DM

Doctorate of Medicine or DM is an advanced program in the medical field. A candidate successfully completing this course gets a Post Graduate Super Speciality Degree. It continues for a period of 3 years which includes the examination duration also. The candidates enrolled in the course attain theoretical knowledge, clinical and practical skills, develop the right attitude for communication and are also trained for research methodology.

What is the Doctorate of Medicine all about?

On the completion of 6 academic terms or 3 years, the DM exam has to be attended. Every year, one student is admitted to the course as per department's each recognized Post Graduate teacher. There have to be at least three faculty members in the department who are Professor, Associate Professor or Reader along with an Assistant Professor or Lecturer.

The training program pattern for the Directorate of Medical course is the same as that of the MD in clinical disciplines, practical training along with advanced Diagnostic, Therapeutic and laboratory methods as per the specialization.

There are various courses in DM and accordingly, the subjects vary. These are as follows:

The ambitious Degree doctors who intend to have the highest professional achievements generally wish to pursue the Doctorate of Medicine or DM It not only makes them more knowledgeable and advanced but also adds numerous titles to their names, all of which appear in various places such as seal head, headings, etc. 

Any doctor having an MD degree is fit for pursuing the DM course. The academic merit of the students is strictly considered for selection into this course. Whether it is a degree or diploma program, in order to gauge their merits, one of the following criteria are used:

1. The merit of the candidate on the basis of the State Government conducted competitive exams or the one conducted by some similar competent authority which the State Government has appointed. One or more universities of the state can also jointly appoint such a body for conducting the exam.

2. The merit on the basis of national level centralized competitive test.

3. In case the candidate has passed from the same university, the cumulative performance on the first two and the M.B.B.S exam or else a combination of the first and third can be considered. 

4. It doesn't matter which State Government or university or governing body conducts the DM exam for admission into the course, a minimum percentage of 50% has to be scored by the general candidates and 40% by those categorized as SC, OBC or ST.

5. In the case of the non-governmental institutions also, the competent authority has to fill up half of its seats and the Institution's management has to fill the other half. This must be done on the merit basis of the students.

The duration of each course is 3 years:

The exact syllabus of the Doctorate of Medicine depends on the specialization/course a student has opted for. Basically, the exam has the following pattern:

1. Theory Paper

It consists of 4 such papers which include Basic Medical Science and Recent Advances. There is enough gap after the Clinical exam to make sure that the answer books are properly assessed and evaluated before beginning the clinical and oral exam.

2. Practical and Oral Paper

In the practical exam, the candidate needs to perform diagnosis through special investigative methods for Diagnosis and Therapy. The oral exam is required for the assessment of the candidate's subject knowledge. A minimum passing marks of 50% is needed in theory papers as well as the practical(clinal as well as viva voce). 

After the successful completion of the Doctorate of Medicine, here are the areas where the candidate can be employed:

• Hospitals.

• Laboratories.

• Medical Colleges.

• Medical Foundation or Trust.

• Biomedical Companies.

• Health Centres.

• Non-Profit Organizations.

• Polyclinics.

• Private Practice.

• Research Institutes.

• Nursing Homes.

• Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies.

The roles which a DM can get are as follows:

The DM degree makes a person a superior doctor and he gets an increased salary with a better reputation. Besides this, they also get a chance or publishing his articles, a column or paper in magazines, journals, etc. Thus they can earn extra income from all these.

Here are the job roles a DM can get after completion of the course:

• Clinical Pharmacologist.

• Endocrinologist.

• Immunologist.

• Cardiologist.

• Clinical Haematologist.

• Gastroenterologist.

• Neurologist.

• Neuro-radiologist.

• Physician.

• Oncologist.

• Neonatologist.

• Geneticist.

• Nephrologist.

A. The duration of a DM course in India is 3 years. 

A. No, there are many other entrance examinations for admission to DM courses which are conducted at the university level. A few universities that conduct their own exam for DM courses are AIIMS, PGIMER and JIPMER.

A. MD is a postgraduate medical degree course while DM is a postdoctoral course. To pursue a DM course, one must possess an MD degree.

A. The salary of a DM doctor varies with the specialisations. However, on average, a DM doctor can take Rs 30 lakh as annual remuneration.

A. Yes, AIIMS Delhi offers DM courses in various specialities. The Institute also conducts a separate entrance test for admission to its DM courses.

A.  A candidate pursuing DM course in AIIMS Delhi will be appointed as a Senior Resident in the institute. The stipend for a Senior Resident in AIIMS Delhi is approximately Rs 1.15 lakh.

A. Yes, if a candidate is inclined academically, he/she can teach in a medical college/hospital after completing a DM course.

A. The full form of DM is Doctorate in Medicine.

A. The course fee in a government college for DM course is negligible as the candidate is paid a monthly remuneration during the entire course. The candidates, however, have to bear hostel and other expenses on their own.

A. Institutes such as AIIMS, offer a 6 year integrated DM course. Candidates can apply for this course after completing MBBS. The 6 year degree course will include 3 years MD course and 3 years DM course.

A. No. Admission to the DM course in India is entrance based only. You can appear for any of the following entrance exams: NEET SS, AIIMS SS, JIPMER exam or PGIMER exam.