Eastern Medical College

Eastern Medical College (EMC) (ইস্টার্ন মেডিকেল কলেজ) is a private medical college and hospital in Bangladesh, established in 2005.The campus of this college is located beside the Dhaka–Chittagong Highway at Kabila in Burichang Upazila, in the Comilla District of Chittagong Division.The college is affiliated with University of Chittagong and 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.

The college has an attached hospital with 600 beds. Bedside teaching and clinical examinations of students take place at the hospital wing.

History
A few philanthropists and doctors from Comilla District namely, Shah Md. Selim, Musleh Uddin Ahmed, Kalim Ullah, Abdul Quddus Akhand and Md. Abdur Rauf took an initiative to establish a private medical college in Comilla. As a result of their efforts, this college was established in 2005 as the first private medical college of Comilla. One of the founders and the founding chairman of this college is Shah Md. Selim, who is currently serving as the managing director of the college and hospital. Kamrun Naher is currently serving as the chairman of the governing body 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, two intern doctors' dormitories, a canteen, a mosque, a lake, two playgrounds, a pond and doctors' and teachers' residences.

Affiliation and administration
Prior to 2017, the college was affiliated with Chittagong University as a constituent medical college. Currently, it is a constituent college of Chittagong Medical University. The college is governed by a Governing Body, which is reconstituted every four years through a joint intervention of the Board of Directors of the college, academic council of Chittagong Medical University and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Additionally, there is a Board of Directors comprising the college's founders and shareholders.The college is approved by the Directorate general of Health Service and the Directorate General of Medical Education of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and is affiliated with the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons. Besides, the college is listed in International Medical Education Directory (IMED), which enables it's graduates to appear at ECFMG and other entrance examinations abroad. The college is also listed as a medical education institution by the World Federation for Medical Education and the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research. Furthermore, the medical college is a member of the Southeast Asia Regional Association for Medical Education and has received recognition from the World Health Organization.

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 Chittagong Medical University. But prior to 2017, students at 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 medicine.

In addition, the college also runs fellowship 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).

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.