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In a bid to improve the medical education system in India, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has recently announced a major shift that allows doctors with clinical experience from government hospitals to take up teaching roles in medical colleges. The policy recognizes the value of practical clinical knowledge and aims to integrate it into the academic setup.
Under the new guidelines, experts holding a postgraduate medical degree and having a minimum of two years of experience in a 220+-bed government hospital will now be eligible to become assistant professors in a broad spectrum of specialties. Those having 10 or more years of experience will be eligible for associate professor posts.
Fostering a transition from clinics to classrooms
While some may believe that the reform is aimed at filling up faculty vacancies, NMC chairman Dr. BN Gangadhar clarified that this is not the case.
The intent is not to treat this as an arrangement to fill up vacant posts, but rather as a facilitative measure to encourage specialists, who have not traditionally been part of academic teaching setups, to transition into medical education roles. Many specialists may not have undergone formal pedagogical training since they were not previously engaged in teaching roles, but will do once the academic role is assigned.
Dr. BN Gangadhar, NMC chairman
In making this transition feasible, the NMC plans to give formal curricular training to newly appointed faculty members, such as the Basic Course in Medical Education Technology (BCMET). Such courses will be taught by accredited units of medical education so that both new and experienced teaching faculty members are well prepared for classroom interaction.
Key Component of Broader Reforms
The program features in the TEQ draft teachers' eligibility and competence rules that have been prepared and are pending review now, prior to their potential official release. The draft regulations make a few changes to the norms of medical faculty eligibility, making it easier for professionals to enter academia.
“To maintain the academic standards, all newly appointed faculty will be required to complete a compulsory training programme such as the Basic Course in Medical Education Technology (BCMET) within a stipulated period. The faculty development training will be offered through recognised medical education units set up under the purview of the NMC and faculty development programmes. These efforts are expected to help create a more competent, trained faculty base, even for those who are transitioning from pure clinical practice to teaching,” Dr. BN Gangadhar added.
Retention challenges persist
While the new policy opens doors, keeping medical professionals in academia might be challenging. Professionals usually like to pursue their own private practice many times, and state-level terms of employment can limit incentives. Dr. Gangadhar says that local institutions and authorities will play a big role in keeping such talent on the academic side.
“Challenges do exist, especially when specialists choose to move to private clinical practice, leaving academic appointments. Their remuneration and service conditions, though largely uniform, are also regulated by the limitations of the employing state department. This responsibility lies primarily with the respective institutions and state authorities,” adds Dr. Gangadhar.
A win-win for students and institutions
These changes are a double whammy for medical students. Experienced clinical faculty means greater comprehension, hands-on experience, and a firmer ground for real clinical practice.
“While the long-term impact on learning outcomes will take time to assess, the immediate benefit is in expanding the academic ecosystem by including a wider pool of qualified professionals. On a monetary dimension, the hospital becomes a teaching institute by using its current doctors as faculty, so the government does not need to spend extra money. Appointments will begin as soon as the gazette notification is issued, and medical colleges initiate the recruitment process based on the updated eligibility norms. The NMC move seeks to ensure that students benefit from more practice-informed faculty,” adds Dr. Gangadhar.
Following the release of the notice, admissions under the new eligibility rules may be opened by the medical colleges. With this visionary action, the NMC intends to strengthen the learning ecosystem by merging clinical competence with academic education.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Muhammad Faisal Arshad/MSM)
