Special Treatment: Student Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a renowned public teaching hospital in India, known for its high-quality treatment at a nominal cost and its prestigious medical program acceptance rate of less than 0.01%. Anna Ruddock's ethnography explores how prestige is a byproduct of norms attached to ambition, aspiration, caste, and class in modern India, and how it affects the institution's students' experiences and future career choices.

Format: Hardback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 27 July 2021
Publisher: Stanford University Press

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a renowned institution in the field of Indian healthcare, having been established in the early years of independence. This vast public teaching hospital quickly gained fame for its exceptional quality of treatment at a nominal cost, with an average of ten thousand patients visiting the outpatient department daily. AIIMS also holds the prestigious distinction of having a medical program acceptance rate of less than 0.01%, making it the top medical institution in India. Pursuing a medical education at AIIMS is considered the pinnacle of achievement, as it signifies the highest level of expertise and knowledge in the field.

The enduring reputation of excellence at AIIMS has a profound impact on the institution's ethos. It shapes the values, beliefs, and practices that guide the institution's operations and interactions with its stakeholders. One of the key ways in which this reputation shapes AIIMS is through the cultivation of intellectual exceptionalism. The institution attracts top talent from across the country, and its rigorous admission process ensures that only the most qualified and talented individuals are admitted. This emphasis on intellectual excellence creates a culture of excellence and fosters a sense of pride among the faculty and students.

Moreover, the reputation of AIIMS also contributes to social and power stratification in modern India. The institution's elite status and reputation attract individuals from privileged backgrounds, who are more likely to have access to better educational opportunities and resources. This creates a hierarchical structure within the institution, with those from higher social classes enjoying greater privileges and benefits. This stratification can have negative consequences for health equity, as it may limit the access of marginalized communities to quality healthcare services.

Anna Ruddock's ethnography of AIIMS provides a unique insight into the institution's reputation and its impact on its students. Through her research, Ruddock explores the complex relationship between prestige, ambition, caste, and class in modern India. She demonstrates how the reputation of AIIMS affects the experiences and career choices of its students, both during their education and in their professional lives. Ruddock untangles the threads of intellectual exceptionalism, social and power stratification, and health inequality that are woven into the health care taught and provided at AIIMS. She asks important questions about what is lost when medicine is used not as a social equalizer but as a means to cultivate and maintain prestige.

In conclusion, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a symbol of excellence in Indian healthcare. Its enduring reputation for providing high-quality treatment at a nominal cost has made it a household name. However, the reputation of AIIMS also contributes to social and power stratification in modern India, and its elite status can limit access to healthcare services for marginalized communities. Anna Ruddock's ethnography of AIIMS provides valuable insights into the institution's reputation and its impact on its students, highlighting the need for a more equitable and inclusive approach to medical education and healthcare.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503614925