NMC updates bed strength, faculty requirements for PG medical seat increase in medical colleges, details

New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has laid down the bed strength and faculty requirements for postgraduate seats in different medical specialities through a recent amendment to the Minimum Standard Requirements for Post Graduate Courses 2023 (PGMSR 2023).

Through the amendment issued by the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB), the Commission has revised the number of beds required for an increase in postgraduate seats in both government and non-government medical colleges.

Earlier, the PGMSR 2023 document did not clearly specify the bed strength required for increasing seats in government or in non-government medical colleges. With the latest amendment, the Commission has now included both the government and non-government medical colleges and updated the bed and faculty strength under different specialities.

In Category I specialities, which include 11 departments, the minimum requirement of 20 beds to start a PG course with two seats in a medical college remains unchanged. However, the bed requirement for increasing seats has been modified.

Earlier, the rules mentioned that 30 beds were required for an increase of three seats and 40 beds for five seats across all 11 specialities.

Under the amended rules, in General Surgery, government medical colleges need to have 30 beds for three seats and 40 beds for four seats. The same requirement has been implied for non-government medical colleges as well. Similar provisions have been applied to Orthopaedics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Traumatology and Surgery.

For other departments such as General Medicine, Paediatrics, Respiratory Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Tropical Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, the amendment allows 30 beds for three seats and 40 beds for five seats in government medical colleges, while non-government medical colleges need 30 beds for three seats and 40 beds for four seats. 

Under Category II specialities, the minimum bed requirement per unit to start a PG course with two seats in a medical college remains unchanged in both the previous and amended regulations.

Earlier, the requirement was 12 beds for three seats and 20 beds for five seats.

In the amended rules, government medical colleges need to have 12 beds for an increase of three seats and 16 beds for five seats, while non-government medical colleges need to have 12 beds for three seats and 16 beds for four seats in departments such as Psychiatry, Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, Radiation Oncology, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Under Category III specialities, the minimum bed requirement per unit to start a PG course with two seats in a medical college remains unchanged at 12 beds. However, the bed strength required for increasing seats has been revised.

Earlier, the norms allowed 18 beds for three seats and  30 beds for five seats. Under the amended rules, government medical colleges will now require 18 beds for three seats and 24 beds for four seats. The same requirement has been imposed on non-government medical colleges in the departments of Otorhinolaryngology and Ophthalmology.

Similarly, under Category IV specialities, the minimum bed requirement per unit to start a PG course with two seats in a medical college remains unchanged at 16 beds.

Earlier, the requirement for increasing seats was 20 beds for three seats and 30 beds for five seats.

Under the revised norms, government medical colleges will continue to follow 20 beds for three seats and 30 beds for five seats in departments such as Cardiology, Critical Care Medicine, Endocrinology, Medical Gastroenterology, Medical Oncology, Nephrology and Neurology.

However, in specialities including Urology, Neurosurgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Paediatric Surgery, Surgical Gastroenterology, Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery, government medical colleges will now require 20 beds for three seats and 30 beds for four seats.

For non-government medical colleges, the requirement is 20 beds for three seats and 30 beds for four seats across departments such as Cardiology, Critical Care Medicine, Endocrinology, Medical Gastroenterology, Medical Oncology, Nephrology, Neurology, Urology, Neurosurgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Paediatric Surgery, Surgical Gastroenterology, Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery.

The amended footnote to the Minimum Standard Requirements for Post-Graduate Courses 2023 (PGMSR 2023) introduces certain clarifications while retaining some of the earlier provisions.

One of the key changes is that the revised footnote now clearly states that the faculty unit structure will be used to determine the number of postgraduate seats permitted in any department, including specialities where inpatient beds are not required, such as Radiology and Anaesthesia.

The new version also explains the unit structure in greater detail, specifying that the first unit must be headed by a Professor and include one Associate Professor and one Associate Professor/Assistant Professor, while subsequent units may be headed by an Associate Professor if no Professor is available in the department and will include two other faculty members (Associate Professor/Assistant Professor). It further clarifies that each unit will have one Senior Resident.

The amended footnote also states that the number of seats will be decided based on overall clinical workload, available infrastructure, curriculum requirements, and specialty-specific MSR requirements, whereas the earlier version only mentioned clinical workload as a consideration.

However, some provisions remain unchanged. The rule that a higher cadre faculty member can be counted against the requirement of a lower cadre continues to apply. Additionally, the earlier provision stating that having a Senior Resident is not mandatory in the basic faculty requirement has also been retained in the amended footnote.

To view the PGSMR 2023, click on the link below:

Also read- NMC amends Minimum Standard Requirements for running PG medical courses, here are key takeaways