DNB experts to be on par with MD, MS

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 19

The government is all set to create massive avenues for DNB (Diplomate of National Board) degree holders from private hospitals to seek faculty positions at medical colleges, including All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

In a path-breaking move to be notified soon, DNB pass-outs from private hospitals with more than 100 beds will be able to gain equivalence with MD (Master of Medicine) and MS (Master of Surgery) after doing an additional year of senior residency at any MCI-recognised institution.

DNB specialists get their medical postgraduate degrees from the National Board of Examination (NBE) and are principally trained at private hospitals which don’t have medical colleges. DNB specialists have long struggled for equivalence with MD/MS counterparts who have advantage in teaching jobs having attended teaching institutions.

The recently dissolved MCI had notified very rigid rules for DNB specialists, literally barring them from faculty jobs. The new Board of Governors of MCI, however, has approved major relaxations to the rule saying DNB specialists from private hospitals with more than 100 beds need just one additional year (not three) of senior residency at an MCI-recognised institution to become equal to MD, MS or PG super specialists.

The board has further removed a lacuna in the old rule that didn’t consider three-year DNB degree course tenure of a student as work experience for eligibility in a teaching job. The old rule said DNB degree holders must have three-year additional residency at an MCI-recognized institution to seek the job of an assistant professor. This meant a DNB specialist would have to do six years of study to take up a teaching job.

“We have corrected it by recognizing three-year DNB course period as work experience. This means DNB specialists graduating from teaching institutions or private hospitals with bed strength of more than 500 will be equivalent to MD/MS at the outset,” a government source said.

Out of 40,000 PG seats in India, 6,500 come from the DNB system which has been fighting for dignity. NITI Aayog plans to take DNB PG seats to 22,000 by 2022. Current relaxations in equivalence rules, once approved by Health Minister, will apply with immediate effect.

Major relaxation 

The new Board of Governors of MCI has said Diplomate of National Board (DNB) degreeholders from private hospitals with more than 100 beds need just one additional year (not three) of senior residency at an MCI-recognised institution to become equal to MD, MS or PG super specialists