New NMC Guidelines Open Faculty Roles to Government Doctors

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued new guidelines that allow non-teaching doctors from government hospitals including those in the defence, railways, and other government-run institutions to be appointed as faculty members. This also include the retired personnels. This measure is expected to fill the 700 vacancies all over the country.

NMC Act, 2019 was formulated to provide for a medical education system that improves access to quality and affordable medical education, which will ensure availability of adequate and high-quality medical professionals in all parts of the country. It replaced the Indian Medical Council Act 1956.

Under the revised eligibility norms, non-teaching consultants, specialists, or medical officers with a postgraduate medical degree and a minimum of four years of experience in a government hospital with at least 220 beds are now qualified to become Assistant Professors in their respective specialties. One of the prerequisites for eligibility includes the successful completion of the Basic Course in Biomedical Research (BCBR), according to a report by the PTI.

The guidelines also provide a clear picture for the senior roles as well. Doctors with ten years of experience in their field will qualify for the post of Associate Professor. For specialties that require it, the Basic Course in Medical Education Technology (BCMET) must be completed within three years of joining the academic post. Meanwhile there has been a delay in the availability of slots for BCMET courses in the designated institutions. With these additional requirements for promotion, NMC has clarified in another press release that if a faculty member completes the BCMET course after the due date of promotion, the same person has to be promoted from the due date.

The updated guidelines come in response to criticism surrounding previous regulations that had limited the eligibility of educators with medical M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. The National M.Sc. Medical Teachers’ Association (NMMTA) voiced strong opposition to those changes, stating they had negatively impacted the careers of thousands of qualified educators and worsened the faculty shortage in medical colleges.

The newly introduced Draft Teachers Eligibility Qualifications (TEQ) 2024 aims to appoint and promote the faculty in various teaching specialties imparting graduate and postgraduate medical education in medical institutions. this lays down clear instructions for roles like senior resident, tutor/demonstrator, dean, director, principal etc.

Let's hope this will fill the huge number of vacancies in the medical institutions in India.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Dr. Theresa Lily/MSM)