DM Infectious Diseases: Admissions, Medical Colleges, Fees, Eligibility Criteria details
DM Infectious Diseases or Doctorate of Medicine in Infectious Diseases also known as DM in Infectious Diseases is a super specialty level course for doctors in India that is done by them after completion of their postgraduate medical degree course. The duration of this super specialty course is 3 years, and it focuses on the study of the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases. This specialty combines both clinical and laboratory practice.
The course is a full-time course pursued at various recognized medical colleges across the country. Some of the top medical colleges offering this course include- All India Institute of Medical Sciences- New Delhi, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, and more.
Admission to this course is done through the NEET-SS Entrance exam conducted by the National Board of Examinations, followed by counselling based on the scores of the exam that is conducted by DGHS/MCC/State Authorities.
The fee for pursuing DM (Infectious Diseases) varies from college to college and may range from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 20,00,000 per year.
After completion of their respective course, doctors can either join the job market or can pursue certificate courses and Fellowship programmes recognised by NMC and NBE. Candidates can take reputed jobs at positions as Senior residents, Consultants etc. with an approximate salary range of Rs. 5,00,000 to Rs. 20,00,000 per year.
What is DM in Infectious Diseases?
Doctorate of Medicine in Infectious Diseases, also known as DM (Infectious Diseases) or DM in (Infectious Diseases) is a three-year super specialty programme that candidates can pursue after completing postgraduate degree.
Infectious Diseases is the branch of medical science dealing with the study of diagnosis and management of infectious diseases.
National Medical Commission (NMC), the apex medical regulator, has released guidelines for a Competency-Based Postgraduate Training Programme for DM in Infectious Diseases.
The Competency-Based Postgraduate Training Programme governs the education and training of DMs in Infectious Diseases.
The postgraduate students must gain ample of knowledge and experience in the diagnosis, treatment of patients with acute, serious, and life-threatening medical and surgical diseases.
The PG education intends to create specialists who can contribute to high-quality health care and advances in science through research and training.
The required training done by a postgraduate specialist in the field of Infectious Diseases would help the specialist to recognize the health needs of the community. The student should be competent to handle medical problems effectively and should be aware of the recent advances in their speciality.
The candidate is also expected to know the principles of research methodology and modes of the consulting library. The candidate should regularly attend conferences, workshops and CMEs to upgrade her/ his knowledge.
Course Highlights
Here are some of the course highlights of DM in Infectious Diseases
| Name of Course | DM in Infectious Diseases |
| Level | Doctorate |
| Duration of Course | Three years |
| Course Mode | Full Time |
| Minimum Academic Requirement | Postgraduate medical degree obtained from any college/university recognized by the Medical Council of India (now NMC)/NBE |
| Admission Process / Entrance Process / Entrance Modalities | Entrance Exam (NEET-SS) INI CET for various AIIMS, PGIMER Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry, NIMHANS Bengaluru Counselling by DGHS/MCC/State Authorities |
| Course Fees | Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 20,00,000 per year |
| Average Salary | Rs. 5,00,000 to Rs. 20,00,000 per year |
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for DM in Infectious Diseases are defined as the set of rules or minimum prerequisites that aspirants must meet in order to be eligible for admission, which include:
- Candidates must be in possession of a postgraduate medical Degree (MD/MS/DNB) from any college/university recognized by the Medical Council of India (now NMC)/NBE.
- The candidate must have obtained permanent registration of any State Medical Council to be eligible for admission.
- The medical college's recognition cut-off dates for the Postgraduate Degree courses shall be as prescribed by the Medical Council of India (now NMC).
Admission Process
- The NEET-SS or National Eligibility Entrance Test for Super specialty courses is a national-level master's level examination conducted by the NBE for admission to DM/MCh/DrNB Courses.
- Qualifying Criteria-Candidates placed at the 50th percentile or above shall be declared as qualified in the NEET-SS in their respective specialty.
- The following Medical institutions are not covered under centralized admissions for DM/MCh courses through NEET-SS:
1. AIIMS, New Delhi and other AIIMS
2. PGIMER, Chandigarh
3. JIPMER, Puducherry
4. NIMHANS, Bengaluru
- Candidates from all eligible feeder specialty subjects shall be required to appear in the question paper of respective group, if they are willing to opt for a superspecialty course in any of the super specialty courses covered in that group.
- A candidate can opt for appearing in the question papers of as many groups for which his/her Postgraduate specialty qualification is an eligible feeder qualification.
- By appearing in the question paper of a group and on qualifying the examination, a candidate shall be eligible to exercise his/her choices in the counseling only for those superspecialty subjects covered in said group for which his/ her broad specialty is an eligible feeder qualification.
Fees Structure
The fee structure for DM in Infectious Diseases varies from college to college. The fee is generally less for Government Institutes and more for private institutes. The average fee structure for DM in Infectious Diseases is around Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 20,00,000 per year.
Colleges offering DM in Infectious Diseases
There are various medical colleges across India that offer courses for pursuing DM in (Infectious Diseases).
As per National Medical Commission (NMC) website, the following medical colleges are offering DM in (Infectious Diseases) courses for the academic year 2022-23.
| Sl.No. | Course Name | State | Name and Address of Medical College / Medical Institution | University Name | Annual Intake (Seats) |
| 1 | DM - Infectious Disease | Delhi | All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi | Statutory Autonomous, AIIMS(New Delhi) | 39 |
| 2 | DM - Infectious Disease | Karnataka | Kasturba Medical College, Manipal | Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed University), Manipal | 2 |
| 3 | DM - Infectious Disease | Madhya Pradesh | All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal | Statutory Autonomous, AIIMS(Bhopal) | 2 |
| 4 | DM - Infectious Disease | Rajasthan | All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur | Statutory Autonomous, AIIMS(Jodhpur) | 4 |
| 5 | DM - Infectious Disease | Tamil Nadu | Christian Medical College, Vellore | The Tamilnadu Dr. MGR Medical University,Chennai | 2 |
| 6 | DM - Infectious Disease | Uttarakhand | All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh | Statutory Autonomous, AIIMS(Rishikesh) | 4 |
| 7 | DM - Infectious Disease | West Bengal | School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata | West Bengal University of Health Sciences,Kolkata | 3 |
| 8 | DM - Infectious Disease | West Bengal | Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Kolkata | West Bengal University of Health Sciences,Kolkata | 2 |
Syllabus
A DM in Infectious Diseases is a three years specialization course that provides training in the stream of Infectious Diseases.
The course content for DM in Infectious Diseases is given in the Competency-Based Postgraduate Training Programme released by National Medical Commission, which can be assessed through the link mentioned below:
Course contents:
A: Cognitive domain
The syllabus will include a study of infectious diseases of bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic
origin occurring in the adults and in the pediatric age group. The student must also have theoretical
and practical knowledge of infections encountered in Oncology, Surgery, Obstetrics &
Gynaecology, in post-solid organ and bone marrow transplant patients, and in other medical and
surgical specialties.
During the training programme, the post graduate student will have formal instruction, obtain
hands on clinical experience and other opportunities via seminars, workshops and conferences to
gain expertise on the etiology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical presentation, differential
diagnosis, management and prevention of the disorders pertaining to various pathogens and organ
systems.
The syllabus is based on (a) Syndromic or Systemic and (b) Organism based approach.
SYNDROMIC APPROACH TO INFECTIOUS DISEASES (based on features of the
diseases at presentation)
1. Fever
o Thermoregulation and pathogenesis
o FUO and Acute febrile illnesses
o Fever with rash, exanthematous fever of children
2. Upper respiratory tract infections
o Sinusitis
o Common cold
o Pharyngitis, retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal infections
o Laryngitis and croup
o Ear infections including otitis and mastoiditis
o Epiglottitis
o Manifestations of different systemic infections in oral cavity, neck and
head
o Local infections of neck, oral cavity and head
3. Pleuro- pulmonary and bronchial infections
o Infections associated with COPD and cystic fibrosis
o Bronchiolitis
o Acute bronchitis
o Pneumonia (acute and chronic) including CAP and atypical pneumonia
o Lung abscess
o Pleural effusion and empyema
4. Urinary tract infections
o Acute pyelonephritis
o Acute cystitis
o Acute and Chronic prostatitis
o Acute urethritis
o Asymptomatic bacteriuria and candiduria
o Invasive fungal infections of the urinary tract
5. Intra - abdominal infections
o Peritonitis and intraperitoneal abscesses
o Infections of liver and biliary system including liver abscess
o Pancreatic infections
o Splenic abscess
o Acute and chronic appendicitis
o Diverticulitis, typhlitis
o Principles and syndromes of enteric infections including acute and chronic
diarrhea
o Enteric fever and other causes of abdominal symptoms with fever
o Malabsorption syndromes
o Food poisoning
o Lower abdominal pain syndromes including Pelvic inflammatory disease
and prostatitis
o H. pylori infection
6. Cardiovascular infections
o Infections of endocardium, prosthetic valve, non- valvular cardiovascular
devices
o Myocarditis, pericarditis
o Mediastinitis
7. CNS infections
o Approach to a patient with CNS infections
o Meningitis: acute and chronic
o CSF shunt infection
o Encephalitis
o Infections causing Brain SOLs and abscesses
o Infections of dural spaces and brain sinuses
o Skull base osteomyelitis
8. Osteomyelitis: both acute and chronic infections of native joint and prostheses
9. Syndromic approach to STIs
10. Eye infections including endophthalmitis, uveitis and chorioretinitis, orbital apex
syndromes
11. Multisystem sepsis syndromes, septic shock and disseminated infections
12. Pyomyositis, skin and soft tissue infections
13. Nosocomial Infections or Medical Device Related Infections
o Infection prevention for hospital acquired infections -principles and
practice
o Disinfection, sterilization, disposal of hospital waste (awareness of
pollution control board norms)
o Isolation and quarantine principles and precautions
o Nosocomial UTI (catheter-associated urinary tract infection - CAUTI)
o Nosocomial Pneumonia (health care—associated pneumonia – HCAP;
Ventilator-associated pneumonia - VAP)
o Catheter related infections (Central Line-Associated Bloodstream
Infection - CLABSI)
o Viral hepatitis & other transfusion- transplantation transmitted infections
o Outbreak investigation nosocomial and community acquired in a health
care setting
14. Infection in special Hosts
o Immuno-compromised (congenital and acquired) HIV
o Management of infections in cancer patients including febrile neutropenia
o Infections in transplant recipients: solid organ, hematopoietic stem cell
o Spinal cord injury
o Geriatric population including infections in long term care facilities
o Infection in asplenic hosts
o Infection in ICU
o Surgical and trauma related infection: Bites, Burns, post-operative fever
o Pediatric and Elderly, those with co-morbidities like Chronic lung, kidney
and liver disease
o HIV and opportunistic infections -approach to fever, respiratory,
abdominal and CNS syndromes
15. Appropriate management of all medical co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension,
coronary artery diseases, collagen, vascular and renal diseases; know when specialist
management may be required and appropriately refer.
ETIOLOGICAL AGENTS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
1. Viral Diseases
● Arbo-viral illnesses including Dengue, Yellow fever, KFD, Chikungunya,
Hantavirus, Nairo virus (CCHF), WNV, JE, Tick borne encephalitis, Syndromes
associated with Arboviral infections;
● Herpes viridae and its infections (HSV 1 and 2, CMV, EBV, HSV6&7, KSAV,
VZV), Poxviridae
● Hepatitis causing viruses including Hepatitis E
● Corona viruses: SARS, SARS CoV2, MERS (including variants)
● Mumps, rubella and measles viruses
● Rhabdoviruses
● Ebola and Marburg virus and other viral haemorrhagic fevers
● Adenovirus
● Papillomavirus, Pox viruses
● JC, BK other polyoma viruses
● Influenza and parainfluenza
● Zoonotic paramyxoviruses like Nipah, Hendra
● RSV
● Polio, Coxsackie, Echo, Enteroviruses
● HTLV 1 & 2
● HIV: history, epidemiology, virology, immunology, HIV testing and counselling,
disease spectrum including pulmonary, gastroenterological, dermatological,
cardiovascular, renal, bone health, endocrine and metabolic and neurological
manifestations of HIV and HIVOI, IRIS malignancy, treatment guidelines
including anti-retrovirals, drug toxicity, drug resistance, prevention, future.
2. Prion Diseases: Creutzfeldt Jacob, Kuru, Bovine spongiform encephalitis
3. Bacterial Diseases
● Gram positive organisms; Gram negative organisms; Gram variable
● Anaerobic infections
● Mycobacteria: Tuberculosis: primary, secondary, pulmonary, extrapulmonary (as
per anatomical structures), MDR and XDR TB
● Leprosy, non-tuberculous Mycobacteria
● Brucellosis, Chlamydial diseases, Mycoplasma
● Rickettsial diseases
● Syphilis, Leptospirosis other spirochetes; Nocardia; Actinomycosis
4. Mycoses
● Superficial mycoses; Subcutaneous mycoses
● Deep mycoses (invasive fungal infections) including endemic systemic mycoses
5. Protozoal diseases
● Entamoeba and free living amoeba associated infections; Malaria, Babesiosis;
Leishmaniasis; Toxoplasmosis; Trypanosomiasis; Giardiasis; Trichomoniasis;
Cryptosporidium and other HIV associated protozoans
6. Helminthic infections:
Geohelminths; tissue and blood nematodes; Cestodes; Trematodes
7. Ectoparasitic diseases:
Lice (pediculosis); scabies; myasis; mites including Chiggers; Ticks
8. Diseases associated with toxic algae:
Prototheca
9. Zoonosis
GENERAL
o Immunisation: Pediatric age group, adult, travelers
o Travel Medicine
o Bioterrorism
o Outbreak investigation in Hospital and Community
o National Health Programmes related to Communicable Diseases
o Pharmaco-therapeutics in Infectious Diseases
o Non-infectious mimics of Infectious Diseases
o Neglected Tropical Diseases
o Critical Care Syndromes and Exotic infections
o Global epidemiology
B: Psychomotor domain
The post graduate student during the training period:
1. Must do independently the following:
a. Proper clinical examination in case of infectious diseases
b. Documentation in cases of PUO HIV disease
c. Counselling patients with HIV disease
d. Counselling patients and relatives on Intensive / Terminal care
e. Central Vein cannulation
f. BLS, ALS/ATLS
g. Gram Stain of exudates and body fluid from various sources
h. Sputum Acid fast stain
i. Malaria parasite detection
j. Bone Marrow aspirate and Biopsy
k. KOH Stain for fungus
l. Rapid Diagnostic Tests / Point of care Tests
(Tropical Fevers/HIV/HBV/HCV)
2. Must learn the following procedures learnt and is desirable to do (independently /
perform under supervision)
a. Point of Care Ultrasonography
b. Body fluid aspiration including joints
c. ELISA for infectious diseases
d. Image guided aspirations
e. Bronchoscopy
f. Upper GI endoscopy (esophageal infectious conditions)
g. Colonoscopy (lower GI infectious conditions)
,,
3. The following procedures are nice to perform under supervision / to observe:
a. Real Time PCR for viruses, bacteria
b. Gene sequencing studies
Career Options
After completing a DM in Infectious Diseases, candidates will get employment opportunities in Government as well as in the Private sector.
In the Government sector, candidates have various options to choose from which include Registrar, Senior Resident, Demonstrator, Tutor etc.
While in the Private sector the options include Resident Doctor, Consultant, Visiting Consultant (Infectious Diseases), Junior Consultant, Senior Consultant (Infectious Diseases), Infectious Diseases Specialist.
Courses After DM in Infectious Diseases Course
DM in Infectious Diseases is a specialisation course which can be pursued after finishing a Postgraduate medical course. After pursuing specialisation in DM in Infectious Diseases, a candidate could also pursue certificate courses and Fellowship programmes recognised by NMC and NBE, where DM in Infectious Diseases is a feeder qualification.
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) –DM in Infectious Diseases Course
Question: What is the full form of DM?
Answer: The full form of DM is Doctorate of Medicine
Question: What is a DM in Infectious Diseases?
Answer: DM Infectious Diseases or Doctorate of Medicine in Infectious Diseases also known as DM in Infectious Diseases is a super specialty level course for doctors in India that is done by them after completion of their postgraduate medical degree course.
Question: What is the duration of a DM in Infectious Diseases?
Answer: DM in Infectious Diseases is a super specialty programme of three years.
Question: What is the eligibility of a DM in Infectious Diseases?
Answer: Candidates must be in possession of a postgraduate medical Degree (MD/MS/DNB) from any college/university recognized by the Medical Council of India (now NMC)/NBE.
Question: What is the scope of a DM in Infectious Diseases?
Answer: DM in Infectious Diseases offers candidates various employment opportunities and career prospects.
Question: What is the average salary for a DM in Infectious Diseases candidate?
Answer: The DM in Infectious Diseases candidate's average salary is between Rs. 3,00,000 to Rs. 4,50,000 per year depending on the experience.
Question: Can you teach after completing DM Course?
Answer: Yes, candidate can teach in a medical college/hospital after completing DM course.
