Accreditation Standards for MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) 2024

Overview of the MBBS Program

• The MBBS program consists of a minimum of four-and-a-half-year academic course followed by one year of compulsory rotatory internship.
• The core curriculum for the MBBS program shall be composed of following preclinical and clinical departments (Human Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Community Medicine, Forensic Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, Psychiatry, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Anesthesiology, Radiology, General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Dental Surgery, non-credit and soft skill courses such as health care management, medical ethics and professionalism, communications skills, etc.
• The Compulsory Rotatory Internship (CRI) shall be of one calendar year as per the NMC guidelines.

The Core Curriculum

The aim of the core curriculum is to provide a broader framework for universities and academia’s to develop their own curriculum, defining specific learning objectives together with teaching hours (credit hours) in each discipline. The curriculum should be student-centered, organ system based, integrated within and between basic medical sciences and clinical subjects preferably with the use of community-based, self-directed, computer assisted and problem-based learning methods aspiring notion of compassionate care.

Considering the innovations, the increased number of students, limited access to patients, and increasing awareness of patients in recent days, learning in Lab, Computer assisted learning platform and Simulation based learning should be planned where it is applicable.

The horizontal integration of basic medical science subjects should be achieved by the concurrent integrated teaching/learning of human anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology and community medicine/community health sciences. Vertical integration of basic medical science subjects should be acquired through early clinical exposure. The curriculum should encompass the following components (interdisciplinary in orientation) that represent the broad categories or professional activities and concerns that occur in the general practice of medicine.

• Scientific foundation of medicine
• Comprehensive, Patient-Centered Care
• Clinical Skills
• Communication Skills
• Leadership skills
• Population Health and Health Systems
• Information Management
• Critical Thinking and Research
• Professional values, attitudes, behavior and ethics
• Teaching-Learning Methodology

Criteria for admission to the MBBS Program

Eligibility Criteria: To be considered eligible for selection to the MBBS program, a candidate:

• Must have passed 10 + 2 or equivalent qualifications recognized by universities/boards in single attempt with physics, chemistry, and biology (PCB) securing a minimum of 50% in each subject.
• Higher Secondary Education (Science); 10+2 (Science);
• Cambridge University ‘A’ level with Biology, Physics, and Chemistry securing a minimum of 50% (equivalent) in each subject. Or equivalent Science education with Biology, Physics, and Chemistry.
• Must have passed in the Bachelor level common Entrance Examination conducted by Medical Education Commission.
• Students going to foreign countries to study medical course must get the eligibility certificate from MEC and must have passed the bachelor level Medical Entrance Examinations.

Selection of students: (As per MEC)

For Nepalese students:

• Eligible candidates desirous of pursuing MBBS program must take and qualify the specific Bachelor level Medical Entrance Examination, conducted by the MEC. Test should qualify by fulfilling its enrollment criteria.

For International students:

• Eligible candidates desirous of pursuing MBBS program must take and qualify the specific Bachelor level common entrance examination conducted by the MEC and other enrollment criteria laid down by MEC
• Candidates should present valid document of passing recent years National Medical Entrance Test of their country of origin acquiring minimum of 50% score, SAT/GRE or equivalent exam of their country or letter from licensing authority of their country of origin.
• However, the international candidate must have passed 10 + 2 or equivalent qualifications recognized by universities/boards with physics, chemistry, and biology (PCB) securing a minimum of 50% in aggregate. The validity of these national board exams is for two academic years only.
• First priority will be given to the candidates passing MEC Entrance Examination.

Faculty Requirement for different departments

The roles and responsibilities of faculty in running the MBBS program is considered to be of utmost importance. The numbers of faculty required in different departments have been determined in a composite way on the basis of the following criteria:

• The total number of teaching hours in each of the subjects contained in the existing MBBS curricula.
• The total number of student admission per session.
• The number of hospital beds and units in each clinical department will depend on the need of academic programs and hospital services;
• Since the discipline of Community Medicine/Community Health Sciences consists of various components (Biostatistics, Sociology/Behavioral Sciences, Environmental Health, Health Education, Epidemiology, Demography and Family Health) the faculty of Community Medicine/Community Health Sciences must comprise of individuals with adequate expertise in the areas mentioned above.
• Tutor/Demonstrator/Instructor with MBBS or equivalent degree may be appointed as required in each of the basic science departments to assist faculty members in practical/demonstrations. However, they will not be counted as the faculty.

A unit of a major clinical department shall be composed of the following:

1. Professor- one,
2. Associate Professor – One
3. Assistant Professor – One or
4. Professor/Associate Professor– one and
5. Assistant Professor– two.

• Senior Resident/Registrar/Teaching Assistant/ Clinical Tutor/House Officer as required.
• Though the Senior Consultant/Consultant/Senior Registrar/Registrars are hospital positions for providing clinical services in the hospital, they may be accepted for clinical teaching of undergraduate medical students. But they will not be counted as teaching faculty for allocation of seat.
• All faculties must be approved and renewed annually by the concerned University/Academy/Institution authorities and registered with the Nepal Medical Council or with other professional council, wherever applicable.
• All the heads of the departments should be a professor/ or an associate professor.
• Faculty Verification should be done quarterly basis in each institute.

Eligibility criteria for faculty

1. All faculty appointments must be according to the rules of the concerned University/Academy/Institution. All affiliated institutions must have the teaching faculty approved by the parent University/Academy/Institutions as well as by Medical Education Commission.

Medical Education Commission approves faculties under two broader headings:

1. With MD/MS/MDS or equivalent degrees after MBBS or BDS
2. With Master degree/PhD in Clinical or Medical or Human Sciences.

• All MBBS/BDS personnel must possess a basic university postgraduate degree (MD/MS/MDS) or equivalent qualifications in the relevant discipline in order to be eligible to become a faculty member. They should also have specialty registration with the Nepal Medical Council, prior to joining the faculty position.
• All Personnel with other than MBBS/BDS or equivalent degrees must possess a Master degree/PhD in Clinical / Medical / Human sciences for the enrolment of initial faculty position. But to become Associate Professor/Reader, it is mandatory to possess Ph.D. in the appropriate discipline.
• All faculties are allowed to do their academic and hospital-based practice within the premises of Teaching hospital, affiliated centers, satellite centers of allocated universities. They are not allowed to do private practice neither in any other medical institute or in hospitals.
• All faculties should be fulltime and will not be allowed any assignment or practice outside their parent institute as per MEC Act/Regulation.
• Foreign faculties must be registered with Nepal Medical Council and their registration status renewed up-to-date.

Designation of the faculty and their criteria: (As per MEC) The nomenclatures of the designation for faculty positions are:

• Professor
• Associate Professor
• Assistant Professor

NB: Medical Education Commission strongly recommends that the designation/nomenclature of the faculties should be uniform among all the Universities/Academies/Institutions throughout the country as early as possible.

Basic requirement of undergraduate faculty

All affiliated institutions must have the teaching faculty appointment approved by the parent University/ Institution/ Academy. Similarly, the academic qualifications required for faculty position will be according to the rules and regulations of the University/Institutions/Academy. Visiting faculties are not counted for the allocation of seat in any undergraduate program. They may be appointed for the upliftment of overall academic standard and betterment of the training institution. Basic requirements and broad principles for appointment of faculties with medical qualifications to different levels are as follows: (as per MEC guidelines of faculty).

A. Professor

• Should have DM/MCh or clinical Doctorate or Postgraduate Master degree (MD/MS) or equivalent qualification in the respective subject or specialty from University/Institution/Academy, recognized and registered by the Nepal Medical Council, together with teaching/working experience of minimum five years as Associate Professor or equivalent post. But the total duration of service counted under different faculty appointments held should not be less than ten years for becoming eligible for the post of Professor and
• Should have minimum of two research/original articles as main author and four other publications in national/international indexed/peer reviewed scientific journal as main/co-author at the level of Associate Professor.

B. Associate Professor

1. Should have DM/MCh or clinical Doctorate or Postgraduate Master degree (MD/MS) or equivalent qualification in the respective subject or specialty from University/Institution/Academy, recognized and registered by the Nepal Medical Council, together with teaching/working experience of minimum five years as Assistant Professor.
2. Should have minimum of two research/original research as main author and two other publications in national/international indexed/peer reviewed scientific journal as main/ co-author at the level of Assistant Professor.

C. Assistant Professor

• Should have Postgraduate Master Degree (MD/MS) or equivalent qualification in the respective subject or specialty, from University/ Institution/ Academy recognized and registered by the Nepal Medical Council.

Note:

1. Research and publications already considered for the previous post shall not be taken into consideration.
2. Case reports, case series and book review are not counted as a research article.
3. For the entry faculty position, requirement of publication is not mandatory.

Criteria for Visiting Faculty

The posts of Professor Emeritus and Visiting Faculty may be conferred upon the teaching faculties holding posts in another University/Institutions/Academy.

• The same criteria which are applicable for appointment of regular Undergraduate faculties will be also applicable to the visiting faculties.
• The Visiting Faculty title may be awarded to a teacher involved in teaching/training of the Undergraduate program run by the University/Institution/Academy provided the candidate fulfills the following criteria:

• Requirement of academic qualifications, teaching/working experiences and publications: as per regular faculty position, recognized by Medical Education Commission.
• The appointment should be institution specific for a minimum of six months and time limited. 3. In case, the Visiting Faculty is no longer involved in the teaching/training program of the institution or is transferred to another institution, this title should be automatically cancelled.
• Visiting faculties are not counted for the allocation of seat in undergraduate program, i.e. enrolment of undergraduate students. They may be appointed for the upliftment of overall academic standard and betterment of the training institution.
• Note: Faculties having DM/MCh degree or PhD will get one time 2 years as grace for promotion of Associate Professor or Professor.

Minimum Faculty requirements

• Minimum Faculty requirements in Basic Medical Sciences and Clinical Sciences for Intake of 50, 75, 100, 150 Students per session for MBBS program in all Universities/Academies/ Institutions of Nepal.

Related organizations

• Nepal Nursing Council (NNC)
• Nepal Medical Council (NMC)
• Nepal Health Professional Council (NHPC)
• Nepal Pharmacy Council
• Nepal Ayurvedic Medical Council (NAMC)

Related readings

• Medical Education Commission (MEC)
• Medical Education Commission (MEC) Eligibility Certificate
• Syllabus for Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination 2020
• List of Registered Postgraduate Medical (Health Professionals) Programs in Nepal
• Medical Education Commission Syllabus for Postgraduate Entrance Examination (2020)
• Syllabus for Postgraduate Integrated Entrance Examination
• Syllabus for Bachelor in Public Health (BPH) Common Entrance Examination
• Syllabus for MBBS/BDS/BSc Nursing/BASLP/B Perfusion Technology Common Entrance Examination
• Syllabus for Bachelor in Nursing Science (BNS) Common Entrance Examination
• Syllabus for BAMS/BSc MLT/BSc MIT/BPT/B Pharm/B Optometry Common Entrance Examination