PGMER 2023: NMC Introduces Post-Doctoral Fellowship Courses in Medical Colleges

New Delhi: For the first time, the apex medical education regulatory body i.e. the National Medical Commission has launched post-doctoral fellowship courses in medical colleges regulated by it, to promote research and clinical skill development.

In the newly notified Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (PGMER 2023), published in the official gazette on 29.12.2023, NMC mentioned that the duration of the Post-Doctoral Fellowship (PDF) courses shall be 2 years.

Until now, the medical colleges/institutions were creating and approving these programmes at their own levels to provide training to doctors.

PGMER 2023 has also eliminated the difference between "permitted" and "recognised" seats. It  specified that once a medical college is granted permission to start PG course or seats, the course will be treated as recognised.

This will solve many difficulties faced by students to register their degree after passing postgraduate examinations, Dr Vijay Oza, President of the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) explained.

Also Read: Final PGMER 2023 Regulations released in Gazette

As per the new regulations which have replaced the Postgraduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations, 2018, the existing NEET-PG examination will continue till the proposed National Exit Test (NExT) becomes operational for PG admission.

The new regulations state that all post-graduate students will work as full-time resident doctors and for "reasonable working hours" and will be provided "reasonable time for rest" in a day.

They will be permitted a minimum of 20 days of casual leave per year and five days of academic per year. Subject to exigencies of work, post-graduate students will be allowed one weekly holiday, the new regulations said.

"Earlier there was no written provision of leaves," Dr Oza said. "The NMC after considering the comments and suggestions of various stakeholders and detailed in-house discussion unveiled groundbreaking reforms in post-graduate medical education, aimed at fostering quality, ethical practice, and inclusivity within the medical fraternity," he added.

These reforms encompass various critical aspects of post-graduate medical training and aim to enhance the standards of education and practice nationwide, Dr Oza mentioned.

"The comprehensive reforms outlined in the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, mark a pivotal moment in ensuring the highest standards of medical education in our country. These regulations underscore our commitment to nurturing a proficient and ethical healthcare workforce," said Dr Yogender Malik, member of the Ethics and Medical Registration Board and head of the media division at NMC.

For better implementation of these regulations, there is the provision of a penalty clause that includes monetary penalty, reduction in number of seats (admission capacity), or complete stoppage of admissions.

Also Read: All PG medical students to work as full-time resident doctors for reasonable working hours: NMC PGMER 2023