The National Medical Commission (NMC) has implemented a new provision that allows specialists working in government healthcare facilities to be hired as faculty members at medical institutions. This has been undertaken to increase the number of experts among the medical faculty.
Specialists with postgraduate medical degrees and two years of experience in a government hospital with 220 beds can now become assistant professors in a wide range of specialities. Those with at least ten years of experience are eligible to become associate professors in a broad specialities, Education Times reports.
Unlike popular belief, the proposed reform is not being introduced to address faculty shortages.
Dr BN Gangadhar, Chairman of the NMC, says, “The intent is not to treat this as an arrangement to fill up vacant posts, but rather as a facilitative measure to encourage specialists, who have not traditionally been part of academic teaching setups, to transition into medical education roles.”
He notes that many specialists may not have received formal pedagogical training because they have not previously worked in teaching roles, but will once the academic function is assigned.
The approach includes improving such faculty's teaching skills and preparing them for classroom engagement.
Dr Gangadhar states: "To maintain the academic standards, all newly appointed faculty will be required to complete a compulsory training programme such as Basic Course in Medical Education Technology (BCMET) within a stipulated period."
Faculty development training will be provided through recognised medical education institutions established by the NMC and faculty development initiatives.
"These efforts are expected to help create a more competent, trained faculty base, even for those who are transitioning from pure clinical practice to teaching," according to him.
The decision is part of broader revisions proposed in the draft Teachers Eligibility and Qualifications (TEQ) Regulations, which the NMC has finalised.
It is now under evaluation before being published in the official gazette. The draft regulations include significant revisions to the qualifications and eligibility criteria for medical teachers.
