Should MSc-PhD Faculty Guide MD/MS Theses? FAIMA's Letter to NMC Reopens a Long-Running Debate

Key Takeaways

FAIMA has asked the NMC to clarify whether eligible MSc-PhD non-medical faculty can serve as postgraduate guides and examiners for MD/MS students, and argues they should not do so independently

Regulation 16 of the 2025 Faculty Regulations does not explicitly exclude non-medical faculty from postgraduate guide eligibility, since Regulation 2(e) defines “faculty” to include them

PGMER 2023 requires three years as a recognized postgraduate guide before someone can be appointed a PG examiner, which links the guide question directly to the examiner question

A separate July 2025 amendment restored a 30 percent quota for MSc-PhD faculty in five basic science subjects, reversing a 2020 cut

FAIMA represents resident and junior doctors and has raised this same concern since the regulations were in draft form in early 2025

The National MSc Medical Teachers' Association has described the 2025 restoration as correcting what it called years of injustice to non-medical faculty

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has written to the Chairman of the National Medical Commission (NMC), seeking urgent clarification on a question that keeps resurfacing in Indian medical education: should a faculty member with an MSc and a PhD, but no MBBS or MD/MS degree, be allowed to guide or examine postgraduate medical students?

In a letter dated August 10, 2026 (Ref. No. FAIMA/2026/08/05-130), FAIMA asked the NMC to clarify provisions of the Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025, specifically around whether MSc-PhD qualified non-medical faculty should be allowed to act as postgraduate guides and examiners for MD/MS students.

Can MSc-PhD Faculty Guide MD/MS Students? What FAIMA's Letter Asks

FAIMA's letter does not object to MSc-PhD faculty holding teaching positions. It states that it “strongly supports multidisciplinary participation in medical education” and recognizes the contribution of non-medical scientists to teaching and research.

Its concern is regarding the boundaries between the eligibility to teach and the eligibility to guide or examine an MD/MS candidate. FAIMA argues that an MSc-PhD qualification differs from an MD/MS qualification because MD/MS training includes supervised clinical training, diagnosis, and patient management, not only research methodology. On this basis, FAIMA has asked the NMC to:

• Clarify that MSc-PhD non-medical faculty should not be treated as equivalent to MD/MS or DNB-qualified medical faculty for the purpose of acting as principal postgraduate guides for MD/MS students

• Clarify that such faculty should not be permitted to act as independent or final examiners for MD/MS postgraduate medical examinations

• Permit MSc-PhD faculty to continue contributing to postgraduate education in appropriate roles, including teaching basic sciences, laboratory training, research methodology, and dissertation-related academic support

• Issue a clear nationwide clarification to all medical colleges, universities, and examining authorities so that implementation is uniform

• If necessary, refer the matter to the NMC's Postgraduate Medical Education Board and an expert committee for detailed consideration

What Does NMC Regulation 16 Say About Postgraduate Guide Eligibility?

The dispute centers on the Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025, notified by the NMC in the Gazette of India on June 30, 2025. Regulation 2(e) of these rules defines “faculty” as including three categories: medical faculty, non-medical faculty (MSc-PhD holders in specified subjects), and dental faculty.

Regulation 16 then says that “a faculty member in a medical institution shall be eligible to be designated as a Postgraduate Guide in a broad specialty” if that person has at least five years of teaching experience as Assistant Professor or above.

The provision does not carve out non-medical faculty from this eligibility. When read together with the Regulation 2(e) definition, this means eligible MSc-PhD faculty already appear to qualify as postgraduate guides on a plain reading of the rule.

FAIMA's letter is effectively asking the NMC to narrow that scope, and not leave this as open to interpretation.

Can MSc-PhD Faculty Also Become MD/MS Examiners? PGMER 2023

The guide question carries weight beyond thesis supervision. Under the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER), 2023, a faculty member must have three years of experience as a recognized Postgraduate Guide in the concerned subject before being appointed as a PG examiner, internal or external.

In other words, if MSc-PhD faculty are recognized as postgraduate guides under Regulation 16, that guide status could eventually carry over into examiner eligibility as well. This is likely why FAIMA has asked for both to be clarified together, rather than treating the guide and examiner questions separately.

Why FAIMA's Objection to MSc-PhD Faculty Isn't New

This is not FAIMA's first time raising this concern. When the regulations were still in draft form, FAIMA made a similar argument.

As reported by Careers360 in January 2025, FAIMA's letter at the time stated that “guiding MD/MS/DM/MCh students requires a strong academic foundation, including the ability to mentor in research and thesis writing,” and that non-medical PhD holders “may not be equipped for this role.” FAIMA had also argued the move could affect the academic reputation of medical colleges.

FAIMA is a federation representing resident and junior doctors' associations, the group most directly affected by the rules governing who supervises their postgraduate research and who takes part in their assessment. The issue raised centered on clinical training and patient safety, reflects that vantage point.

What Do the NMC's 2025 Faculty Regulations Say About Non-Medical Faculty?

The June 30, 2025 regulations recognize MSc-PhD holders as non-medical faculty eligible for appointment in five subjects: Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, and Microbiology, provided the qualification is obtained through a regular, on-campus course from a recognized medical institution.

A separate Amendment Notification dated July 2, 2025 restored the permissible share of non-medical faculty in these five subjects to 30 percent, reversing a 2020 rule that had cut it to 15 percent for Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry, and to zero for Pharmacology and Microbiology.

Supporters of the change point to persistent faculty shortages in these basic science departments, where MD-qualified candidates have long been scarce, and argue that MSc-PhD faculty bring research methodology and academic rigor that can meaningfully strengthen postgraduate thesis supervision.

What Does the National MSc Medical Teachers' Association Say?

The 2025 restoration followed years of advocacy from MSc-PhD faculty themselves, who had described the 2020 cut as damaging to their careers and to teaching capacity. The National MSc Medical Teachers' Association (NMMTA) filed a legal challenge against the 2020 cut, a case that was still active before the Delhi High Court as of early 2025.

In a statement issued after the 2025 regulations, NMMTA, signed by its president Dr. Arjun Maitra, described the change as "bringing a much-needed end to years of injustice” that it said had “severely impacted the careers, livelihoods, and dignity of non-medical teachers while also aggravating faculty shortages in medical colleges across India.”

Is FAIMA Opposed to MSc-PhD Faculty Altogether?

FAIMA's letter does not ask the NMC to remove MSc-PhD faculty from medical colleges. One of its five specific requests is that the NMC permit MSc-PhD faculty to continue contributing to postgraduate education in defined roles, including teaching basic sciences, laboratory training, research methodology, and dissertation-related academic support.

The dispute is how far that participation should extend into such as acting as a principal guide or independent examiner for a clinical postgraduate degree. The debate here isn't whether non-medical faculty belong in medical colleges, a question the 2025 regulations have already settled, rather where the boundary of their role should be present.

What Does FAIMA's Letter to the NMC Mean?

FAIMA's letter is a representation, not a ruling. It has also proposed a specific next step: if the NMC feels the matter needs further deliberation, FAIMA has asked that it be referred to the Commission's Postgraduate Medical Education Board and an expert committee for detailed consideration.

Until the NMC clarifies its position, the interaction between Regulation 16 and the PGMER 2023 examiner requirement leaves room for colleges and universities to interpret the scope of non-medical faculty participation differently, which is the inconsistency FAIMA says it wants resolved.

References

1. FAIMA Doctors Association (Federation of All India Medical Association). Letter to the Chairman, National Medical Commission. Ref. No. FAIMA/2026/08/05-130. New Delhi, August 10, 2026.

2. National Medical Commission. Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025. The Gazette of India, Part III, Section 4, No. 465. New Delhi, June 30, 2025. https://recruitment.ggsmch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Notified-Medical-Institutions-Qualifications-of-Faculty-Regulations-2025.pdf

3. National Medical Commission. "Amendment Notification in UGMSR 2023 Guideline." New Delhi, July 2, 2025. https://www.nmc.org.in/rules-regulations-nmc/

4. National MSc Medical Teachers' Association (NMMTA). Press Release. July 6, 2025. https://www.medicalmsc.org/downloads/2025-07-06_press_release.pdf