Now, pvt docs can teach in govt colleges

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 21

For the first time in the country’s history, private doctors and specialists practising in the field will teach medicine in government-run colleges.

The Medical Council of India (MCI), through amendments to the rules governing teaching eligibility, has enabled equation of consultants and specialists to professors and associate professors, provided the persons concerned fulfil standards laid for such equation.

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Changes to the “Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations, 1998” pave the way for private practising doctors to apply for teaching positions.

The unique provision will only be allowed for consultants and specialists to teach in 58 government district hospitals that are to be upgraded to medical colleges as per Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s Budget announcements. This year, the FM announced upgrade of 24 more district government hospitals.

The amended MCI teaching regulations say any consultant or specialist with more than 18 years of experience and four publications in indexed journals as first authors can be equated to a “professor” for teaching in a government district hospital  to be upgraded as a medical college. Such a specialist would be called “designate professor” and upon completion of three years as faculty would be called “professor”.

Likewise, the conditions needed to equate consultants and specialists teaching in a government district hospital to be upgraded as a medical college with associate professors will be — more than 10 years’ experience and two research papers in indexed journals as the first author. The designation will be “associate professor”.

The MCI notification clarifies that the equation of designations is a one-time provision for the non-teaching government district hospitals which are sought to be strengthened as medical colleges and teaching hospitals.

The government had earlier asked the MCI to amend regulations for provision of faculty for 58 government district hospitals which are to be upgraded. Current MCI conditions are very stringent and do not provide for equated designations.