NMC introduces post-doctoral fellowship courses in medical colleges

NEW DELHI: Medical education regulator -- National Medical Commission -- has for the first time introduced post-doctoral fellowship courses in medical colleges regulated by it, in an effort to promote research and clinical skill development. Medical institutions till now were creating and approving these courses at their own level to train doctors.

The regulator recently notified "Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023" according to which once a medical college is granted permission to start PG course or seats, the course will be treated as recognised.

This will solve many difficulties faced by students to register their degree after passing postgraduate examinations, Dr Vijay Oza, President of Post-Graduate Medical Education Board of the National Medical Commission (NMC) explained. As per the new regulations which have replaced the Postgraduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations, 2018, the existing NEET-PG examination will continue till the proposed National Exit Test (NExT) becomes operational for the purpose of PG admission.

The new regulations state that all post-graduate students will work as full-time resident doctors and for "reasonable working hours" and will be provided "reasonable time for rest" in a day.

They will be permitted a minimum 20 days of casual leaves per year and five days of academic per year. Subject to exigencies of work, post-graduate students will be allowed one weekly holiday, the new regulations said. "Earlier there was no written provision of leaves," Dr Oza said.

"The NMC after considering the comments and suggestions of various stakeholders and detailed in-house discussion unveiled groundbreaking reforms in post-graduate medical education, aimed at fostering quality, ethical practice, and inclusivity within the medical fraternity," he said.

These reforms encompass various critical aspects of post-graduate medical training and aim to enhance the standards of education and practice nationwide, Dr Oza said. "The comprehensive reforms outlined in the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, mark a pivotal moment in ensuring the highest standards of medical education in our country.

Also read 20 days of paid leave, NExT exam, parity in stipends: NMC regulations on PG medicine

These regulations underscore our commitment to nurturing a proficient and ethical healthcare workforce," Dr Yogender Malik, member of the Ethics and Medical Registration Board and head of the media division at NMC, said. For better implementation of these regulations, there is provision of penalty clause which includes monetary penalty, reduction in number of seats (admission capacity) or complete stoppage of admissions.