1. These regulations may be called “The Postgraduate Medical
Education Regulations 2000.
2. They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the official
Gazette.
2. GENERAL CONDITIONS TO BE OBSERVED BY POSTGRADUATE
TEACHING INSTITUTIONS:
1. Postgraduate Medical Education in broad specialities
shall be of three years duration in the case of degree course and two years in
the case of Diploma course after MBBS and in the case of super specialities the
duration shall be of three years after MD/MS with the exceptions wherever
indicated.
2. Postgraduate curriculum shall be competency based.
3. Learning in postgraduate programme shall be essentially autonomous and self
directed.
4. A combination of both formative and summative assessment is vital for the
successful completion of the PG programme.
5. A modular approach to the course curriculum is essential for achieving a
systematic exposure to the various sub-specialities concerned with a discipline.
6. The training of PG students shall involve learning experience ‘derived from’
or ‘targeted to’ the needs of the community. It shall, therefore, be necessary
to expose the students to community based activities.
3. GOALS AND GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL
EDUCATION PROGRAMME TO BE OBSERVED BY POSTGRADUATE TEACHING INSTITUTION.
3.1 GOAL
The goal of postgraduate medical education shall be to produce competent
specialists and/or Medical teachers.
1. who shall recognize the health needs of the community, and carry out
professional obligations ethically and in keeping with the objectives of the
national health policy
2. who shall have mastered most of the competencies, pertaining to the
speciality, that are required to be practiced at the secondary and the tertiary
levels of the health care delivery system;
3. who shall be aware of the contemporary advance and developments in the
discipline concerned;
4. who shall have acquired a spirit of scientific inquiry and is oriented to the
principles of research methodology and epidemiology; and
5. who shall have acquired the basic skills in teaching of the medical and
paramedical professionals;
3.2 GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF POST-GRADUATE TRAINING EXPECTED
FROM STUDENTS AT THE END OF POST-GRADUATE TRAINING
At the end of the postgraduate training in the discipline concerned the student
shall be able to;
1. Recognize the importance to the concerned speciality in the context of the
health needs of the community and the national priorities in the health section.
2. Practice the speciality concerned ethically and in step with the principles
of primary health care.
3. Demonstrate sufficient understanding of the basic sciences relevant to the
concerned speciality.
4. Identify social, economic, environmental, biological and emotional
determinants of health in a given case, and take them into account while
planning therapeutic, rehabilitative, preventive and primitive
measure/strategies.
5. Diagnose and manage majority of the conditions in the speciality concerned on
the basis of clinical assessment, and appropriately selected and conducted
investigations.
6. Plan and advise measures for the prevention and rehabilitation of patients
suffering from disease and disability related to the speciality.
7. Demonstrate skills in documentation of individual case details as well as
morbidity and mortality rate relevant to the assigned situation.
8. Demonstrate empathy and humane approach towards patients and their families
and exhibit interpersonal behaviour in accordance with the societal norms and
expectations.
9. Play the assigned role in the implementation of national health programme,
effectively and responsibly.
10. Organize and supervise the chosen/assigned health care services
demonstrating adequate managerial skills in the clinic/hospital or the field
situation.
11. Develop skills as a self-directed learner, recognize continuing education
needs; select and use appropriate learning resources.
12. Demonstrate competence in basic concepts of research methodology and
epidemiology, and be able to critically analyze relevant published research
literature.
13. Develop skills in using educational methods and techniques as applicable to
the teaching of medical/nursing students, general physicians and paramedical
health workers.
14. Function as an effective leader of a health team engaged in health care,
research or training.
4. STATEMENT OF THE COMPETENCIES : Keeping in view the general objectives of postgraduate training, each
discipline shall aim at development of specific competencies which shall be
defined and spelt out in clear terms. Each department shall produce a statement
and bring it to the notice of the trainees in the beginning of the programme so
that he or she can direct the efforts towards the attainment of these
competencies.
5. COMPONENTS OF THE POSTGRADUATE CURRICULUM : The major components of the Postgraduate curriculum shall be :
• Theoretical knowledge
• Practical and clinical skills
• Thesis skills.
• Attitudes including communication skills.
• Training in research methodology.
6. STARTING OF POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL COURSES AND THEIR
RECOGNITION. (1) An institution intending to start a Postgraduate Medical Education
course or to increase the admission capacity shall obtain permission of the
Central Government under Section 10A of the Act.
(2) The institution shall apply for recognition of the Postgraduate medical
qualification to the Central Government through the affiliating university.
7. NOMENCLATURE OF POSTGRADUATE COURSES. The nomenclature of postgraduate medical courses shall be as provided in the
Schedule annexed to these Regulation :
1. Provided that in the case of postgraduate medical degree and diploma courses
instituted prior to the commencement of these Regulations with the approval of
the Medical Council of India and which have not been included in these
regulations, the institutions concerned shall continue such course till the
students admitted complete the said courses.
8. GENERAL (1) The institutions recognised by the Medical Council of India for running
Postgraduate courses prior to the commencement of the Indian Medical Council
(Amendment) Act,1993 and those medical colleges recognised for running Bachelor
of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) course or institutions established by
the Central Government for the purpose of imparting postgraduate medical
education shall be eligible for starting any postgraduate degree or diploma and
higher specialty course.
(1A) The Central Government shall exempt any such existing/proposed non-teaching
institutions or specialist institution or autonomous body owned and managed by
the Central Government/State Government from fulfilling the prescribed provision
of having an undergraduate teaching facility, and allow starting Postgraduate
medical course.
(2) The maximum number of students for a postgraduate medical course, who can be
registered in any recognised department, for training for the award of
postgraduate degree or diploma by the affiliating university, shall be
determined by the facilities available in the department in terms of
infrastructure, teaching staff and clinical teaching material.
(3) Every student, selected for admission to postgraduate medical course in any
of the medical institutions in the country, shall possess recognised MBBS degree
or equivalent qualification and should have obtained permanent Registration with
the Medical Council of India, or any of the State Medical Councils or should
obtain the same within on month from the date of his admission, failing which
the admission of the candidate shall be cancelled;
Provided that in the case of a foreign national, the Medical Council of India
may, on payment of the prescribed fee for registration, grant temporary
Registration for the duration of the postgraduate training restricted to the
medical college/institution to which he is admitted for the time being
exclusively for postgraduate studies; Provided further that temporary
registration to such foreign national shall be subject to the condition 5that
such person is duly registered as medical practitioner in his own country from
which he has obtained his basic medical qualification and that his degree is
recognised by the corresponding Medical Council or concerned authority.
(4) The students undergoing postgraduate courses shall be exposed to the
following :-
1. Basics of statistics to understand and critically evaluate published research
paper.
2. Few lectures or other type of exposure to human behavior studies.
3. Basic understanding of pharmaco-economics.
4. Introduction to the non-linear mathematics.
9. SELECTION OF POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS
1. Students for Postgraduate medical courses shall be
selected strictly on the basis of their academic merit.
2. For determining the academic merit, the university/institution may adopt any
one of the following procedures both for degree and diploma courses :-
1. On the basis of merit as determined by the competitive test conducted by the
State Government or by the competent authority appointed by the State Government
or by the university/group of universities in the same state; or
2. On the basis of merit as determined by a centralized competitive test held at
the national level; or
3. On the basis of the individual cumulative performance at the first, second
and their MBBS examination, if such examination have been passed from the same
university; or
4. Combination of (i) and (iii): Provided that wherever entrance test for
Postgraduate admission is held by the State Government or a university or any
other authorized examining body, the minimum percentage of marks for eligibility
for admission to postgraduate medical courses shall be fifty per cent for
general category candidates and 40 per cent for the candidate belonging to
Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward classes.
Provided further that in non-Governmental institutions fifty percent of the
total seats shall be filled by the competent authority and the remaining fifty
per cent by the management of the institution on the basis of merit.
10. PERIOD OF TRAINING
The period of training for the award of various postgraduate degrees or diplomas
shall be as follows:
(1) Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) / Master of Surgery (M.S.) - The period of
training for obtaining these degrees shall be three completed years including
the period of examination.
Provided that in the case of students having a recognised two year postgraduate
diploma course in the same subject, the period of training, including the period
of examination, shall be two year.
(2) Doctor of Medicine (D.M.) / Master Chirurgiae (M.Ch.) - The period of
training for obtaining these degrees shall be three completed year (including
the examination period) after obtaining M.D./M.S. degrees, or equivalent
recognised qualification in the required subject;
Provided that where an institution on the date of commencement for these
Regulation, is imparting five year training in Neurology and Neuro-Surgery, such
institution shall continue to have five year training course.
(3) Diplomas - The period of training for obtaining a postgraduate Diploma shall
be two completed years including the examination period.
Migration/transfer of postgraduate student from one medical college or
institution to another.
Migration/transfer of students undergoing any postgraduate course – degree
/diploma shall not be permitted by any university or any authority.
EXAMINATIONS
The examinations shall be organised on the basis of grading
or marking system to evaluate and certify candidate’s level of knowledge, skill
and competence at the end of the training and obtaining a minimum of 50% marks
in theory as well as practical separately shall be mandatory for passing the
whole examination.
The examination for M.S., M.D., D.M., M.Ch., shall be held
at the end of 3 academic years (six academic terms) and for diploma at the end
of 2 academic years (four academic terms). The academic terms shall mean six
months training period. For other details please refer to Regulations.
The examinations shall be organised on the basis of grading
or marking system to evaluate and certify candidate’s level of knowledge, skill
and competence at the end of the training and obtaining a minimum of 50% marks
in theory as well as practical separately shall be mandatory for passing the
whole examination.
The examination for M.S., M.D., D.M., M.Ch., shall be held
at the end of 3 academic years (six academic terms) and for diploma at the end
of 2 academic years (four academic terms). The academic terms shall mean six
months training period.
For other details please refer to Regulations.
11 Departmental training Facilities:- A department having an independent academic entity of a teaching
institution, consisting of one or more units, each having the prescribed minimum
strength of faculty, staff and beds shall be recognised for Post Graduate
training.
11.1 Staff – Faculty
(a) A clinical department or its unit training candidates for broad or super
specialities, shall have a minimum of three full time faculty members belonging
to the concerned disciplines of whom one shall be a Professor, one Associate
Professor/ Reader/ and one Astt. Professor/ Lecturer, possessing the
qualification and experience prescribed by the Medical Council of India;
Provided that the second or subsequent additional unit may be headed by an
Associate professor.
Of these faculty members only those who possess a total of eight years teaching
experience, out of which at least five years teaching experience as Assistant
Professor/Lecturer gained after obtaining Post Graduate degree, shall be
recognised as Post Graduate teachers.
(b) In each department, training candidates for super specialities, there shall
be a minimum of three faculty members with requisite Post Graduate qualification
and experience – One Professor, One Associate Professor / Reader and one
Assistant Professor / Lecturer, with atleast two of them holding the degree of
D.M./M.Ch. in the concerned discipline.
Of these faculty members only those who possess eight years teaching experience
out of which at least five years teaching experience as Assistant Professor /
Lecturer gained after obtaining the higher speciality degree shall be recognised
as Post Graduate teachers;
Provided that in the case of super speciality courses which are being newly
instituted relaxation of qualification and experience of Post Graduate teachers
may be granted by the Medical Council of India for sufficient cause.
(c) In addition to the faculty staff, the strength of Residents / Registrars /
Tutors / Demonstrators, as well as technical and other para medical staff shall
be as per the staff strength prescribed for 50 or 100 or 150 students in the
“Minimum Requirements for 50/100/150 MBBS Admissions Annually Regulations.’
11.2 Minimum requirements for a Post Graduate institution :
(a) An institution conducting both undergraduate and Post Graduate teaching
shall satisfy the minimum requirement for undergraduate training as prescribed
by the Medical Council of India and shall also fulfil additional requirements
for Post Graduate training depending on the type of work being carried out in
the department. The extra staff required to be provided in various departments
shall be as given in Appendix-I.
(b) A Department imparting only Post Graduate training shall:-
(i) Provide facilities consistent with the all round training including training
in basic medical science and other departments related to the subject of
training as recommended by the Medical Council of India.
(ii) have as many autopsies, biopsies and cytopsies as possible for teaching
purposes; and
(iii) make available facilities of ancillary department for coordination of
Training.
11.3 Bed Strength in Clinical Departments
A department to be recognised for training of Post Graduate students, shall have
not less than 60 (Sixty) beds each of General Medicine, General Surgery,
Obstetrics and Gynecology, 30 (thirty) beds each for others incase of M.D/M.S.
and diploma and 20 (twenty) beds each in case of D.M./M.Ch
Explaination: – A unit shall consist of 30 beds for MD/MS and 20 beds for DM/M.Ch.
respectively.
11.4 Out – patient departments
There shall be adequate space and sufficient number of examination cubicles
available in the out – patient Department. Besides the general outpatient
services, Speciality Clinics shall also be available for the training of
post-graduate students in the relevant broad and super speciality;
To determine the number of students who may be admitted for training, outpatient
attendance, work turnover and ambulatory care also have to be taken into
consideration.
11.5 Laboratory Facilities
The institution shall have adequate laboratory facilities for the training of
the Post Graduate students, and such laboratories shall provide all the
investigative facilities required and shall be regularly updated keeping in view
the advancement of knowledge and technology and research requirements, and for
training of students in non-clinical departments, proper and contemporary
laboratory facilities shall be made available.
11.6 Equipment
The department shall have adequate number of all equipments including the latest
ones necessary for training and as may be prescribed by the Council for each
speciality from time to time.
12. Number of Post Graduate Students to be admitted.
(1) The ratio of recognised Post Graduate teacher to number of students to be
admitted for the degree and diploma courses shall be 1:1 each for degree and
diploma courses in each unit per year, to the extent that in no circumstances
more than two students for degree and one for Diploma shall be registered in a
unit in one academic year.
(2) In case the institution is having only Post Graduate diploma courses in any
subject then it shall have a unit of 30 beds with three full time teachers. The
ratio of number of students and recognised Post Graduate teachers shall be 1:1
and in no circumstances more than three students can be admitted in a unit per
year.
(3) The requirement of units and beds shall not apply in the case of Post
Graduate degree or diploma courses in Basic and para-clinical departments. The
ratio of recognised Post Graduate teacher to students shall, however be
maintained at 1:1 both at degree as well as diploma level.
(4) The number of
students to be admitted in case of Post Graduate degree (Super speciality)
courses shall be one student per year per recognised Post Graduate teacher in a
department having a minimum of three faculty members (one Professor, one
Associate Professor/Reader & one Asstt. Professor/Lecturer) and twenty beds. If
the number of Post Graduate teachers in the unit is more than one then the
number of students may be increased proportionately but not more than two in a
unit per year in any circumstances. For this purpose one student should
associate with one Post Graduate teacher:
Provided that no Post Graduate seats left unfilled in an academic year, shall be
carried forward to the next or subsequent academic years, being from 1st January
to 31st December of any calendar year.
13. TRAINING PROGRAMME
13.1 The training given with due care to the Post Graduate students in the
recognised institutions for the award of various Post Graduate medical degrees /
diplomas shall determine the expertise of the specialist and / or medical
teachers produced as a result of the educational programme during the period of
stay in the institution.
13.2 All candidates joining the Post Graduate training programme shall work as
full time residents during the period of training, attending not less than 80%
(Eighty percent) of the training during each calendar year, and given full time
responsibility, assignments and participation in all facets of the educational
process.
13.3 The Post Graduate students of the institutions which are located in various
States / Union Territories shall be paid remuneration at par with the
remuneration being paid to the Post Graduate students of State Government
medical institutions / Central Government Medical Institutions, in the
State/Union Territory in which the institution is located. Similar procedure
shall be followed in the matter of grant of leave to Post Graduate students.
13.4
(a) Every institution undertaking Post Graduate training programme shall set up
an Academic cell or a curriculum committee, under the chairmanship of a senior
faculty member, which shall work out the details of the training programme in
each speciality in consultation with other department faculty staff and also
coordinate and monitor the implementation of these training Programmes.
(b) The training programmes shall be updated as and when required. The
structured training programme shall be written up and strictly followed, to
enable the examiners to determine the training undergone by the candidates and
the Medical Council of India inspectors to assess the same at the time of
inspection.
(c) Post Graduate students shall maintain a record (log) book of the work
carried out by them and the training programme undergone during the period of
training including details of surgical operations assisted or done independently
by M.S./M.Ch. candidates.
(d) The record books shall be checked and assessed by the faculty members
imparting the training.
13.5 During the training for Degree / Diploma to be awarded in clinical
disciplines, there shall be proper training in basic medical sciences related to
the disciplines concerned; during the training for the degree to be awarded in
basic medical sciences, there shall be training in applied aspects of the
subject; and there shall be training in allied subjects related to the
disciplines concerned. In all Post Graduate training programmes, both clinical
and basic medical sciences, emphasis is to be laid on preventive and social
aspects and emergency care facilities for autopsies, biopsies, cytopsies,
endoscopic and imaging etc. also be made available for training purposes.
13.6 The Post Graduate students shall be required to participate in the teaching
and training programme of undergraduate students and interns.
13.7 Training in Medical Audit, Management, Health Economics, Health Information
System, basics of statistics, exposure to human behaviour studies, knowledge of
pharmaco – economics and introduction to non- linar mathematics shall be
imparted to the Post Graduate students.
13.8 Implementation of the training programmes for the award of various Post
Graduate degree and diplomas shall include the following:-
(a) Doctor of Medical (M.D.) / Master of surgery (M.S.)
(i) Basic Medical Sciences
Lectures, Seminars, Journal Clubs, Group Discussions, Participation in
laboratory and experimental work, and involvement in research studies in the
concerned speciality and exposure to the applied aspects of the subject relevant
to clinical specialities.
(ii) Clinical disciplines
In service training, with the students being given graded responsibility in the
management and treatment of patients entrusted to their care; participation in
Seminars, Journal clubs, Group Discussions, Clinical Meetings, Grand rounds, and
Clinico – Pathological Conferences; practical training in Diagnosis and medical
and Surgical treatment; training in the Basic Medical Sciences, as well as in
allied clinical specialitites.
(b) Doctor of Medicine (D.M.) / Magister Chirurgiae (M.Ch.)
The training programme shall be on the same pattern as for M.D. / M.S. in
clinical disciplines; practical training including advanced Diagnostic,
Therapeutic and Laboratory techniques, relevant to the subject of
specialisation. For M.Ch. Candidates, there shall be participation in surgical
operations.
(c) Diplomas
In – service training, with students being given graded clinical responsibility;
Lectures, Seminars, Journal Clubs, Group Discussions and participation in
clinical and Clinico-Pathological Conferences, practical training to manage
independently common problems in the speciality; and training in the Basic
Medical Sciences.
14. EXAMINATIONS
The examinations shall be organised on the basis of grading or marking system to
evaluate and certify candidates level of knowledge, skill and competence at the
end of the training and obtaining a minimum of 50% marks in theory as well as
practical separately shall be mandatory for passing the whole examination. The
examination for M.S., M.D, M.Ch shall be held at the end of 3 academic years
(six academic terms) and for diploma at the end of 2 academic years (four
academic terms). The academic terms shall mean six months training period.
(1) EXAMINERS
(a) All the Post Graduate Examiners shall be recognised Post Graduate Teachers
holding recognised Post Graduate qualifications in the subject concerned.
(b) For all Post Graduate Examinations, the minimum number of Examiners shall be
four, out of which at least two (50%) shall be External Examiners, who shall be
invited from other recognised universities from outside the State. Two sets of
internal examiners may be appointed one for M.D./M.S. and one for diploma.
(c) Under exceptional circumstances, examinations may be held with 3 (three)
examiners provided two of them are external and Medical Council of India is
intimated the justification of such action prior to publication of result for
approval. Under no circumstances, result shall be published in such cases
without the approval of Medical Council of India.
(d) In the event of there being more than one centre in one city, the external
examiners at all the centres in that city shall be the same. Where there is more
than one centre of examination, the University shall appoint a Supervisor to
coordinate the examination on its behalf.
(e) The examining authorities may follow the guidelines regarding appointment of
examiners given in Appendix-II.
(2) Number of candidates
The maximum number of candidates to be examined in Clinical / practical and Oral
on any day shall not exceed eight for M.D./M.S. degree, eight for diploma and
three for D.M./M/Ch examinations.
(3) Number of examinations
The university shall conduct not more than two examinations in a year, for any
subject, with an interval of not less than 4 and not more than 6 months between
the two examinations.
(4) Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)/Master of Surgery (M.S.) M.D./M.S.
examinations, in any subject shall consist of Thesis, Theory Papers, and
clinical/Practical and Oral examinations.
(a) Thesis
Every candidate shall carry out work on an assigned research project under the
guidance of a recognised Post Graduate Teacher, the result of which shall be
written up and submitted in the form of a Thesis.
Work for writing the Thesis is aimed at contributing to the development of a
spirit of enquiry, besides exposing the candidate to the techniques of research,
critical analysis, acquaintance with the latest advances in medical science and
the manner of identifying and consulting available literature. Thesis shall be
submitted at least six months before the theoretical and clinical / practical
examination.
The thesis shall be examined by a minimum of three examiners; one internal and
two external examiners, who shall not be the examiners for Theory and Clinical;
and on the acceptance of the thesis by two examiners, the candidate shall appear
for the final examination.
(b) Theory
(i) There shall be four theory papers.
(ii) Out of these one shall be of Basic Medical Sciences and one shall be of
recent advances.
(iii) The theory examinations shall be held sufficiently earlier than the
Clinical and Practical examination, so that the answer books can be assessed and
evaluated before the start of the Clinical/Practical and Oral examination.
Provided that after five years from the commencement of these regulations, there
shall be one theory paper of ‘multiple choice questions’; unless any institution
wants to have such paper earlier.
(c) Clinical / Practical and Oral
(i) Clinical examination for the subjects in Clinical Sciences shall be
conducted to test the knowledge and competence of the candidates for undertaking
independent work as a specialist/Teacher, for which candidates shall examine a
minimum one long case and two short cases.
(ii) Practical examination for the subjects in Basic Medical Sciences shall be
conducted to test the knowledge and competence of the candidates for making
valid and relevant observations based on the experimental/Laboratory studies and
his ability to perform such studies as are relevant to his subject.
(iii) The Oral examination shall be thorough and shall aim at assessing the
candidate knowledge and competence about the subject, investigative procedures,
therapeutic technique and other aspects of the speciality, which form a part of
the examination.
A candidate shall secure not less than 50% marks in each head of passing which
shall include (1) Theory, (2) Practical including clinical and viva voce
examination.
II. Doctor of Medicine (D.M.)/Magister of Chirurgiae (M,Ch.)
The examination shall consist of: Theory and Clinical/Practical and Oral.
(a) Theory
There shall be four theory papers, one paper out of these shall be on Basic
Medical Sciences, and another paper on Recent Advances. The theory examination
will be held sufficiently earlier than the Clinical and Practical examination,
so that the answer books can be assessed and evaluated before the start of the
clinical/Practical and Oral examination.
(b) Clinical / Practical and Oral
Practical examination shall consist of carrying out special investigative
techniques for Diagnosis and Therapy. M.Ch candidates shall also be examined in
surgical procedures. Oral examination shall be comprehensive to test the
candidate’s overall knowledge of the subject.
A candidate shall secure not less than 50% marks in each head of passing which
shall include (1) Theory (2) Practical including clinical and viva voce
examination.
III Post Graduate Diploma
Diploma examination in any subject shall consist of Theory, Clinical and Oral.
(a) Theory
There shall be three theory papers. One paper out of these shall be on Basic
Medical Sciences. The examination shall be held sufficiently earlier than the
clinical examination, so that the answer books can be assessed before the start
of the clinical examination.
(b) Clinical and Oral
Clinical examination for the subject in clinical Science shall be conducted to
test /aimed at assessing the knowledge and competence of the candidate for
undertaking independent work as a Specialist / Teacher for which a candidate
shall examine a minimum of one long case and two short cases.
The oral examination shall be thorough and shall aim at assessing the
candidate’s knowledge and competence about the subject, investigative
procedures, therapeutic technique and other aspects of the speciality, which
shall from a part of the examination.
The candidate shall secure not less than 50% marks in each head of passing which
shall include (1) Theory (2) Practical including clinical and viva voce
examinations.