MCI BOG notify new TEQ Rules, stress on research by academicians
New Delhi: Through a recent gazette notification, the apex medical regulator, Medical Council of India Board of Governors (MCI BOG) have notified a new set of Teachers Eligibility rules, mandating the basic requirements for doctors to become medical teachers in India
These rules are called Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions (Amendment) Regulations, 2019 and specify a number of changes starting with who can be classified as a medical teacher, while also specifying a number of courses that doctors will now have to clear to be eligible for various faculty posts
Who is a medical teacher?
MCI has amended the number of years teaching experience required to be classified as a medical college, while also relaxing the requirement of two publications of research to just one
In the ―Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations, 1998‖, in Schedule 1, clause 6 as amended vide notification dated 01.11.2018, shall be substituted with the following:-
"The Teachers in a medical college or institution having a total of 8 years teaching experience out of which at least 4 years teaching experience as Assistant Professor with at least one research publication in indexed journals (as indicated in table) gained after obtaining postgraduate degree shall be recognized as postgraduate teacher in broad specialties. In case of super specialties only those teachers who possess 5 years teaching experience out of which at least 2 years teaching experience as Assistant Professor gained after obtaining the higher speciality degree shall be recognized as postgraduate teacher.‖
Faculty positions
The council with the notification has now introduced two set of course including Basic course in Medical Education Technology and Basic course in biomedical research which will have to be cleared by doctors from MCI recognised institutions. This requirement will come into place in the next two years.
The Following set of Tables specify the academic qualifications, the teaching as well as the research experience required for various faculty posts at medical colleges.
I. Broad Specialities (MD/MS/DNB)
| Posts | Academic Qualification | Teaching & Research Exp. |
| Professor/Addl. Professor (8 years of Post PG Experience) | A post graduate qualification MD/MS/ DNB in the concerned subject and as per these Regulations | (i) Associate Professor in the subject for 3 years in a permitted/approved/ recognized medical college/institution with three Research publications (atleast two as Associate Professor) (only original papers, meta-analysis, systematic reviews, and case series that are published in journals included in Medline, Pubmed Central, Citation index, Sciences Citation index, Expanded Embase, Scopus, Directory of Open access journals (DoAJ) will be considered). The author must be amongst first three or should be the Corresponding author. (ii) Should have completed the Basic course in Medical Education Technology from Institution(s) designated by MCI. (iii) Should have completed the Basic course in biomedical research from Institution(s) designated by MCI Further provided that for the transitory period of 2 years w.e.f. the date of this notification, the appointment/ promotion to the post of Professor can be made by the institution in accordance with the―Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations, 1998‖ as prevailing before issuance of this notification. |
| Associate Professor (5 years of Post PG experience) | A postgraduate qualification MD/MS/ DNB in the concerned subject and as per these Regulations. |
Research project in lieu of publication/authorship can be considered only if the person is Principal or Co- Principal investigator (P1/CoPI) of a research project funded by a national research body such as Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Science & Technology (DST), Department of Bio- Technology (DBT) or any such body.
Further provided that for the transitory period of 2 years w.e.f. the date of this notification, the appointment/promotion to the post of Associate Professor can be made by the institution in accordance with the ―Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations, 1998‖ as prevailing before issuance of this notification |
| Assistant Professor | A post graduate qualification MD/MS/ DNB in the concerned subject and as per these Regulations. | 3 years Junior Resident in a recognized permitted medical college in the concerned subject and one year as Senior Resident in the concerned subject in a recognized permitted medical college. In case of DNB candidate equated to MD/MS in terms of clause 4A of Schedule-I, in addition to 3 year teaching experience in the subject as Resident/ Registrar/ Demonstrator/ Tutor/ or work experience gained during DNB training, one year as Senior Resident in the concerned subject in a recognized/permitted medical college. |
| Senior Resident | A post graduate qualification MD/MS/ DNB/ Diploma in the concerned subject and as per these Regulations. | Senior Resident is one who is doing his/her residency in the concerned post graduate subject after obtaining PG degree/Diploma (MD/MS/ DNB/Dip.) and is below 45 years of age. |
II. Super Speciality (DM/M.Ch./DNB)
| Posts | Academic Qualification | Teaching & Research Experience |
| Professor/ Addl. Professor (5 years of Post Super Speciality experience) | A super speciality post graduate qualification in DM/M.Ch./DNB in the concerned subject and as per these Regulations. |
Further provided that for the transitory period of 2 years w.e.f. the date of this notification, the appointment/ promotion to the post of Professor can be made by the institution in accordance with the ―Minimum Qualification for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations, 1998‖ as prevailing before issuance of this notification. |
| Associate Professor/ (2 years of Post Super Speciality experience) | A super speciality post graduate qualification in DM/M.Ch./DNB in the concerned subject and as per these Regulations. |
Further provided that for the transitory period of 2 years w.e.f. the date of this notification, the appointment/promotion to the post of Associate Professor can be made by the institution in accordance with the ―Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations, 1998‖ as prevailing before issuance of this notification |
| Assistant Professor | A Super Speciality post graduate qualification in DM/M.Ch./DNB equated to DM/M.Ch. in terms of clause 4A of Schedule – I in the concerned subject and as per these Regulations. |
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| Senior Resident | Registered for M.Ch./DM in the concerned subject |
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Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in case of new specialisations
3. In the ―Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations, 1998‖, the following shall be added as clause 12 in Schedule I:-
The academic qualification for any new broad specialty or super specialty shall be the one shown at the time of notifying the new specialty in these Regulations. Persons appointed as teaching faculty during the transition period shall be entitled for promotion to the post of Associate Professor/Professor even after the transition period is over. However, once the intake capacity of the new specialty or super specialty reaches the number 100 in Medical Institutions falling within the ambit of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and remains 100 or above for three consecutive academic years, the matter shall be reviewed by the Council whether to continue with thesame academic qualifications or mandate that new appointments shall be made of persons with the required academic qualification of that specialty.
