NMC, QCI pave way for medical college ranking; NEET becomes a factor

NEW DELHI: Medical colleges across the country will be assessed and rated on the basis of 11 broad criteria covering 92 parameters carrying a total of 1,000 marks. The scores and ranks in National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test- Undergraduate (NEET UG) and NEET postgraduate (NEET PG) at which students were admitted are also one of the parameters that will determine the ranking and rating of medical colleges.

There will be 20 qualitative and 72 quantitative parameters classified into these 11 criteria. Of these two, “practical and clinical experience” and “ human resource and teaching learning processes”, have been assigned the maximum weightage of 160 marks each. Assessment policy – formative, internal and summative – carries the lowest weightage, 20 marks.

These are part of the draft framework prepared by the Quality Council of India (QCI) for accreditation and ranking of colleges regulated by National Medical Commission (NMC).

The framework recently published on NMC website has come after the medical education regulator’s Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) signed an agreement with QCI in July. The agreement covers the assessment and rating of medical colleges with three main objectives – to ensure delivery of quality education, promote excellence in medical education and foster continuous improvement in medical colleges.

Medical college ranking compulsory for all

So far, medical colleges are being ranked under the medical category in the union education ministry’s annual National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). Only government medical colleges are mandatorily required to participate in NIRF ranking whereas, for private medical colleges, participation is voluntary. NIRF ranking is based on the following five parameters:

• Teaching

• Learning and resources

• Research

• Inclusivity

• Peer perception.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi (AIIMS Delhi) is in the top spot in the NIRF ranking 2023 for medical colleges. Three private institutions – Christian Medical College, Vellore, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore – also made it to the top 10 medical colleges across the country.

Now, QCI will assess and rate all colleges permitted by MARB – government or private – or have had at least one batch of graduates. The assessment and rating of medical colleges will be carried out by a team of experts appointed by QCI. The agreement between NMC and QCI will remain effective for one year, starting July 5.

“MARB and QCI are responsible for ensuring that the assessment and rating process commences in September or October, and the ratings are published in March or April every year,” according to the agreement document.

Medical college ranking criteria, weightage

The QCI has been tasked with developing the framework for assessment and rating.

The assessment and rating criteria of medical colleges with allocated weightages as announced by QCI are given below.

NMC: Ranking, assessment criteria

NEET Scores, elective courses, clinical experiences

Under the ‘curriculum’ criterion, QCI will assess the medical colleges’ curriculum and compliance with NMC regulations. The number of value-added or elective courses offered by the medical colleges will also be assessed and rated under this criterion.

Under the ‘practical/hand on/clinical experiences’ criterion, QCI will assess the availability and quality of medical colleges in implementing the mandatory hands-on experiences in clinical and procedural skill laboratories. Marks will also be allotted on the basis of the number of total enrolled students deputed for the District Residency Programme (DRP) in PG medical programmes.

Library facilities, laboratories, audio-visual aids for teaching, guidance and counseling, remedial intervention, prevention of ragging and gender harassment in medical colleges will be assessed under ‘teaching-learning environment’ criterion.

Students’ NEET scores for admission, competence in healthcare settings and their placement records will be evaluated under ‘students admission and attainment of competence’.

Under the ‘human resource and teaching-learning’ criterion, medical colleges will be rated on the basis of faculty requirements for the UG and PG programmes, types of teaching and clinical training methods employed by faculties.

For ‘assessment policy: formative, internal and summative assessment’ criterion, QCI team will assess the tools and techniques used for the formative, internal and summative assessments in line with the competence-based curriculum of NMC. Number of research papers published, citations received, and funded research projects completed, number of patent filed and granted will be evaluated under criterion of ‘research output and impact’

Under ‘financial resources: recurring and non-recurring expenditures’ criterion, QCI team will assess the amount spent on procurement of consumable materials and articles in laboratories, purchasing of books and journals,improving facilities and conducting professional development programs for faculty staff.

Under ‘community outreach programs’ criterion, medical colleges will be assessed on the number of villages and families adopted and the number of medical camps organised.Medical colleges will be assessed based on their compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) established by specialized accreditation bodies under the ‘Quality Assurance System (QAS)’ criterion.

Under the ‘feedback and perception of stakeholders’ criterion, QCI teams will record the feedback and information about the perception of stakeholders of medical colleges on its quality.

The objective of QCI rating and assessment of medical colleges is to “ensure transparency in the assessment process and provide reliable information to stakeholders including students, parents, and the medical community.”

However, NMC is being criticised for not making infrastructure and related assessment reports of medical colleges available on its official website, nmc.org.in. In its “Establishment of medical institutions, assessment and rating regulations, 2023,” NMC has said that it will make only the latest annual assessment results and ratings of medical colleges and institutions available on the NMC official website and not reports.

According to the union health ministry's data, there are 315 private medical colleges with 44,365 MBBS seats and 389 government medical colleges with 51,912 MBBS seats.