government medical colleges on the same day throughout the country. Candidates are selected for admission based on national merit and district, whether they are sons or daughters of freedom fighters, and to fill tribal quotas.

Entrance of the Academic building

The students of this college are also involved in many extracurricular and social welfare activities. There are two voluntary organisations-

• Sandhani, Cox's Bazar Medical College Unit[7][8]
• Medicine Club, Cox's Bazar Medical College Unit[9]

They provide humanitarian works like free blood grouping, blood transfusion, Voluntary blood donation & vaccination campaigns, relief works, health awareness & free health check-up campaigns in the urban and rural areas etc. These two organisations were pioneered by the founder principal Dr. B M Ali Yusuf and the then vice principal Dr. Arup Dutta Bappi.

• List of medical colleges in Bangladesh

• World Directory of Medical Schools