The National Medical Commission (NMC) has released a notification detailing significant clarifications to the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Guidelines for 2024, following observations from the Madras High Court in the case of S Sushma & Anr Vs The Commissioner of Police & Ors.
The updated guidelines, published on September 12, 2024, include several important modifications:
Key Updates :
Psychiatry
Revised Title: Section 9 now reads "Psychosexual Disorders and Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression."
Deleted Competency: Competency PS 9.2 has been removed.
Updated Competency: The competency on sex determination and differentiation (Volume I, Page 83) has been modified to: “Explain sex determination, sex differentiation, and their physiological alterations, and discuss the effects of the removal of gonads on physiological functions.”
Pediatrics
Inclusive Revision: Competency PE 6.4 (Volume II, Page 90) now states: “Describe adolescent sexuality, diversity in sexual orientation, and gender identity.”
Clinical History-Taking
The NMC emphasizes that clinical history-taking must include methods to gather information on gender and sexual orientation in a non-judgmental manner.
Implementation and Exclusions
The NMC has stressed the importance of universities implementing these changes. Notably, the term "heterosexual" is not included in the guidelines, and topics related to homosexuality, bisexuality, gender incongruence, and dysphoria are considered part of pre-existing school-level education, falling outside the MBBS curriculum.
For more information, please refer to the official NMC notification here: Link
