NMC asks medical colleges to set up support units for students

NEW DELHI: Students with benchmark disabilities seeking admission to MBBS courses will now undergo an individual assessment of their functional abilities to determine whether they can acquire essential competencies required for the course with reasonable accommodation. National Medical Commission (NMC) Monday issued new guidelines requiring medical boards to evaluate each candidate’s functional ability rather than relying solely on the type or extent of disability.Under the new framework, NMC-regulated medical college will now also have to set up an “enabling unit” for students with benchmark disabilities, providing a single point of contact for reasonable accommodation, academic and clinical support, and a barrier-free learning environment.Designated medical assessment boards will carry out an individual assessment of every candidate. The guidelines state that applicants cannot be declared ineligible solely on the basis of their diagnosis or the percentage of benchmark disability. Instead, boards must assess a candidate’s functional abilities, the essential competencies required under competency-based medical education (CBME) curriculum, and whether reasonable accommodation can enable them to complete the course.“After Supreme Court’s constant follow-up and directions, NMC has amended its interim guidelines and issued revised guidelines for MBBS admissions of students with disabilities. The biggest change is the shift from assessing eligibility on the basis of the percentage of disability to evaluating functional competency. Clinical accommodations are reasonable modifications that enable medical students with benchmark disability to participate in clinical training and patient care without compromising academic standards or patient safety,” said Prof Satendra Singh, coordinator at UCMS and GTB Hospital’s enabling unit.The guidelines also require medical boards to consider assistive devices, adaptive technology, communication support and other reasonable accommodations before arriving at a decision.While emphasising inclusion, NMC has said patient safety will remain an important consideration.On enabling units, NMC directed these should be set up in compliance with Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and recent Supreme Court directions aimed at ensuring inclusive medical education.The unit will also receive and address requests for disability-specific accommodations during the course of study, including clinical training and internship, according to the circular.