Armed Forces Medical College (Bangladesh)

The academic activities of the Armed Forces Medical College commenced through induction of 56 medical cadets on 20 June 1999. The college is affiliated to Bangladesh University of Professionals and recognized by Bangladesh Medical & Dental Council (BMDC). So far 20 batches of a total of 1700 (approx.) students have been inducted. The students of the first 15 batches are now doctors and the 14th batch has completed their internship training in the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Dhaka. Remaining batches are progressing as per the academic schedule. The admission is based on merit, keeping in conformity with the Government order published vide AFMC instruction -1/2003

AFMC aims to train its students for five academic years in accordance with the syllabus laid down by the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) for the MBBS degree, so as to train a group of quality doctors for the Armed Forces and the nation.

The objectives of Armed Forces Medical College (according to the official website) are:[2]

• To teach biomedical sciences traditionally required for medical graduates to meet the responsibilities of providing preventive as well as curative health care to the people of Bangladesh.
• To produce well disciplined, self-motivated and dedicated doctors imbued with the spirit of devotion of duty, kindness, tolerance, patience and compassion.
• To impart those aspects of basic military training as are required to turn each cadet into a highly disciplined, physically and mentally fit, morally and ethically upright and professionally dedicated medical graduates capable of providing health care services in adverse physical and psychosocial environment both in and outside the country and during war and peace.
• To instill a wide knowledge of the social and economic condition of Bangladesh with a view to imbuing them the beliefs, values and ideals of the nation.
• To inspire development of essential character qualities, strong sense of righteousness and a basic desire to serve the suffering humanity.

AFMC is a residential institution, with the students viewed as 'medical cadets'. It is compulsory for cadets to stay in the dormitories as provided by the college authority. The cadets must follow all rules and regulations regarding customs and etiquette, decorum and decency of the dormitory living as framed (or will be framed from time to time) by the college authority. There are separate dormitories for male and female medical cadets near the college campus. The scenery AFMC has been gifted is picturesque.

The cadets are provided with messing and allied services including laundry facilities. The messing, laundry and allied charges are paid by the cadets. On arrival to the college, the medical cadets are issued with the necessary uniforms and other supporting items, the costs of which are included in the fees.

The boys' dorm and the girls' dorm are identical in structure. Each dormitory is composed of two blocks and eight floors with a total of 160 rooms (80 rooms in each block) that hold two cadets each, so a potential total of 320 students can stay in each dormitory. The bathrooms are shared between two rooms and consist of two toilet-and-shower rooms and two sinks. There is also a TV room, a prayer room, a waiting room (for parents and guardians), a common room for indoor games, a barber shop and a tailors' shop on the first (ground) floor, as well as a dining room on the second floor.

Male dormitory A & B block, Intern dormitory (From front to behind)

Female dormitory A & B block

After passing the final exam, interns must move out of the student dorms and thereafter they may choose whether to go to work from home or from the internee dormitory; it's not compulsory for interns to stay in the internee dormitory as it is for cadets. The internee dormitory itself is different in structure - there are no separate buildings for the boys and girls but rather a single building with a demarcation in between i.e. no connection between either sides of the dorm. The boys' side and the girls' side of the dorm are mirror images of each other: each side has six floors, the top five floors having six rooms on each floor, so a total of 30 rooms for each side and a potential total of 60 boys or girls can be housed (120 interns in total). The internee dorm rooms are larger than their student counterparts and also contain a separate bathroom in each room. There is also technically a dining room, living room and kitchen on the ground floor.

Like any other medical college in Bangladesh, the five-year course is divided into three parts (the first part being preclinical), with each part leading up to a professional examination (or 'prof') and consisting of subjects specific to that prof.

The First Professional Examination (done in the second year) consists of:

• Anatomy
• Biochemistry
• Physiology

The Second Professional Examination (done in the third year) consists of:

• Community Medicine
• Forensic Medicine

The Third Professional Examination (done in the fourth year) consists of:

• Microbiology
• Pathology
• Pharmacology

The Final Professional Examination (done in the fifth year) consists of:

• Gynecology
• Medicine
• Surgery

AFMC is the only medical college in Bangladesh affiliated with the Bangladesh University of Professionals (until recent years it was affiliated with the University of Dhaka).

Medical Cadets in a classroom

The internship that follows completion of the course is carried out for a year at the nearby Combined Military Hospital (CMH). Internship there is compulsory, though foreign students are not paid.

Music, dance, basketball, football and cricket.

• Army Institute of Business Administration (Army IBA)
• Military Institute of Science & Technology (MIST)