DNB Psychiatry: Admissions, Medical Colleges, Fees, Eligibility Criteria Details Here

DNB Psychiatry or Diplomate of National Board in Psychiatry also known as DNB in Psychiatry is a Postgraduate level course for doctors in India that is done by them after completion of their MBBS. The duration of this postgraduate course is 3 years, and it focuses on the study of various concepts related to the field of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of emotional, mental, and behavioral disorders.

Admission to this course is done through the NEET PG Entrance exam conducted by the National Board of Examinations, followed by counselling based on the scores of the exam that is conducted by DGHS/MCC/State Authorities.

The fee for pursuing DNB (Psychiatry) from accredited institutes/hospitals is Rs.1,25,000 to Rs.3,20,000 per year.

After completion of their respective course, doctors can either join the job market or pursue a super-specialization course where DNB Psychiatry is a feeder qualification. Candidates can take reputed jobs at positions as Senior residents, Junior Consultants, Consultants etc. with an approximate salary range of Rs. 5,00,000 to Rs. 16,00,000 per year.

DNB is equivalent to MD/MS/DM/MCh degrees awarded respectively in medical and surgical super specialties. The list of recognized qualifications awarded by the Board in various broad and super specialties as approved by the Government of India are included in the first schedule of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.

The Diplomate of National Board in broad-specialty qualifications and super specialty qualifications when granted in a medical institution with the attached hospital or in a hospital with the strength of five hundred or more beds, by the National Board of Examinations, shall be equivalent in all respects to the corresponding postgraduate qualification and the super-specialty qualification granted under the Act, but in all other cases, senior residency in a medical college for an additional period of one year shall be required for such qualification to be equivalent for the purposes of teaching also.

What is DNB in Psychiatry?

Diplomate of National Board in Psychiatry, also known as DNB (Psychiatry) or DNB in Psychiatry is a three-year postgraduate programme that candidates can pursue after completing MBBS.

Psychiatry is the branch of medical science dealing with the treatment and prevention of various mental disorders and issues.

The National Board of Examinations (NBE) has released a curriculum for DNB in Psychiatry.

The curriculum governs the education and training of DNBs in Psychiatry.

PG 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 Psychiatry would help the specialist recognize the community's health needs. 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 specialist in Psychiatry possessing a broad range of skills that will enable her/him to practice Psychiatry independently. The PG candidate should also acquire the basic skills in the teaching medical/para-medical students.

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 DNB in Psychiatry

Eligibility Criteria

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

Candidates must be in possession of an undergraduate MBBS degree from any college/university recognized by the Medical Council of India (MCI) now NMC.

Candidates should have done a compulsory rotating internship of one year in a teaching institution or other institution which is recognized by the Medical Council of India (MCI) now NMC.

The candidate must have obtained permanent registration of any State Medical Council to be eligible for admission.

The medical college's recognition cut-off dates for the MBBS Degree courses and compulsory rotatory Internship shall be as prescribed by the Medical Council of India (now NMC).

Candidates who have passed the final examination, leading to the award of a Post Graduate Degree (MD/MS) from an Indian University, which is duly recognized as per provisions of the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019 and the first schedule of the IMC Act can apply for the DNB Final examination in the same broad specialty.

Admission Process

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

• The NEET PG or National Eligibility Entrance Test for Post Graduate is a national-level master's level examination conducted by the NBE for admission to MD/MS/PG Diploma Courses.
• The requirement of eligibility criteria for participation in counselling towards PG seat allotment conducted by the concerned counselling authority shall be in lieu of the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations (as per the latest amendment) notified by the MCI (now NMC) with prior approval of MoHFW.

Fees Structure

The fee structure for DNB in Psychiatry varies from accredited institute/hospital to hospital. The fee is generally less for Government Institutes and more for private institutes. The average fee structure for DNB in Psychiatry is Rs.1,25,000 to Rs.3,20,000 per year.

Colleges offering DNB in Psychiatry

Various accredited institutes/hospitals across India offer courses for pursuing DNB (Psychiatry).

As per the National Board of Examinations website, the following accredited institutes/hospitals are offering DNB (Psychiatry) courses for the academic year 2022-23.

Syllabus

A DNB in Psychiatry is a three years specialization course which provides training in the stream of Psychiatry.

The course content for DNB in Psychiatry is given in the NBE Curriculum released by the National Board of Examinations, which can be assessed through the link mentioned below:

The three-year period is divided into six semesters. These semesters cover theoretical teaching imparted by the following activities as well as clinical duties.

1. Basic Sciences as applied to psychiatry

a. Basic and applied Electrophysiology

b. Magnetic Resonance and Implications for Psychiatry

c. Psychology of human behavior and mental disorders

d. Consciousness

e. Chronobiology

f. Culture and its influence on human behavior and mental disorders

g. Aggression, Violence, their influence on human behavior and disease

h. Intelligence, aptitude and achievement

i. Normal and abnormal psychology

j. Human social behavior and implications for mental health and disorder

k. Information Processing: Brain Models of Mind

l. Experimental Animal Research and Implications for Mental Disorders

m. Bioethics and human rights

n. Biostatistics and principles of research methodology including clinical trials

o. Forensic science, legal issues and mental disorders

p. Classification

q. Prevention of mental disorders and promotion of mental health

r. Health Policy issues

s. Neuroanatomy

t. Neurophysiology

u. Neurochemistry

v. Genetics

w. Learning and memory

x. Theories of personality

y. Epidemiology

z. Principles of clinical psychology and psychological testing (including neuropsychology)

2. Clinical Psychiatry:

a. Prenatal development, infancy, childhood and developmental disorders

b. Neurocognitive disorders

c. Neurodevelopmental disorders

d. Schizophrenia or other primary psychotic disorders, and Catatonia

e. Mood disorders

f. Anxiety or fear-related disorders

g. Obsessive-compulsive or related disorders

h. Disorders specifically associated with stress

i. Dissociative disorders

j. Feeding or eating disorders

k. Elimination disorders

l. Disorders of bodily distress or bodily experience

m. Disorders due to substance use or addictive behaviours

n. Impulse control disorders

o. Disruptive behaviour or dissocial disorders

p. Personality disorders and related traits

q. Paraphilic disorders

r. Factitious disorders

s. Psychiatric emergencies

t. Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine

u. Old age psychiatry

v. Any other condition which may be a focus of clinical attention and management

w. Principles of management

x. Pharmacological management and its complications

y. Psychological management

z. Psychosocial management

aa. Other physical treatments

bb. Community Psychiatry and National Programmes of Mental Health

cc. Psychiatric Rehabilitation

dd. Forensic Psychiatry including all laws related to mental health

ee. Psychiatry and Ethics

3. Effect of climate change and heat wave on mental health:

What is climate change, stress, and distress due to climate change, mental disorders specifically talked about in relation to climate change (for example, eco-anxiety, ecofear, eco-grief, etc), the impact of climate change on psychiatric epidemiology, coping with climate change, understanding resilience in dealing with climate change, the effect of climate change and heat on persons receiving psychotropics, the impact of climate change on the mental health of migrants, children and adolescents, elderly; Building health systems resilience to climate change.

4. Air Pollution

Adverse effects of air pollution on mental health including the growing children, pregnancy, old age population

Career Options

After completing a DNB in Psychiatry, 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, including Registrar, Senior Resident, Demonstrator, Tutor, etc.

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

Courses After DNB in Psychiatry Course

DNB in Psychiatry is a specialization course that can be pursued after finishing MBBS. After pursuing a specialization in DNB (Psychiatry), a candidate could also pursue super specialization courses recognized by NMC, where DNB (Psychiatry) is a feeder qualification.

DM Geriatric Mental Health is the course that requires DNB (Psychiatry) as a feeder qualification.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – DNB in Psychiatry Course

Question: What is a DNB in Psychiatry?

Answer: DNB Psychiatry or Diplomate of National Board in Psychiatry also known as DNB in Psychiatry is a Postgraduate level course for doctors in India that is done by them after completion of their MBBS.

Question: Is DNB in Psychiatry equivalent to MD in Psychiatry?

Answer: DNB in Psychiatry is equivalent to MD in Psychiatry, the list of recognized qualifications awarded by NBE in various broad and super specialties as approved by the Government of India are included in the first schedule of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.

Question: What is the duration of a DNB in Psychiatry?

Answer: DNB in Psychiatry is a postgraduate programme of three years.

Question: What is the eligibility of a DNB in Psychiatry?

Answer: Candidates must be in possession of an undergraduate MBBS degree from any college/university recognized by the Medical Council of India (now NMC).

Question: What is the scope of a DNB in Psychiatry?

Answer: DNB in Psychiatry offers candidates various employment opportunities and career prospects.

Question: What is the average salary for a DNB in Psychiatry postgraduate candidate?

Answer: The DNB in Psychiatry candidate's average salary is between Rs. 5,00,000 to Rs. 16,00,000 per year depending on the experience.

Question: Are DNB Psychiatry and MD Psychiatry equivalent for pursuing teaching jobs?

Answer: The Diplomate of National Board in broad-speciality qualifications and super speciality qualifications when granted in a medical institution with attached hospital or in a hospital with the strength of five hundred or more beds, by the National Board of Examinations, shall be equivalent in all respects to the corresponding postgraduate qualification and the super-speciality qualification granted under the Act, but in all other cases, senior residency in a medical college for an additional period of one year shall be required for such qualification to be equivalent for the purposes of teaching also.