Diploma doctors can now be faculty in medical colleges: NMC Draft TEQ 2024

New Delhi: Years after the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI) restricted the postgraduate medical diploma holders from joining medical colleges as faculties, the National Medical Commission (NMC), which replaced the erstwhile MCI, has proposed relaxation for them in the recently released Draft Teachers Eligibility Qualifications (TEQ) 2024 Regulations.

As per the recently released NMC Draft TEQ 2024 Regulations, Diploma holders appointed as Senior Residents before 08.06.2017 and continuously working as Senior Residents in the same institute shall be eligible for the post of Assistant Professor. Similarly, the Draft also allowed Specialist/Medical Officers in a Government Medical College for six years to qualify for the post of Assistant Professor.

While a section of the medical fraternity is criticizing this move, citing a lack of research experience on the part of the PG medical diploma holders, the move has been wholeheartedly welcomed by the diploma holders who have been fighting for their rights for years.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues on the relaxation offered by NMC in the Draft TEQ Regulations, Dr. Z. A. Golewale and Dr. G.P. Ramnath from the PG Diploma Doctors Association welcomed this relaxation offered by NMC, opining that it would help deal with the shortage of medical college faculties in medical colleges, especially in rural areas. 

"When you get a promotion, you work more efficiently," Dr. Golewale mentioned, highlighting how the Diploma holders had been dealing with frustration over the years for not having any opportunity to move ahead in their careers.

"NMC officials held so many meetings and discussions, studied the number of medical colleges, the difference between master's degree and diploma degree... at last, NMC has offered this relaxation," he added.

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MCI Restriction on Diploma Doctors to Teach in Medical Colleges: 

The difference between post-graduate degree and diploma holders in medical colleges across India is that while the PG Diploma holders pursued a two-year course, the PG degree (MD/MS) holders studied for three years. In terms of curriculum, training, and MCI requirements of infrastructure and teaching facilities, both the PG Diploma and PG Medical Degrees are almost equal, with the difference lying in one additional year in MD/MS dedicated to THESIS.

However, the diploma holders faced a huge obstacle in terms of career prospects as the MCI barred diploma candidates from applying for academic positions at medical colleges. Previously, they were allowed to work as senior residents at medical colleges, but after a notification issued in June 2017, this option was taken away. However, MCI had clarified back then that the existing Diploma senior residents could continue at their existing posts as per MCI.

Earlier, the 109 Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, after taking note of the issue of severe shortage of medical college faculties, had recommended abolishing diploma courses because the only difference between diploma and degree courses was the duration of the course and submission of the thesis. The panel had suggested that instead of diploma courses, the number of degree seats were increased. Regarding the existing Diploma holders, the panel's suggestions mentioned that medical professionals who already qualified the Diploma courses and worked in the teaching hospitals for two years should be given a degree after the submission of the Thesis report.

Following this, the erstwhile MCI decided to stop all MCI-recognised postgraduate diploma courses in medical colleges and give an equal number of MD/MS seats in return to the medical colleges. While this decision, to be applied prospectively, was aimed to provide relaxations to the future generation of specialists, it left behind thousands of doctors who were holding MCI recognized Diploma Degrees but did not have any avenue of career progression.

However, by introducing the new Draft TEQ 2024 Regulations, NMC has offered relaxation for these existing Diploma holders who have been working as senior residents since 2017.

What does NMC Draft TEQ 2024 Regulations Say? 

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that proposing new rules to decide the eligibility qualifications to recruit teachers in medical colleges, NMC had released the Draft Teachers Eligibility Qualifications in Medical Institutions Regulations, 2024.

Section 3.13 of the recently released NMC Draft TEQ 2024 Regulations proposed relaxation in the norms for the diploma holders working as Senior Residents in a Medical College or as specialist/medical officer in a Government Medical College.

"Diploma holders appointed as Senior Residents before 08.06.2017 and are continuously working as Senior Resident in the same Institute shall be eligible for the post of Assistant Professor. Subsequent promotion will be as per Table 1A and 1B. Diploma holders working as specialist/ Medical officer in a Government Medical College for six years shall be eligible for the post of Assistant Professor. Subsequent promotion will be as per Table 1A and 1B," NMC mentioned in the Draft.

Therefore, NMC has opened the door for these existing PG Diploma holders to pursue their future in medical academics. Explaining the scenario for the PG Diploma holders for the last couple of years, Dr. Golewale told Medical Dialogues, "Previously, there was no such discrimination between the PG Degree and Diploma doctors as the duties and responsibilities expected from both these doctors (diploma and PG degree holders) were the same. Later MCI mentioned that Diploma doctors would only be restricted to Tutors and Senior Residents posts. Even though we had approached the authorities time and again, our issue remained pending."

He also highlighted the issue of the severe shortage of faculties in medical colleges and pointed out how to tackle this, the authorities increased the retirement age of medical college faculties to 70 years. He pointed out the illegal and unethical practice adopted by medical colleges to have ghost faculties to meet NMC criteria and also questioned justification for allowing DNBs, who have no experience working in a teaching hospital, to work as faculties in medical colleges.

"We have been working as senior residents for years and are involved in teaching and clinical work and still they did not allow us as faculties. When you can rely on someone to treat the patient and you are risking the lives of the patients at their hands, then why restrict them in medical colleges?" he questioned.

Regarding the issue thesis, he alleged the "copy-paste" culture in thesis submission adding that there was no original research. Apart from this, Dr. Golewale also mentioned how meritorious students sometimes are forced to choose diploma courses as they cannot afford the high fees for degree courses in private institutes.

However, referring to the clause stating that the relaxation will be offered to the "Diploma holders appointed as Senior Residents before 08.06.2017and are continuously working as Senior Resident in the same Institute", Dr. Golewale suggested that the authorities should consider eliminating the phrase "continuously working...in the same institute".

"An order was issued earlier making a master's degree mandatory for SRship. However, they had said that the existing Diploma holders could work till superannuation. But, due to the misinterpretation of the clause or regulations, several diploma holders were made to leave their institute. The medical college officials were also helpless as they wanted us to continue," he mentioned, highlighting how some of the faculties were forced to shift to different institutes, and some had to leave their jobs.

In this regard, he suggested modifying the clause by specifying the required period of experience necessary to be eligible to be considered as medical college faculties.

Addressing the criticism aimed at the NMC decision to allow Diploma doctors to work as faculties in medical colleges, Dr. Golewale added, "The majority of Doctors who are faculty in Medical colleges, Professors, heads of Departments, and many deans & principals are very supportive & Happy with this Decision of NMC, I am thankful to them, and we appreciate their gesture. Very few doctors may be feeling insecure so they may have expressed unhappiness it's because of their personal insecurities."

Also Read: Promotion of Diploma Doctors at Medical Colleges: Health Ministry asks MCI Board of Governors to decide