Indian university leader praises Dundee’s world-leading medical training facilities

A senior Indian university leader has described the University of Dundee’s School of Medicine as “truly outstanding” during a visit to the city.

Dr Vikas Swarankar, Chairperson Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University of Medical Sciences and Technology in Jaipur, visited with his wife as part of a fact-finding mission to learn more about Dundee’s world-leading work in Clinical Skills, Surgical Skills, IVF and MedTech innovation.

Hosted by Dr David Russell, Director of Business Development and Partnerships at the School of Medicine, the visit explored how Dundee’s approaches could inform the development of similar facilities in India.

Dr Swarankar, a trained surgeon and IVF physician, said his interest in Dundee stretched back more than a decade, “I am a surgeon by training and, since those days, I had heard about Dundee Medical School and its Simulation Centre, as well as Professor Sir Alfred Cuschieri. 

“I always had the desire to come here and see for myself how it functions. As luck would have it, I finally had the chance after almost 14 years.”

Reflecting on his first impressions, he added, “I am regretting why I didn’t come here earlier. I could have done so much more back home had I learned from Dundee then, but it’s never too late.”

During his visit, Dr Swarankar highlighted the quality of Dundee’s facilities and staff, he said, “In spite of being such a busy place, it is so well managed. The staff I met do their work so well. The whole environment shows how well this centre is run.

“I have seen universities in the US, many in India and a couple in the UK, but what I have seen here stands out. It is truly outstanding.”

It’s hoped the visit will inspire joint projects between the Jaipur based University and Dundee, “We are open to collaborations and developing a similar, though not identical, centre at my university. We already have a clinical skills facility, but we want to upgrade it to this level.”

Dr Swarankar said specific practices which are relatively unique to Dundee, could help enhance training in Jaipur, “The technique of preserving cadavers used here will enable better medical training. That knowledge is something I am keen to take back.”

Dr David Russell, and host of the day's visit said, “It was a pleasure to host Dr Swarankar and his wife here at the School of Medicine in Ninewells Hospital. Clearly, there are potential spots of collaboration between our two institutions and we very much look forward to exploring that. We thank them for coming and look forward to meeting in person again soon.”