What's the new eligibility criteria for non-teaching doctors? Check out NMC Draft TEQ provisions

New Delhi: Relaxing the existing norms, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed in the newly released Draft Teachers Eligibility Qualifications (TEQ) 2024 Regulations that non-teaching doctors can become assistant and associate professors if they have working experience in a 220-bedded teaching/non-teaching government hospital.

Previously, under the existing TEQ 2022 Regulations, it was required that the non-teaching doctors had working experience at a 330-bed non-teaching hospital.

Although NMC has reduced the required number of beds in the teaching/non-teaching hospital, the requirement of the tenure of work has been increased under the newly proposed regulations.

While previously, the non-medical teachers were only required to have two years of work experience at the non-teaching/teaching hospital, now the duration of the tenure has been increased to 4 years. To be considered for the post of Associate Professor, the work experience should be of 10 years.

However, per the 2022 regulations, it was also mentioned that the non-teaching consultants would be absorbed permanently as Assistant Professors if that Hospital was converted into a Government Medical College for imparting undergraduate medical education.

Also Read: NMC Releases Draft TEQ Regulations 2024, Check details

What Did 2022 TEQ Regulations Say?

Clause 8.1 of the TEQ 2022 Regulations Stated the following:

"8.1 New Medical College: A non-teaching Consultant or Specialist, possessing postgraduate medical degree, working for at least two years in the concerned specialty in a minimum 330 bedded non-teaching Government Hospital shall be eligible to be designated as Assistant Professor and be absorbed permanently, if that Hospital is being converted into a Government Medical College for imparting undergraduate medical education. The subsequent promotions to higher teaching designations would be as per these regulations. Provided further that this would only be a one time provision and so absorbed teacher should not be transferred from that Institution for five years. The subsequent appointment of any faculty would be as per these regulations," TEQ 2022 Regulations Stated.

What NMC has Proposed in Draft TEQ 2024 Regulations?

NMC in the Clause 3.12 of the Draft TEQ 2024 Regulations specified the relaxation in norms for non-teaching Consultant/Specialist/Medical Officer working in Government Hospitals.

The Regulations stated the following:

"A non-teaching Consultant/Specialist/Medical Officer, possessing Postgraduate Medical Degree, working for at least four years in a minimum 220 bedded teaching/non-teaching Govermment Hospital shall be eligible to become an Assistant Professor of that broad specialty. They should have completed the Basic Course in Biomedical Research (BCBR) prior to become eligible for such post. The subsequent promotions to higher teaching designations will be as per criteria mentioned in Table IA and 1B of this regulation. They will have to complete the Basic Course in Medical Education Technology (BCMET) Course within three years of such appointment if it is required for the specialty," stated the Draft.

"A non-teaching Consultant/Specialist/Medical Officer, possessing Postgraduate Medical Degree, working for at least ten years in the concerned specialty in a minimum 220 bedded teaching/non-teaching Government Hospital shall be eligible to become Associate Professor of that broad specialty. He/She should have completed the Basic Course in Biomedical Rescarch (BCBR) Course prior to become eligible for such post. The subsequent promotions to higher teaching designations will be as per criteria mentioned in Table lA and lB of this regulation. They will have to complete the Basic Course in Medical Education Technology (BCMET) Course within thrce ycars of such appointment if it is required for the specialty," it added.

Also Read: NMC releases Teachers Eligibility Qualifications in Medical Institutions Regulations 2022