MBBS/MD/MS Dissertations in Trash: Why Are Medical Colleges Still Demanding Hard Copies?
Every year, postgraduate medical students spend months – and thousands of rupees – researching, printing, and binding multiple copies of their dissertations. Once the exams are over, these heavy volumes rarely reach a library. Instead, as the photo proves, they end up in the trash.
The frustration online is palpable. Reacting to the viral post, one user on Reddit pointed out the financial sting, stating, “I spent over ₹6,000 just on color printing and leather binding for my department, only to realize nobody is ever going to open it again.” Another user highlighted the irony of the situation: “We are taught to practice evidence-based, modern medicine, yet we are forced to submit our research like it’s 1995. A simple PDF would solve everything.”
The disrespect to the residents’ hard work is what stings the most. “Saw my senior’s thesis at the local raddi wala (scrap dealer) being used to pack snacks a year after he passed out. It’s a complete mockery of our tears and sweat,” lamented another doctor on the thread.
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Shifting to a secure, centralized digital repository for dissertations would solve multiple problems overnight. PDF submissions are zero-cost for the student, infinitely easier to share with external examiners, and can be systematically archived and searched by future researchers, actually contributing to the academic community rather than gathering dust in a departmental library.
While a few progressive colleges and academic boards currently allow digital submissions, the lingering question remains: why hasn’t this been nationalized? It is time for central regulatory bodies and universities across the country to step up and mandate a single, uniform policy change to accept soft copies. It will save tons of paper, thousands of rupees for every resident, and finally bring medical education administration into the 21st century.
