Senior residents in 220-bed govt hospitals now eligible for assistant professor posts: NMC
Assistant Professors
New Delhi: The Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) has clarified that senior residents having two years of work experience in any 220-bedded government hospital after obtaining their postgraduate degree, will be eligible for the post of Assistant Professors in medical colleges. Moreover, such doctors will not have to undergo senior residency for one year in a medical college.
NMC has provided this clarification in the recently released Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the rules concerning the Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025.
Medical Dialogues had previously reported that earlier this year, on June 30, 2025, NMC released the final Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025, and laid down the eligibility qualifications of medical teachers at medical institutes. However, since the stakeholders sought clarifications regarding certain provisions of the regulations, the Commission has recently released the FAQs.
What did the 2025 Regulations Say?
In Note 3(c) of Sl. No. 3 of Table E (page no. 39) of the Medical Faculty Regulations, NMC mentioned, "a non-teaching Consultant or Specialist or Medical Officer, possessing postgraduate medical degree with at least two years of experience in a Government hospital having at least 220 beds shall be eligible to become an Assistant Professor of that broad specialty without the requirement of experience as Senior Resident and shall complete the Basic Course in Biomedical Research within two years of appointment."
Now offering clarity on the question of the eligibility conditions to be considered as an Assistant Professor as per Note 3(c) of Sl. No. 3 of Table E (page no.39) of the 2025 Regulations, NMC mentioned the following in the FAQs:
"Any Registered Medical Practitioner ( Non-teaching Consultant, Specialist, Medical Officer, Senior Resident etc.) possessing a NMC/MCI-recognised postgraduate degree qualification and having cumulative work experience of 2 years in any government hospital of 220 beds AFTER OBTAINING POSTGRADUATE DEGREE, will be eligible to become Assistant Professor of the specialty in which they hold the recognised postgraduate qualification without the requirement of one year experience as senior resident in a medical college."
Lauding the Apex Medical Commission's move, the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) wrote on X, "FORDA’s consistent advocacy brings results! NMC now recognised 2 years of Senior Residency in Government Hospitals with less than 500 beds (But more than 220 beds) for Assistant Professor eligibility. A big relief for residents serving in peripheral institutions."
Also Read: NMC clarifies on Medical Faculty Regulations 2025
Speaking to Medical Dialogues in this regard, the National General Secretary of FORDA, Dr. Meet Ghonia, said, "FORDA’s continuous efforts and representations to NMC have finally borne fruit. The inclusion of government hospitals with 220–500 beds for recognition of Senior Residency towards Assistant Professor eligibility is a major step towards equity and opportunity for resident doctors serving in peripheral institutions. We thank NMC for this progressive decision that acknowledges the contribution of doctors working beyond major tertiary centres."
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that back in January 2025, FORDA submitted its suggestions on the Draft TEQ 2024 Regulations. Back then, the association had urged NMC to define in the TEQ 2024 Regulations regarding the minimum bed requirement for single-speciality hospitals to consider the DNB graduates from such institutes as equal to MD/MS degree holders in faculty recruitments.
