Now Visiting Faculty to teach MBBS, PG Medical courses at Medical colleges: MCI BOG gives nod to proposal

Good news! Doctors can now join as Visiting Faculty and Teach MBBS, PG Medical courses at medical colleges across the country, as MCI BOG has given its nod to the proposal

New Delhi: To strengthen the teaching of MBBS and PG Medical courses at the medical colleges of the country, the Medical Council Of India Board of Governors (MCI BOG) have given their nod to the concept of visiting faculty

The apex medical regulator, however, in its approved proposal noted that this system of having visiting faculties would only be a top-up, over and above the regular fulltime faculty, and such visiting faculty staff will not be counted as regular teaching staff as required under the Minimum Standard Regulations.

MCI BOG further added that the duration of teaching provided by the visiting faculty cannot be counted towards their eligibility for becoming full time faculty in a medical college

The matter was brought up in two consecutive meetings of the MCI Board of Governors. In the meeting held on 13th June, 2019, the BOG gave their in-principal nod to the proposal to the provisioning for visiting faculty to strengthen teaching

The BoG considered and approved the proposal in principle for introducing system of Visiting Faculty as a top up, over and above the regular fulltime faculty contingent, with the aim of augmenting the comprehensiveness and quality of teaching of both UGs and PGs, and directed the Council office to put up a detailed formal proposal for consideration of the BoG.

One month later, the council put up a detailed formal proposal note for consideration of the BoG. MCI submitted a proposal pointing out that the present guidelines of BoG/MCI provide for full-time faculty in relevant disciplines. The full-time faculty, in addition to teaching, is also responsible for clinical care in the college/hospital as well as research. Often both the Government and private medical colleges stick to only be a minimum number of teachers stipulated - not realizing that the actual number of consultants/teachers should commensurate with the overall workload including teaching and clinical responsibilities, the proposal reasoned.

" One way to strengthen teaching intensity and quality of the students is to augment the regular strength of full time teachers with part-time Visiting Faculty by qualified specialists working in private sector or those self-employed," the proposal stated

" Such Visiting Teachers have in the past been a regular feature of teaching training System in medical colleges in several cities/states. The BoG may consider introducing system of Visiting Faculty as a top up, over and above the regular full time faculty contingent, with the aim of augmenting the comprehensiveness and quality of teaching of both UGs and PGs," the proposal further clarified

The same has now approved by the MCI Board of Governors albeit with the following caveats

The BoG while approving the above proposal indicated that there should be a formal mechanism within the medical college to ensure that the visiting faculty carry out their assigned teaching activities as the remuneration would depend on the time devoted by them for teaching. Further, the duration of teaching provided by the visiting faculty cannot be counted towards their eligibility for becoming full time faculty in a medical college. Visiting faculty will not be counted as regular teaching staff as required under the Minimum Standard Regulations. Such terms and conditions should be included and monitored.

What does the Scheme for Visiting Faculty say?

With the MCI BOG approval, the following system for such Visiting Faculty for MBBS and PG medical courses if going to be introduced

• Nomenclature: The faculty under this scheme would be called Visiting Faculty in the relevant department of the college (Dr............. , Visiting Faculty, Department of ................. , .......... , ....... Medical college).

• Qualifications: Visiting Faculty member should have qualifications (in terms of experience since postgraduation) in line with the existing BoG/MCI regulations. Persons with past experience as teachers (in MCI/NBE regulated institutions) will be preferred.

• Age limit: The upper age limit for these positions will be 70 years.

• Numbers: the proportion of Visiting faculty would not exceeding 50% of the total number of faculty members in a given department.

• Selection: The selection of Visiting Faculty members will be made by a Committee comprising of the following:

o Chair - Principal of the College

o Members - Dean/Registrar/Academic Head of the College

o Head of the Department of the College

o One expert in the subject from the medical college outside the city, preferably from an institution of national important.

• Duration of appointment: The duration of appointment will be for a period of one year extendable to 2 years, following which fresh selections will be made the existing Visiting Faculty may be considered again for the next term.

• Quantum of Involvement: Each Visiting Faculty should conduct at least four sessions in a month, each session of not less than 3 hours' duration.

• Honorarium: The College may provide a token honorarium as per rules, but this is not mandatory.

• Feedback: A six-monthly feedback will be obtained from the students about the quality of teachers.

Important Note: It is noted that the addition of Visiting Faculty is to strengthen the quality and intensity of teaching. It is not meant to replace the role, responsibility and accountability of the full time faculty members as per the regulations.