New Delhi: Doctors at the premier medical institute of the country, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are now legible to switch over their profession to teach ‘Emergency-Care Medicine’ at the postgraduate level after an online exam.

AIIMS, after its tie-up with the University of South Florida, will get its online exam designed from the varsity.

The doctors first need to qualify the exam to be eligible to teach the students.

Those with post graduation in medicine, surgery, paediatrics, anaesthesia, orthopaedics, pulmonary medicine, gynaecology and obstetrics stand eligible to take the exam.

They can register themselves online from December 15 to 20 along with the submission of MCI registration certificate, a passport size photograph, post graduation certificate with the application form at the AIIMS.

The online test includes 50 multiple-choice questions and a minimum score of 70% is mandatory to clear the first stage of the examination.

The final exam will be held on October 5 each year, where the candidate will have to answer 200 multiple-choice questions and needs a score of 175 to qualify.

The doctors after clearing the exam are also eligible for a year-long development programme.

The ‘Emergency-Care Medicine’ programme is a specialized branch of medicine of the Medical Council of India (MCI) recognized as recently as July 22, 2009, as a distinct entity.

The course will be introduced for the first time in the country at the postgraduate level from the next academic session.

The resolution to approve the decision had already been passed by the standing finance committee of the institute and it has decided to allocate three seats for MD residency in emergency medicine.

Like for other branches, the institute’s entrance exam at the all India level will be the qualifying exam for emergency medicine as well.

The Christian Medical College, Vellore and Guwahati Medical College are the only medical institutions to apply for a separate department in emergency medicine apart from AIIMS.

“Unlike in the UK and the US, where Emergency medicine is an integral part of the acute trauma care procedure, it is yet to receive its due as a distinct entity in India,” said Dr. M.C Misra, Chief, AIIMS trauma centre.