NMC draft regulations include non-medical faculty in medical education, doctors see red

The National Medical Commission’s new Draft Teacher Eligibility Qualifications Regulation, released on 17 January, has sparked backlash from the medical community. It allows non-medical faculty to hold senior roles in Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology during a transitional period.

Published Jan 18, 2025 | 6:01 PMUpdated Jan 19, 2025 | 5:34 PM

MBBS

The new Draft Teacher Eligibility Qualifications in Medical Institutions Regulation, released by the National Medical Commission on Friday, 17 January, has not been well-received by the medical fraternity.

The draft has included non-medical faculty as eligible for Senior Resident, Assistant Professor, and higher positions in Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology subjects during a transitional period.

The qualifications for Anatomy include MSc (Medical Anatomy) with PhD in Medical Anatomy; for Biochemistry, MSc (Medical Biochemistry) with PhD in Medical Biochemistry; and for Physiology, MSc (Medical Physiology) with PhD in Medical Physiology.

“The above qualifications should have been granted by the NMC recognised/accredited Medical College/Institute as regular in-campus courses in the subjects concerned,” said the NMC in its draft guidelines.

NMC has defined the transition period as a time when, if enough faculty having qualifications in a specialty (subject) are not available, individuals with related qualifications and training/experience are made eligible to become faculty in that specialty for a limited period until an adequate number of faculty with proper qualifications becomes available.

The duration of the transition period will be decided by NMC based on recommendations from PGMEB.

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The objections from the doctors

“It is very unfortunate that the draft was released despite significant opposition from medical doctors who conducted agitations and strikes nationwide. Non-medical qualifications appointments as assistant professors will definitely hamper the quality of medical education,” said Dr. G. Srinivas, TGMC Vice Chairman, to South First.

Dr. Lakshya Mittal, President of United Doctors Front, stated that this move undermines the foundation of medical education, which directly impacts the quality of healthcare delivery in our country.

“While we recognise the need to address the shortage of qualified MD faculty, this should only be a temporary measure, strictly limited to scenarios where no MD candidate is available. The transition period must be explicitly defined, ensuring it serves as a stopgap rather than a permanent compromise,” said Dr. Mittal.

He added that non-medical practitioners should neither be appointed as permanent faculty nor engaged on a contractual basis for these roles.

“Private medical colleges may exploit this decision, using it as a loophole to sidestep the need for qualified medical educators. Such actions could degrade the quality of education and training provided to future doctors,” said Dr. Mittal.

He emphasised that, as previously urged, the focus should first be on strengthening existing medical colleges, enhancing infrastructure, and ensuring adequate resources before expanding or creating new institutions.

Dr. Ayush Jain emphasised the need for clear guidelines, stating, “NMC needs to specify the duration of transition period. Ideally, it should be only till any MD candidate is not available to apply for that position. Additionally, non-medicos should not be appointed as permanent staff, but only on a contract basis. Otherwise, it will create legal problems in removing them when an MD candidate is available for that particular post.”

“Teaching core subjects like Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry by unqualified personnel risks compromising the foundational knowledge of medical graduates and the skills of future surgeons and clinicians, ultimately jeopardising patient safety. We appeal to the NMC to reconsider this decision in the best interest of medical education and healthcare quality in India,” concluded Dr. Mittal.

(Edited by Ananya Rao)

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