The Institute was conceived in 1960 as a centre of excellence, which would endeavour to develop patterns of teaching in postgraduate medical education in as many branches as possible and attempt to produce specialists in several disciplines of medicine.

The Institute owes its inception to the farsightedness of Sardar Partap Singh Kairon, the then Chief Minister of Punjab (1960) and the distinguished medical educationists of the then combined State of Punjab supported by the first Prime Minister of India, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru who considered the institutions of scientific knowledge as temples of learning and the places of pilgrimage.

Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru inaugurated the Nehru Hospital attached to the Institute on July 7, 1963. The hospital is providing tertiary care services in all the medical and surgical specialities.

The Institute is located in Chandigarh, encompassing an area of 277 acres.

MD/MS/DM/M.Ch. Course

The speciality training programme leading to DM/M.Ch. degree in respective specialities was introduced in 1969. Over the years new courses have been added in medical, paramedical, and nursing sciences.

MS : The training of the postgraduate is continuous, full time and residential. The unique feature of this training is that it is broad based and residents rotate through all the specialities of their chosen subjects, e.g. candidates selected for MS (Surgery) rotate through all the specialities viz. Cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, urology, orthopaedic surgery, paediatric surgery and accident and emergency surgery.

MD: During 3-year MD (General Medicine) training programme, residents rotate through different medical units for 14 months. These medical units also have speciality interests’ viz. Nephrology, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology, Clinical Haematology and Infectious Diseases. Residents are posted in Emergency and Critical Care units for 6 months. In addition they undergo training in specialities i.e. Cardiology, Neurology, Pulmonary Medicine, Psychiatry, Paediatrics, Dermatology - Venereology - Leprology and Hepatology for 16 months in total.

The responsibilities assigned to the residents increase with each year in the various areas of their posting viz. out patients departments, wards, operation theatres and laboratories. The residents are subjected to regular assessment throughout their training period. At the end of the training of three year’s residency, evaluation through examination is carried out. The clinical and practical examinations are objective. Clinical/practical and viva voce examination is made as structured as possible so as to ensure fair and objective assessment of the candidate. Candidates are required to attempt 10-12 short notes on the subject matter covered by each of the theory papers and there is no choice in question paper.

The Institute grants its own degrees and other distinctions and has the status of a university. For all the courses the medium of instruction is English.

Applications are invited through countrywide advertisement in leading newspapers usually during September/October and March/April for the January and July session respectively. The entrance examination is held in December for the January session and in the June for July session.

MD/MS Courses:

Candidates are assessed at a formal entrance-test on the basis of a suitably designed multiple choice questions (MCQ) type theory paper. For candidates appearing for MD/MS entrance examination, the theory paper consists of 240 questions pertaining to subjects studied during the MBBS course viz. Medicine and Surgery (36 questions each), Obstetrics and Gynaecology (18 questions), Paediatrics, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, ENT and Applied Biochemistry (12 questions each), and six questions each in Anatomy, Forensic Medicine, Dermatology, Anaesthesia, Physiology, Psychiatry, Social & Preventive Medicine, Radio diagnosis and Radiotherapy.

The examination is of two hours duration and there is no negative marking. The assessment is objective and free of human bias and subjectivity. The result of the entrance examination is declared within 24 hours and is computerised.

DM/M.Ch Courses:

Selection of candidates is made on the basis of suitably designed MCQ type theory paper. Theory examination is of one and half-hour duration. There is negative marking for wrong answers.

MDS Course:

Selection of candidates is made on the basis of theory examination consisting of 100 multiple-choice questions. The duration of examination is one and half-hours.

Approximately 22.5% of the total seats are reserved for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes/Tribes in MD/MS/DM/M.Ch courses.
5% seats are reserved for candidates who have actually worked or are working in rural areas with less than 5000 population for a minimum period of 2 years in MD/MS Course.

Details of Fees and Dues:

The following token fees are payable to the Institute by each candidate admitted to the various courses mentioned above:

For the Sponsored/Deputed/Foreign National Candidates
The following organisations may depute/sponsor candidates for any one of the courses but they have to qualify the selection test. The sponsorship is accepted from the following departments/Institutions only:

Apart from running various postgraduate courses a number of short courses are also available for the trainees who are deputed from other Institutions for specialised training and acquisition of skills. These courses are extremely popular amongst doctors working at district level hospitals or in private practice.

Foreign Nationals :

The Institute accepts foreign nationals for various courses imparted at the Institute. For MD/MS courses, some seats are reserved for foreign nationals. However, for DM/M.Ch. (Super-speciality) courses, there is no reservation for foreign nationals. A good working knowledge of English is essential.

The foreign nationals are required to apply through the Government of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, New Delhi.

They are also required to appear and to qualify the entrance examination along with the other candidates. Separate merit list is prepared for only MD/MS courses. The selection is made on merit based on their performance in the entrance examination. Training without a degree is also offered to help the neighbouring countries.

Particulars of the intending candidates are required to be submitted in the prescribed form obtainable directly from the Institute. The completed application should reach the Ministry 2-3 months prior the commencement of the course. They are also required to furnish the certificate of their temporary registration with the Medical Council of India lasting for the period of their studies here.

Foreign doctors receive a very high level of training at the end of which they are awarded a degree on the basis of theory and practical examination. The selected candidates have the same duties in the hospital as the Indian Nationals.
Documents to be submitted can be obtained from the Dean’s Office.

Elective Training:

The Institute also accepts medical students from various countries for elective training in any of the departments of the Institute. Clearance from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and Medical Council of India, New Delhi is required before the students are accepted. The whole process takes about 3-4 months. Students are required to apply well in advance. The following documents need to be enclosed with their applications:

• Letter of sponsorship from the college authorities where studying
• Three copies of passport
• Bank Draft of Rs 500/- in the name of “Secretary, Medical Council of India, New Delhi”

Short term attachment: Candidates are accepted for short-term attachment for varying periods (maximum up to 6 months). They can only act as observers. The Institute also accepts candidates deputed by W.H.O. for training in various specialties.

*Please note that the information provided like dates and reservations on this page are liable to change. Students are therefore advised to refer to the latest prospectus issued by the Colleges/Universities/Institutions/Boards for up-to-date information.*