MD,MS will be three year courses; PG Diploma Two year Courses: MCI officials Rebuff Rumours

New Delhi: Confusion galore has erupted since the MCI minutes of the meeting dated 15 February, 2018 became public, whereby the clause 65 was seen talking about Amendment in the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000 with regards to the duration of recongition of PG medical courses as 4 years and PG diploma as three years.

The minutes of the meeting, stated as follows

The committee perused through the matter with regard to the amendment in the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000 along with the E-mail dated 05/02/2018 received from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, New Delhi.

The Postgraduate Medical Education Committee noted that this is a referred back item from the Govt. The Ministry in consultation with Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has made some observations on the amendments in Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000 proposed by MCI. The PG Committee perused Govt. letter dated 8th February, 2018 and observed as below:-

The PG Committee agreed with the suggestion that three & two years for degree and diploma courses be replaced by four & three years respectively.

The said clause has been since viral on social media, with thousands of medical professionals drawing the impression that from MCI is giving its nod for a 4 year PG Medical Course and a 3 year PG Diploma Course. However, MCI officials have clarified that this is NOT TRUE

INTERPRETATION NOT TRUE

Medical Dialogues investigated the issue and asked Dr KS Sharma ,Director Academics, Director, Edu. (TMC) & Professor & HoD, Deptt. of Anaesthesia, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai as well as MEMBER, POSTGRADUATE COMMITTEE, Medical council of india to elaborate. Dr Sharma rubbished the interpretation clearly stating that MD/MS/PG medical Courses will remain for a duration of three years and PG Diploma will remain for a duration of two years.

" Certain sections of the medical fraternity as well as media have wrongly interpreted this section, and spreading the rumours that MCI is planning to increase the duration of PG Medical and PG Diploma courses. This is not true. "Dr Sharma told Medical Dialogues

Explaining the true meaning of the clause he said, "For PG Medical/ Diploma courses, MCI conducts inspection for purpose of the Recognition of the PG/Diploma course at the time when Pg students are appearing for their examination. Many colleges avoid/delay in the said inspection, which jeopardises the recognition of the said course for the said batch, and finally students suffer. As a result MCI and Central Government are now working to give one year more grace period for the purpose of recognition of each of the courses, so that students don't suffer. So this clause is only for the purpose of recognition and inspection . I again clarify that PG medical courses for will remain having a 3 year duration and PG diplomas will have a 2 year duration."

 

What the Minutes say on the Clause

 

The institution shall apply for recognition of the Postgraduate Medical Qualification to the Central Government through the affiliating University, when the first admitted batch shall be due to appear for the examination to be conducted by the affiliating university.The institution shall apply for recognition of the Postgraduate Medical Qualification to the Central Government through the affiliating University, when the first admitted batch shall be due to appear for the examination to be conducted by the affiliating university.