PG admission: Digital display eases students’ wait at GMC counselling

PANAJI: The waiting period at a counselling session for admission to postgraduate (PG) courses at Goa Medical College (GMC) has now become less stressful. The GMC has introduced digital counselling, starting with the first round of PG admissions that was held on Monday.

Dean, GMC, Dr S M Bandekar, said authorities managed to complete the first round of counselling much faster than in the past. “Digital display and announcements helped students, who were awaiting their turn for counselling, to know the status with clarity and decide accordingly,” said Bandekar.

In the old practice, he said students and parents were unable to hear the call-out for counselling due to the chaos and crowd outside the dean’s office.

This time, digital boards - one outside the dean’s office and the other at the air-conditioned auditorium - along with seating arrangements for students and parents, aided in the counselling procedure being conducted in a systematic manner.

Bandekar said parents and students, who were in the queue, could follow the proceedings due to updates displayed on the digital boards.

Students were facilitated in deciding faster due to the updates displayed on the board, he said. As many as 200 applications were received for 124 PG courses including 26 diploma seats. In the past, the display was done on a blackboard and updates regarding the availability of seats in each faculty was done manually.

The new method reduced the waiting period for students, parents and faculty. The first round of admission began at 2.40pm and concluded at 5.30pm.

The second round of counselling is scheduled on April 25 and the mop-up round will be held on May 8.