Tirunelveli Medical College

History

The Government of Tamil Nadu established the Tirunelveli Medical College in 1965, with the agreement of the University of Madras. A total of 75 students were admitted for the MBBS course for the academic year 1965-66 and they had their first year of study at the St Xaviers College for Men and Sarah Tucker College for Women.

In July 1966, the first batch of second year MBBS students started attending the classes in the then newly constructed Anatomy Block. Other departments like Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology and Social & Preventive Medicine started functioning in the subsequent years, and the District Headquarters Hospital was converted to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital.

The college was affiliated to the Madurai Kamaraj University consequent to its inception in 1967 till the newly formed The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University in 1988.

The college increased the number of admissions to 100 per year during 1973-74 and was subsequently recognised by the Medical Council of India since the year 1977.

Emblem

The Official Emblem of the college has the Caduceus, Paddy (which has been included to denote Tiru'nel'veli ('nel' - நெல் - paddy)) and the words 'Duty, Dignity, Discipline'.

The Medical College

The college is present over a sprawling campus of around 350 acres (1.4 km²), and has lecture halls, libraries, reading rooms, auditoria and 2 separate hostels for men (The House of the Princes, The House the Lords) and 2 for women (The House of the Angels). There is a Central Animal House with a wide range of common laboratory animals, for conduction of research programmes. The hospital is 500 meters to the west of the main college campus, and the men's hostel is 500 meters southeast of the campus.

Location

The Tirunelveli Medical College, along with its primary teaching hospital, is located at High Ground in Palayamkottai in the city of Tirunelveli, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.

The college, the hospital and the hostels are all located within a radius of 1 kilometre. The college is located within about 7 kilometres from the Railway Station and 5 kilometres from the Bus Stand.

Administration

The college is affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University. The college and the hospital are funded and managed by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Undergraduate Medical Course

Postgraduate Medical Courses

1. MD General Medicine (9seats/year)
2. MD Paediatrics (3seats/year)
3. MD Anaesthesiology (4seats/year)
4. MD Psychiatric Medicine (1 seat/year)
5. MD Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy (DVL)(1seat/year)
6. MD Chest Medicine (2seat/year)
7. MD Pharmacology (2seats/year)
8. MD Pathology (7seats/year)
9. MD Microbiology (5seats/year)
10. MD Forensic Medicine(2seat/year)
11. MD Physiology (2seats/year)
12. MS General Surgery (10seats/year)
13. MS Orthopaedics (3seats/year)
14. MD Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OBG)(3seats/year)
15. MS Otorhinolaryngology (ENT)(1seat/year)
16. MS Ophthalmology (1seat/year)

Superspeciality Medical Courses

Para Medical Courses

1. DNMW Diploma in Nursing (100seats/year)
2. DMLT Diploma in Medical Lab Teachnology (100seats/year)
3. DRDT Diploma in Radiodiagnosis Technology
4. DRTT Diploma in Radiotherapy Technology

Certification courses in

1. Acute Care Technology
2. Respiratory Care Technology
3. Operation Theater Technique
4. Anesthesia Technology
5. Plaster Technician
6. Hemodialysis Technology
7. Echo & ECG Technology

Admission

The college admits 150 students to the MBBS course once every year based on their performance in the Tamil Nadu Higher Secondary Examinations. 15% of these seats are reserved for the national common medical entrance test conducted by CBSE - All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT).

Alumni

The alumni of Tirunelveli Medical College are referred to by the name Nellaimedicos.