NMC draft rules allow non-med grads to teach medical students

THE PROVISION SPARKED MIXED REACTIONS WITHIN THE MEDICAL FRATERNITY. SOME ARGUED THAT IT MAY DILUTE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION

- Sanjay Maurya

NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC), in its draft "Teachers Eligibility Qualifications (TEQ) in Medical Institutions Regulations" for 2024, has retained a two-year-old provision allowing non-medical graduates with MSc and PhD degrees to teach medical students anatomy, biochemistry, and physiology.

The commission has, however, limited the appointment to a "transitional period"—a specific period where adequate faculty with medical qualifications in these specialties are unavailable.

This provision has, however, sparked mixed reactions within the medical fraternity. Some groups criticised the provision, arguing it may dilute the quality of medical education, as others said it was a necessary step to address the faculty shortages across institutes in the three departments.