Doctors Laud NMC, Health Ministry for Reducing Appointment of Non-Medical Faculties

New Delhi: While the non-medical teachers have been protesting against the National Medical Commission's newly implemented policies that reduced the number of employment for teachers with a non-medical background, the doctors and medical associations across the country have lauded NMC and the Central Government authorities for this reason.

Several medical associations recently wrote to the Apex Medical Commission, the Union Health Minister, and Central Government authorities praising the new Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Curriculum, and the Minimum Standard Requirements (MSR) Gazette. 

NMC released the final CBME Curriculum Guidelines on August 01, 2023. The "Guidelines for Under Graduate Courses under Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses & Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023" were notified in the official Gazette on August 16, 2023.

Excluding the non-medical teachers as examiners, NMC has mentioned in the new CBME Regulations, "Person appointed as an examiner in the particular subject must have at least four years of total teaching experience as Assistant Professor after obtaining postgraduate degree following MBBS, in the subject in a college affiliated to a recognized medical college (by UGMEB of NMC)."

Further, in the recently released "Guidelines for Under Graduate Courses under Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses & Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023", NMC clarified that only 15% of the total number of posts in Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry departments will be filled by non-medical teachers.

Also Read: Non-Medical Teachers stages protest at Jantar Mantar against NMC policies

"In department of Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, non-medical teachers may be appointed to the extent of 15% of the total number of posts in the department subject to non-availability of medical teachers. The above mentioned non-medical teachers and the Statistician in the department of Community Medicine should possess qualification in that particular subject from a recognised University as per requirements in Teacher Eligibility Qualification Regulations," NMC stated in the new regulations.

"This will definitely help to recruit competent MBBS MD faculties which will shape the future of MBBS graduate and also nation will get competent health care providers serving the nation to the best of their caliber," the letter further mentioned.

The association further appreciated the "timely decision to change the word from pre and para clinical to new terminology as Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3 in UG Curriculum. UG Curriculum seems to be really helpful to MBBS graduate to cover all the aspects of his/her career including all the skills and knowledge to diagnose and treat the patients to the best of their knowledge."

The Association of Resident Doctors belonging to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh also wrote to the Prime Minister of India, Central Health Minister and NMC and expressed appreciation and gratitude for the new NMC policies and expressed similar opinions in the matter.

Lauding the authorities, the Jaipur Association of Resident Doctors (JARD) also wrote a letter and mentioned, "We appreciate the stand of NMC to reduce the appointment of non-medico faculty without MBBS and M.D degree will make education more professional and clinical oriented which will help to meet goals of CBME. This will definitely help to recruit competent MBBS MD faculties which will shape the future of MBBS graduate and also nation will get competent health care providers. We also appreciate the inclusion of MBBS degree holder in the medical college as a tutor, this will have positive and significant impact on the MBBS students as far as clinical knowledge is concerned."

Also Read: PhD now mandatory with MSc degree to apply for post of Demonstrator in Medical College