With funding from India’s PTA, Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan intends to construct a complete MBBS campus in Thimphu, Bhutan. Currently, the MBBS program runs out of two Taba buildings. Thimphu, which is only 1.288 acres in size, was once a dentistry institution. There is no space for development because these structures house offices, labs, classrooms, dorms, and a cafeteria. KGUMSB intends to convert the Office of the President building into an academic space for third- and fifth-year students in order to alleviate space problems. KGUMSB plans to recruit international faculty in microbiology and pharmacology, hire MBBS graduates as associate lecturers, and sponsor them for Doctor of Medicine courses.
KGUMSB plans to upgrade JDWNRH’s forensic medicine laboratory to facilitate on-site dissection classes by 2025-26, despite funding constraints, with international faculty teaching anatomy, biochemistry, and physiology. Bhutan’s MBBS program, spanning six years, offers clinical exposure and hands-on training, aiming for international recognition and retaining healthcare professionals, with 77 specialists produced since 2014. In the future, KGUMSB intends to draw in international students in order to guarantee long-term sustainability. In 2023, the MBBS program was formally introduced to meet the nation’s increasing need for doctors. According to government studies, teaching doctors domestically would ultimately be more cost-effective than sending students overseas, even with the significant initial outlay.