MBBS internship to now include training in AYUSH disciplines: NMC draft guidelines

New Delhi: MBBS medicos pursuing their internship will now have to pursue a part of the same in Indian Systems of Medicine, the recent Compulsory Rotational Internship guidelines issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) have pointed out.

This comes as the new draft guidelines having included a portion of the internship in areas of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Homeopathy, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa as a part of options where an MBBS medico can intern. The medico will have to spend 7 days in one of the departments of ISM and may choose any of the given electives, provided the discipline is available in the same College/ Institution where the Internship is done

As a part of their internship, each MBBS medico will have to undergo training in certain departments which have been classified as Mandatory Exclusive, Mandatory Concurrent as well as Elective Exclusives. 7 Departments have been classified as mandatory exclusives which include a 2-month training in Community Medicine, 1.5 months training in the department of Medicine, 2 weeks in Psychiatry, 1 month in Pediatrics, 1.5 months each in departments of Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2 weeks in Emergency and Trauma, 2 weeks in Orthopedics and 1 week each in the departments of Dermatology/Venereology/Leprology as well as Forensic Medicine and Toxicology.  Besides, 3 departments have been classified as Mandatory Concurrent including 2 weeks internship each in departments of ENT, Opthalmology and Laboratory Medicine. As a part of this, a medico will also have to spend two weeks understanding the nitty-gritties of Hospital science including Microbiology, hospital infection control, biomedical waste management, medical record keeping, and hospital information services.

Further, as a part of the internship, MBBS medicos will also have to spend time taking elective exclusives. These include 2 weeks in one of the chosen of broad specialities group and one week in chosen of the super-specialities group. Additionally now, as per the guidelines, an MBBS intern will also have to spend 1 week of training in one of the departments of ISM and may choose any of the given electives, provided the discipline is available in the same College/ Institution where the Internship is done. The options given include Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Homeopathy, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa.

The move comes as a part of the vision of the government to promote holistic medicine in the country. In 2018, The standing committee on health and family welfare, had recommended including modules on Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) treatments in MBBS courses and vice versa, in a bid to reconcile allopathic and alternative systems of medicines .

The draft MBBS internship guidelines detail each aspect of what the Compulsory Rotational Internship would include

To read the full guidelines click on the following link

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/nmc-mbbs-internship-guidelines-156977.pdf