At a time when most healthcare facilities in the far-flung regions of the country are devoid of any kind of medical personnel, the policy of the Tribhuvan University (TU) to bar those above 25 from studying in its MBBS and BDS programmes is out of sync with the country’s real interest. TU says, the provision has been made considering the fact that the older students struggle to complete their post-graduation. If a person starts medical studies after 25, as the strange thinking goes, by the time of post-graduation, his mental capabilities will already be on a decline, hence hampering the effective practice of medicine. The Kathmandu University, on the other hand, has no such age limits.

More and more graduates in medicine are leaving the country in search of greener pastures, even as many hospitals in rural Nepal reel under the shortage of trained manpower. At this time, the country can ill afford to be too selective about those wanting to take up medicine. The primary basis should be proficiency, not age. The claim of declining mental faculties after 40, though it might be true, should not be the ground to deny competent students. After all, the best doctors in Nepal are all in their late forties or above. Rapid advances in medical science are helping prolong all careers, medicine is no exception. Even the doctors without post-graduation degrees are in high demand in the village and zonal-level hospitals. Moreover, even when they work in rural areas, the doctors will be earning decent salaries compared to other professions. Age should not in any case be a barrier to pursue one’s calling.