NMC Releases Revised Guidelines for Medical Education Unit, waives additional qualifications for faculty till 2024

New Delhi: Releasing the revised regulations for the Medical Education Unit (MEU), the National Medical Commission has informed about its decision of offering exemption to the medical college resource faculties for obtaining additional qualifications such as an Advance Course in Medical Education (ACME) or Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) fellowship until January 31, 2024.

Such a decision has been taken by the Apex medical commission as it noted that several medical colleges are not fulfilling the requirements for additional requirements and as a result Revised Basic Course Workshop (rBCW) training of the faculty is getting affected.

"As per NMC Guidelines, in a medical college, a minimum of 04 MEU Resource faculty must have additional qualification like ACME/FAIMER or equivalent. A large number of medical colleges however are not fulfilling this requirement. As a result, the rBCW training of faculty is getting affected. It has been decided to grant a limited period waiver (upto 31st Jan 2024). A revised guideline for Medical Education Unit(MEU) is circulated herewith," NMC UG Medical Education Board mentioned in the recent circular dated 27.12.2022.

Granting a limited period waiver up to 31st Jan, 2024, the Apex medical commission has also informed the medical colleges to forward the list of their MEU resource faculty to their affiliated NMC designated Regional/Nodal Centers for approval at the earliest.

"It may please be noted that once the list is approved, NO CHANGES in MEU resource faculty shall be permitted up to 31st Jan 2024," the UG Medical Education Board of the commission has clarified in its recent circular.

Sharing the revised guideline for Medical Education Unit (MEU) the Commission further directed all the Conveners of NMC designated RCs and NCs to deligently scrutnise the lists sent by the medical colleges and once approved, those lists shall be forwarded to Academic Cell, NMC for record keeping.

"Simultaneously, the rBCW proposals may be forwarded to the Commission," the circular read.

Revised Guidelines for MEDICAL EDUCATION UNIT (MEU) (valid till 31st Jan 2024):

As per the revised guidelines, the coordinator should be a professor or associate professor, who has undergone MCI Basic Course Workshop (pre/revised) in Medical Education Technology (MET) or Attitude, Ethics and Communication module (AETCOM)at the allocated Nodal/Regional Centre and Advance Course in Medical Education at the allocated Nodal Centre, or any other additional qualification like M. Med, MHPE, Diploma in Medical Education, FAIMER Fellowship, or Integrated Foundations of Medical Education (IFME) programme.

"The same coordinator to continue for a minimum of three years and any change to be intimated to Academic Cell of NMC &requires approval of NMC)," clarified the Commission. The revised guidelines state that ACME or FAIMER fellowship is not required until January 2024. 

MEU faculty:

NMC has specified that the MEU should have minimum 8 core faculty including all cadres of faculty with the following qualifications:

Have undergone training in MCI Basic/Revised Basic Course in MET/AETCOM at the allocated Nodal / Regional Centre, orin the medical college under MCI / NMC observership.

At least 04 (50%) faculty should have received additional educationalqualification or training:eg. ACME at NMC Nodal Centre, or any other additional qualification like M. Med, MHPE, Diploma in Medical Education, FAIMER Fellowship or IFME.

With the waiver of additional qualification of ACME/ FAIMER until January 31, 2024, the revised guidelines require the MEU faculty members basic course training in MET and AETCOM.

Supportive Staff:

NMC has specified that the Supportive Staff should be available as per the Minimum Standard Requirements notified from time to time.

Journals: 

As per MEU/ college library should have books on medical education (10 nos) and should have access (print or web) to at least two of the following Journals:

(a) Medical Teacher

(b) Medical education

(c) Academic Medicine

(d) The Clinical Teacher

(e) BMC Medical Education

Infrastructure and equipment: 

The Medical Education Unit is to be housed in an appropriate area which can accommodate around 30participants in a workshop format and should have the following minimum equipment:

Two Multimedia PCs Internet enabled with Colour Monitors: 2