New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed relaxed norms for appointing teachers in medical colleges through its draft regulations titled “Teachers Eligibility Qualifications (TEQ) in Medical Institutions Regulations”. The revised norms aim to broaden eligibility criteria, allowing experienced professionals from non-teaching roles to take up teaching positions.
Key Proposals in the Draft Regulations
- Eligibility for Assistant Professors:
- Non-teaching consultants, specialists, and medical officers with a postgraduate medical degree and a minimum of four years’ experience in a 220-bedded teaching or non-teaching government hospital will be eligible for assistant professor roles.
- Completion of the Basic Course in Biomedical Research (BCBR) is mandatory for such candidates.
- Provisions for Senior Residents:
- Diploma holders appointed as senior residents before June 8, 2017, and continuously working in the same institute will also be eligible for assistant professor positions.
- Pathway for Professorship:
- Senior consultants recognized as PG teachers under NBEMS criteria, with three years of experience as PG teachers in government institutions running NBEMS-recognized PG programs, can qualify as professors in NMC-recognized medical colleges.
- Publication Criteria:
- Only publications in reputable indexed journals such as Medline, PubMed, Scopus, and others will be considered for eligibility.
- PG and Super Specialty Guide Recognition:
- Faculty with five years of teaching experience in a specialty as assistant professor or higher will qualify as postgraduate guides in that specialty.
- Faculty with three years of teaching experience as assistant professor or higher in a super specialty subject will qualify as PG guides for that subject.
- MSc and PhD Faculty Provision:
- The draft retains provisions allowing non-medical MSc and PhD graduates to teach anatomy, biochemistry, and physiology during a transitional period.
Public Consultation
The NMC has placed the draft regulations in the public domain and invited feedback from stakeholders, emphasizing its commitment to ensuring inclusivity and transparency.
These relaxed norms aim to address the shortage of medical teaching professionals while maintaining the quality of education and research in medical institutions.
