While India has only about 150 positions for training Cardiologists (DM and DNB in Cardiology), less than hundred doctors eventually becomes specialists every year. There is wide gap between availability of cardiology expertise and load of cardiac morbidity in rural as well as urban area. Whatever cardiologists are trained, they are employed / practicing in metropolitan cities or large towns.

This deprives the large population of our country from the cardiology expertise. In India , where 25 percent of the population are living below poverty line (2002) and more than 70 percent of them are living in rural area, most of the trained cardiologist are concentrated in the costly sophisticated tertiary care hospitals which are situated in the urban area. Since high tech hospitals are not only unaffordable but also non-accessible for most of the people of the country.

This Programme will have a great social relevance. Indians are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attack than Europeans. While the average age of heart attack victims in Europe is more than 60 years, the average age of Indians is between 40 to 50 making it a disease of breadwinner of the family causing major socio-economic upheavals.

We are also genetically more vulnerable for diabetes at younger age , which again leads to premature atherosclerotic disease leading to heart attack. While in USA every fourth man develops heart attack before retirement in India it is every third man developing heart attack. One out of one thousand children in our country suffer from rheumatic valvular heart disease which if not treated early leads to major complications leading premature death. One out of hundred and forty children born anywhere in the world has heart disease. India produces the largest number of children in the world.

So, for obvious reasons we produce the largest number of children with heart disease in the world. A country with over a billion population requires at least few thousands cardiologists to be produced every year to address the growing needs of the heart patients. If a doctor is trained as a Cardiologist after doing his MD in Medicine he obviously prefers to live in major city rather than migrating to smaller towns whereas if an MBBS doctor is given a course in Clinical Cardiology his chances of going to smaller towns ans semi-urban areas are bright.

OBJECTIVES

To establish a core programme dedicated to train larger numbers of medical graduates in Clinical cardiology to deal effectively with the early recognition, management and prevention of common cardiovascular diseases (Non Invasive Cardiology) and associated diseases particularly Diabetes Mellitus.

Teleconferencing

Teleconferencing is a one-way video and two-way audio facility. Teleconferencing will be held every month. During teleconferencing session, you will get an opportunity to interact by phone in facility or fax with the resource persons/experts who participate in teleconferencing session and clear your doubts immediately.

The teleconferencing facility will be available at the Regional Centre and Selected Study Centres. The teleconferencing schedule will be sent to the Programme In-charge and Regional Director who would inform the students. Teleconferencing is done through Gyan Darshan Channel. Students must regularly attend these sessions. These will help them clarify doubts and interact with other learners all over the country.

Radio Counselling

Radio counselling will be held through FM and students can ask questions free of cost with phone in facilities right from their homes. A toll free telephone number 110012345 has been provided for this purpose.

Telecast

The programme will also be telecast through DD Metro channel and schedule will be informed to students in advance.

Audio-video Programme

Audio and video programmes for each course have been prepared to support learning for the students. These Audio-video programmes in the form of cassettes are available at all Programme Study Centres. These Audio and video cassettes will be provided for viewing and listening. They can also hire the cassettes for viewing and listening.

Attendance

Students will be required to complete seventy-five percent attendance in theory counselling to become eligible for appearing in Term-end Examination. Similarly, they will be required to complete ninety percent attendance in practical contact sessions to become eligible for appearing in practical examination.

Continuous Evaluation of Theory Component

Assignments

Assignment is a means of continuing assessment of theory and practical. Assignments will help you to recapitulate the theory and go back to the text again in case students are unable to answer a particular question. Thus assignments also help to reinforce learning in distance learning system of education. These assignments consist of a set of questions and activities that you will answer at your own place by referring your blocks. The assignments will cover all types of questions (long answer type, short answer type, objective type, multiple choice questions and case studies). The assignments will carry thirty percent weightage. Students will be required to obtain fifty percent marks as pass percentage in each assignment separately. Each assignment will carry 100 marks. In the final result assignments will carry thirty percent weightage.

Term-end Examination

As stated earlier, term-end examination is the major component of the evaluation system and if carries seventy percent weightage in the Final result. The University conducts term-end examination twice a year i.e., in June and December. They can take the examination only after completion of the course, failing which students can take the same in December or June of subsequent years years within the total span of the programme. In case any student fail to get a pass score in the Tern-end Examination, the person will be eligible to reappear at the next Term-end Examination for that course as and when if is held, within the total span of the Programme.