DNB Post Diploma in Pathology: Admissions, medical colleges, fees, eligibility criteria details

DNB-PD in Pathology also known as DNB Post Diploma in Pathology is a Postgraduate level course for doctors in India that is done by them after completion of their postgraduate medical diploma.

The duration of this postgraduate course is 2 years, and it focuses on diagnosing routine and complex diseases on the basis of Histopathology (Surgical Pathology) and Cytopathology specimens. Blood and Bone Marrow examination (Hematology) and various tests under the domain of Laboratory Medicine including Clinical Pathology, Clinical Biochemistry, Chemical Pathology as well as Blood Banking / Transfusion medicine, genetics and molecular pathology. 

The course is a full-time course pursued at various recognized accredited institutions/hospitals across the country. Admission to this course is done through the DNB-PDCET ranking examination conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), followed by counselling based on the scores of the exam that is conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences for allotment of Post Diploma DNB seat.

The fee for pursuing DNB-PD in Pathology (DCP) is Rs.1,25,000 per year.

After completion of their respective course, doctors can either join the job market or pursue higher degree courses like master’s degrees and research degree courses recognized by NBEMS or NMC, where DNB Post Diploma in Pathology (DOMS) is a feeder qualification. Candidates can take reputed jobs in the government sector at positions such as Registrar, Senior Resident, Demonstrator, Tutor, etc.

While in the Private sector, the options include Resident Doctor, Consultant, Visiting Consultant (Pathologist), Junior Consultant, Senior Consultant (Pathologist), etc, with an approximate salary range of Rs. 5,00,000 to Rs. 18,00,000 per annum.

What is DNB Post Diploma in Pathology?

DNB Post Diploma in Pathology also known as DNB-PD in Pathology is a two-year postgraduate programme that candidates can pursue after completing a postgraduate medical diploma.

Pathology is the branch of medical science that focuses on the diagnosis of disease through the examination of surgically removed organs, tissues (biopsy samples), bodily fluids, and in some cases the whole body (autopsy). It is the bridge between science and medicine. It underpins every aspect of patient care, from diagnostic testing and treatment advice to using cutting-edge genetic technologies and preventing disease.

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) conducts the DNB PD-CET entrance exam for DNB-PD in Pathology.

The post-diploma education intends to create specialists who can contribute to high-quality health care and advances in science through research and training.

The required training done by a postgraduate specialist in the field of Pathology would help the specialist to recognize the health needs of the community. The student should be competent to handle medical problems effectively and should be aware of the recent advances in their speciality.

The candidate should be a highly competent Radiation Oncologist possessing a broad range of skills that will enable her/him to practice Pathology independently.

The candidate is also expected to know the principles of research methodology and modes of the consulting library. The candidate should regularly attend conferences, workshops and CMEs to upgrade her/ his knowledge.

Course Highlights

Here are some of the course highlights of the DNB-PD in Pathology. 

Name of Course	DNB Post Diploma in Pathology
Level	Postgraduate
Duration of Course	Two years
Course Mode	Full Time
Minimum Academic Requirement	Candidates who have passed the final examination leading to the award of Post Graduate Diploma from Indian Universities which are duly recognized as per provisions of the NMC Act 2019 and the repealed Indian Medical Council Act 1956, Govt of India can apply for the DNB-PDCET in the same Broad speciality. The result of the final examination for the said Post Graduate Diploma qualification should have been declared on or before the prescribed cut-off date of a particular admission session. Candidates should have successfully completed Diploma in Pathology (DCP).
Admission Process / Entrance Process / Entrance Modalities	Entrance Exam DNB-PDCET Counselling by NBEMS
Course Fees	Rs. 1,25,000 per year
Average Salary	Rs. 5,00,000 to Rs. 18,00,000 per year

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for DNB-PD in Pathology are defined as the set of rules or minimum prerequisites that aspirants must meet in order to be eligible for admission, which includes:

• Candidates who have passed the final examination leading to the award of Post Graduate Diploma from Indian Universities which are duly recognized as per provisions of the NMC Act 2019 and the repealed Indian Medical Council Act 1956 can apply for the DNB-PDCET 2023 in the same broad Specialty.
• The result of the final examination for the said Post Graduate Diploma qualification should have been declared on or before the cut-off date.
• It is mandatory for the candidates to submit proof /documentary evidence that confirms that the result of the final examination for their Post Graduate Diploma qualification was declared on or before the cut-off date.
• Registration with the NMC/ the erstwhile Medical Council of India or State Medical Council is necessary and its documentary proof should be furnished by the candidates on the day of examination and at the time of counselling/admission.

Name of DNB Post Diploma Course	Course Type	Prior Eligibility Requirement
Pathology	DNB PD	Diploma in Pathology (DCP)

Note:

· The feeder qualification for DNB PD Pathology is defined by the NBE and is subject to changes by the NBE.

· The feeder qualification mentioned here is as of 2023.

· For any changes, please refer to the NBE website.

Admission Process

The admission process contains a few steps to be followed in order by the candidates for admission to DNB Post Diploma in Pathology. Candidates can view the complete admission process for DNB-PD in Pathology mentioned below:

• The candidates get admission to 2 years Post Diploma course after successfully qualifying for the DNB-PDCET examination which is conducted by NBEMS.
• Centralized merit-based counselling conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences for allotment of Post Diploma DNB seats at NBEMS-accredited Institutions/hospitals/medical colleges in order of speciality-specific merit.
• Candidates shall be able to opt for the NBEMS-accredited institution/hospital/medical college of their choice as per the availability at their merit.
• DNB-PDCET is a ranking examination and a merit list will be generated for all appeared candidates specialty-wise. There will be no minimum qualifying criteria either in percentiles or in percentage of marks in the exam.
• All candidates appearing in the DNB Post Diploma CET examination will be ranked in order of the marks secured by them amongst other candidates of the same broad specialty.
• A separate merit will be prepared for each Broad speciality in which the Post Diploma CET examination is conducted.

Fee Structure

The fee structure for DNB-PD in Pathology is generally less for Government Institutes and more for private institutes. The average fee structure for DNB-PD in Pathology is Rs. 1,25,000 per year.

Colleges offering DNB-PD in Pathology

The provisional list of seats in NBEMS-accredited hospitals/ institutions is released on the NBEMS website every year.

Candidates may visit the website of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences website for Post Diploma DNB seats accredited in various institutions across the country.

The final seat matrix of Post Diploma DNB seats going to be offered for the 2023 admission session shall be published on the NBEMS website before the conduct of DNB-PDCET 2023 counselling. There are various accredited institutions/hospitals across India that offer courses for pursuing DNB-PD Anaesthesia.

As per the NBEMS website, the following accredited institutions/hospitals are offering DNB-PD Anaesthesia courses for the academic year 2022.

Name of Hospital/ Institution

State

Speciality

Management

Total No. of Seats

Medanta The Medicity, Sector-38, Gurgaon, Haryana-122001	Haryana	Pathology	Private	1
Tata Main Hospital, C Road (West), Northern Town, Bistupur, JAMSHEDPUR, Jharkhand-831001	Jharkhand	Pathology	Private	1
HealthCare Global Specialty Hospital, (Formerly Bangalore Institute of Oncology) Deans Office #8, P. Kalinga Rao Road, Sampangiram Nagar, Bangalore, Karnataka-560027	Karnataka	Pathology	Private	1
Lakeshore Hospital and Res. Centre, NH 47 - Bye Pass, Maradu, Nettoor, KOCHI, Kerala-682304	Kerala	Pathology	Private	2
Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences, Mini Bye Pass, Govindapuram, Calicut, Kerala-673016	Kerala	Pathology	Private	2
Rajagiri Hospital, Chunangamveli Aluva Ernakulam District, Kerala-683112	Kerala	Pathology	Private	1
Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital and Research Centre., 8+13/2, Erandwane, Near Mhatre Bridge, Pune, Maharashtra-411004	Maharashtra	Pathology	Private	1
Jehangir Hospital, 32, Sassoon Road, Pune , Maharashtra-411001	Maharashtra	Pathology	Private	1
Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute, Achyutrao Patwardhan Marg, 4 Bunglows, Andheri (W), Mumbai, Maharashtra-400053	Maharashtra	Pathology	Private	1
Prince Aly Khan Hospital, Aga Hall, Nesbit Road, Mazagaon, Mumbai, Maharashtra-400010	Maharashtra	Pathology	Private	1
Ruby Hall Clinic, 40 Sassoon Road Pune, Maharashtra-411001	Maharashtra	Pathology	Private	2
Sadhu Vaswani Missions Medical Complex, (earlier known as Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital) 7-9, Koregaon Park, Pune, Maharashtra-411001	Maharashtra	Pathology	Private	1
Sir Hurkisondas Nurrotumdas Hospital and Research Centre, Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road, Gordhan Bapa Chowk, Prathana Samaj, Mumbai, Maharashtra-40004	Maharashtra	Pathology	Private	2
Bhagwan Mahavir Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg, Jaipur, Rajasthan-302017	Rajasthan	Pathology	Private	1
Santokbha Durlabhji Memorial Hospital Cum Medical Research Institute, Bhawani Singh Marg, JAIPUR, Rajasthan-302015	Rajasthan	Pathology	Private	2
Apollo Hospital, 21, Greams Lane, Off Greams Rd, Thousand Lights, Chennai., Tamil Nadu-600006	Tamil Nadu	Pathology	Private	2
Apollo Hospital, Room No. 306, Office of the Director of Medical Education Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana-500033	Telangana	Pathology	Private	1
Indo-American Cancer Institute and Research Centre, Road No.14, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana-500034	Telangana	Pathology	Private	2
Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, 1-8-31/1, Minister Road, Secunderabad, Telangana-500003	Telangana	Pathology	Private	1
Apollomedics Superspeciality Hospital, Sector B, Bargawan, LDA Colony , Lucknow Uttar Pradesh , Uttar Pradesh-226012	Uttar Pradesh	Pathology	Private	1
Regency Hospital, A-2, Sarvodaya Nagar, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh-208005	Uttar Pradesh	Pathology	Private	2
Apollo Multispecialty Hospital Limited, 58, Canal Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal-700054	West Bengal	Pathology	Private	1

Syllabus

DNB-PD in Pathology is a two years post-graduation course that provides training in the stream of Pathology.

As of 15/05/2023 the competency-based curriculum for DNB-PD in Pathology course is not available on NBEMS’s official Website.

Career Options

After completing a DNB-PD in Pathology, candidates will get employment opportunities in Government as well as in the Private sector.

In the Government sector, candidates have various options to choose from which include Registrar, Senior Resident, Demonstrator, Tutor, etc.

While in the Private sector, the options include Resident Doctor, Consultant (Pathologist), Visiting Consultant (Pathologist), Junior Consultant (Pathologist), Senior Consultant (Pathologist), etc.

Courses After DNB-PD in Pathology

DNB-PD in Pathology is a post-graduation course that can be pursued after finishing a postgraduate medical diploma. After pursuing a specialization in DNB-PD in Pathology, a candidate could also pursue higher degree courses and research degree courses recognized by NBEMS, where DNB-PD in Pathology is a feeder qualification.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – DNB-PD in Pathology

Answer: The full form of DNB-PD is Diplomate of National Board Post Diploma.

· Question: What is DNB-PD in Pathology?

Answer: DNB-PD in Pathology also known as DNB Post Diploma in Pathology is a Postgraduate level course for doctors in India after completing their postgraduate medical diploma.

Answer: DNB-PD in Pathology is a postgraduate programme of two years.

Answer: Candidates who have passed the final examination leading to the award of Post Graduate Diploma from Indian Universities which are duly recognized as per provisions of the NMC Act 2019 and the repealed Indian Medical Council Act 1956, Govt of India can apply for the DNB-PDCET in the same broad speciality. The result of the final examination for the said Post Graduate Diploma qualification should have been declared on or before the prescribed cut-off date of a particular admission session. Candidates should have successfully completed Diploma in Pathology (DCP).

Answer: DNB-PD in Pathology offers candidates various employment opportunities and career prospects.

Answer: The DNB-PD in Pathology candidate’s average salary is between Rs. 5,00,000 to Rs. 18,00,000 per annum depending on the experience.