The analysis on the allotments after second medical and allied allotments of KEAM 2022 depicts the differentials and trends among the medical aspirants in choosing their destination for medical education.The ranks of allotments are based on NEET(UG)-2022 with different criterion except pharmacy rank. The allotments to the BUMS course were done at this stage also.
There were 17 Ayurveda medical colleges , five Homoeo medical colleges and one Siddha college under the medical stream. In the allied stream , there were 12 government institutions offering the courses B.V.Sc & AH , B.Sc (Hon.) Agriculture , B.Sc (Hon.) Forestry, B.F.Sc Fisheries, B.Sc (Hons.) Climate change and Environmental Science, B.Sc. (Hons.) Co- operation & Banking and B.Tech Biotechnology for allotments . There Pharmacy stream included 54 institutions for allotments. A total of 1888 candidates were allotted to AYUSH and Allied courses together while 1275 candidates were allotted to B.Pharm course in all categories in the second allotment.
The dearest course among medical aspirants is B.V.Sc & AH (LR 5022) course followed by B.Sc (Hon.) Agriculture (LR 7198) , BAMS (LR 9217 ) and B.Sc (Hon.) Forestry (LR 10002). The order of preference has changed in the remaining courses as B.Tech Bio- Technology (LR 10606 ) , B.Sc (Hons.) Climate change and Environmental Science (LR 10720 ) and B.FSc Fisheries (LR 11090). The College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Trichur , College of Horticulture, Trichur , College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Wayanad and College of Agriculture , Trivandrum were the most favoured institutions among the aspirants in choosing the destination for allied courses. The last rank of allotment to the B.Sc. (Hons.) Co-operation & Banking course was 12190 under state merit. The candidates belonging to economically weaker section have received allotments up to the rank of 15559 in one of the seven allied courses.
Among the 23 AYUSH medical colleges, Government Ayurveda College, Trivandrum (LR- 7364) , Kottakal Ayurveda medical college (LR 7841) , Ayurveda medical college, Thrippunithura (LR-9160) and Ayurveda college, Ollur (LR 9202 ) were the most preferred destinations for BAMS course. Candidates up to the rank of 9217 were allotted under SM category as compared to 13468 under economically weaker sections in government ayurveda colleges. The closing rank of BAMS course under private self-financing colleges was 24783 under state merit (SM) category. The most preferred private ayurveda colleges were KMCT Ayurveda College, Kozhikode. (LR 12296), Pankaja Kasthuri Ayurveda Medical College, Trivandrum (LR 20293),Ahalia Ayurveda Medical College, Palakkad ( LR 20496) and Nangelil Ayurveda Medical College (LR 21611 ). The self-financing ayurveda colleges could attract meritorious aspirants on All-India basis under AM category in all colleges than the state merit category.
The BHMS course were offered only in government institutions and most preferred college for BHMS course was Kozhikkode Homoeo Medical college (LR 8725) followed by Trivandrum Homoeo Medical college (LR 10337) and A N S S Homoeopathic Medical College , Kottayam (LR 10952) .Candidates up to the rank of 16771 were allotted under economically weaker section (EW) to the BHMS course. The closing rank of BSMS course was 24852 under SM category.
The aspirants of pharmacy course have opted College of Pharmaceutical Science, Kozhikkode (LR 2243) followed by College of Pharmaceutical Science, Trivandrum (LR 4908) and College of Pharmaceutical Science, Alappuzha (LR 5045) as their preferredinstitutions. Candidates up to the rank of 14513 were allotted under EW category. Under self- financing sector the most preferred colleges were Al Shifa College of Pharmacy, Kizhattur (LR 13862 ) , Ahalia School of Pharmacy, Palakkad (LR 19913 ) and JDT Islam College of Pharmacy, Kozhikode (LR 22564 ) .The closing rank of B.Pharm under SM category was 58269.
When the second allotment to the AYUSH and Allied courses has concluded the trends observed in the first allotment have changed with varying degrees in ranks and institutions. It is also observed that the financial capacity of the candidates has a an overriding effect on the merit which dilutes merit in affecting the standards of the medical education of the state. It will adversely affect the public health of the state in the long run. The analysis has observed that about 500 better ranked meritorious candidates were forced to choose allied courses like B.VSc or B.Sc Agriculture or Forestry or BDS or BAMS because of their low level of economic status which prevented them from self-financing medical colleges. It paved the way for entry to the less meritorious candidates in the state merit category to MBBS course of self-financing medical colleges of the state. The policy formulators need to focus on the issue in the interest of the public health of the state.