Weekly day off, 80% attendance, 20 marks for dissertation: NMC answers FAQs on PGMER

NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission has issued clarifications on the provisions of the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER) 2023. The commission answered frequently asked questions related to leave for PG students, exam, district residency programme, evaluation of dissertation, among others.

“National Medical Commission (NMC) had notified the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations-2023 (PGMER-23), which was published in official Gazette on.01.01.2024. Post Graduate Medical Education Board, NMC has received request from stakeholders seeking clarifications on some of the provisions of PGMER-23. Accordingly, the doubts/ queries raised by the various stakeholders have been duly examined and point-wise clarifications is enclosed as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs),” the commission said in an official notification.

NMC clarified that postgraduate students are allowed one day off weekly and are eligible for 20 paid casual leaves. If a student avails five day academic leave per year, it will be counted as duty, the commission said. Female students will be granted maternity leave while male students will get paternity leave, however, the training period will be extended by the number of days they have taken leaves for.

Medical students will require 80% attendance for appearing in the exams which would be 751 days for a three year course and 501 days for the two year course as per medical education regulations.

PGMER 2023

Under the district residency programme, PG students can be posted in the public sector, government-funded district hospital, Community Health Centre (CHC), Primary Health Centre (PHC), sub-health centre, urban health centre and community outreach system in a district, as per the commission. Students can also be posted in Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) hospitals as well as to other states or union territories in case they cannot be absorbed within their own. The only restriction is PG medical institutions or super specialty institutions.

5 percent of total marks in clinical or practical exam and viva voce exam will be given to dissertation or thesis. Clinical exam will be for 280 marks, dissertation for 20, and viva voce for 100.

The medical commission told that PG students will have to maintain the log book digitally and it is mandatory for all students admitted from and after 2021 to complete the course in ethics and cardiac life support skill.