Accusing NMC of Discriminatory Policies, Medical MSc, PhD teachers trend #UnhappyTeachersDay on Twitter

New Delhi: Escalating their protest against the National Medical Commission's (NMC) policies, the non-medical teachers with MSc/PhD qualifications started trending #UnhappyTeachersDay on Twitter.

"While the nation celebrated Teachers' Day, a significant segment of educators in medical colleges across India found themselves trending under a different banner: #UnhappyTeachersDay. This group of teachers, with medical MSc/PhD qualifications, voiced their feelings of betrayal, marginalization, and discrimination at the hands of the National Medical Commission (NMC), the regulatory body for medical education in India," the National M.Sc Medical Teachers' Association (NMMTA) mentioned in a Press Release issued on September 05, 2023 i.e. Teachers' Day.

The non-medical teachers are unhappy with the Competency-Based Medical Education Curriculum (CBME) regulations 2023 and 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".

While the CBME regulations excluded non-medical teachers as examiners for the MBBS examination, the MSR guidelines clarified that only 15% of the total number of posts in Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry departments will be filled by non-medical teachers.

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, further mentions that for being appointed in the post of Demonstrators, PhD degree will be required in case of MSc postgraduates.

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

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that alleging the NMC policies to be discriminatory in nature, the National M.Sc Medical Teachers' Association (NMMTA) arranged a protest at Jantar Mantar on August 21, 2023. 

Now, issuing a press release on September 05, 2023, NMMTA pointed out that with over 5,000 dedicated teachers contributing their expertise to medical education, many possess years or decades of teaching experience. Despite their invaluable contributions to the medical education ecosystem, they lack representation within the NMC. The crux of the matter lies in the perceived competition between MBBS-MD and medical MSc/PhD qualifications for teaching positions, with the NMC seemingly prioritizing the interests of doctors at the expense of scientists.

The association further pointed out that the World Federation of Medical Education promotes balanced participation of medical and non-medical teachers in basic medical science subjects.

"However, the NMC has proposed limiting non-medical teachers' involvement in academic roles, even examinership. This move contradicts the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's directive to revert to previous percentages for non-medical teachers, based on a shortage of educators and ongoing vacancies in non-clinical PG seats. The NMC's defiance of the ministry's instructions has raised concerns and discontent," NMMTA mentioned in the release.

Furthermore, the NMC has amended regulations to require a Ph.D. for entry-level posts of demonstrators, equating it with an unspecialized graduate MBBS degree. This decision has been met with strong opposition from the members of NMMTA, who view it as a deliberate humiliation and denigration of the Ph.D., one of the highest academic qualifications, the association pointed out.

The proposal to shift non-medical teachers into research roles, effectively removing them from teaching positions, has also faced resistance from NMMTA. Dr. Ayan Das, a spokesperson for NMMTA, stressed, "We are educators first, researchers later. We have been teaching throughout our careers, and a minor shift in the curriculum should not disqualify us overnight."

Addressing concerns about curriculum integration, Dr. Das added, "Integration with pre- clinical and clinical subjects is well within our capabilities. We have studied Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry as first-year MBBS students do, and integration with clinical subjects has always been part of our role. Integrating with clinical subjects is also well within our capabilities, as we have been incorporating them as applied aspects throughout our teaching careers, even though this integration is now being more formally recognized."

NMMTA members believe that the proposal to shift non-medical teachers to research is a tactic aimed at eliminating their teaching jobs to make way for medical candidates, mentioned the release.

"The regulator's role is to set guidelines, not to secure jobs exclusively for doctors. Instead of impartiality, the NMC appears to be favoring one group to the detriment of others," stated Mr. Tukaram Prabhu, President of NMMTA.

Mr. Prabhu further expressed concerns about the feasibility of such a shift, noting, "Research infrastructure and budgets in medical colleges are inadequate, and thousands of non-medical teachers cannot transition to research positions. The NMC's strategy may lead to terminations in most private colleges. This approach contradicts global practices and violates WFME guidelines. We call upon the Ministry to rein in the NMC and ensure adherence to government policies."

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