The Diplomate of National Board (DNB) is a postgraduate degree in

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

awarded by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) under the

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) is an Government of India, Indian government Ministry (government department), ministry charged with health policy in India. It is also responsible for all government programs relating to family ...

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

, on completion of three-year training in any of 30 broad specialties. DNB is equivalent to the Master of Medicine (MD),

Master of Surgery The Master of Surgery (Latin: Magister Chirurgiae) is an advanced qualification in surgery. Depending upon the degree, it may be abbreviated ChM, MCh, MChir or MS. At a typical medical school the program lasts two to three years. The possessi ...

(MS),

Doctor of Medicine A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin language, Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of ph ...

(DM), and Master of Chirurgiae (MCh) in all purposes. Doctors who already hold an MD/MS/DM/MCh are eligible to directly appear in the DNB final examination. Doctorate of National Board (DrNB) is a post MD/MS/DNB super speciality degree awarded by NBE. It is equivalent to Doctorate of Medicine (DM) / Master of Chirurgiae (MCh) degrees awarded respectively in medical and surgical super specialities.

Demand

Doctors who already hold an MD/MS/DM/MCh are eligible to directly appear in the DNB exit examinations in their specialty. In 2023, about 50 percent of the candidates who attended the DNB exit examinations were MS, MD, DM, or MCh holders. Observing the trend, the then director of NBEMS, Minu Bajpai, commented that it "serve as a validation of their degrees. It also underscores the credibility of DNB and DrNB exits". Noting the exponential increase in

MBBS A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

holders opting for DNB, B. Srinivas, the then secretary of National Medical Commission (NMC), said that it is "because it NBdoes not come with restrictions of bond policies. Besides, it has a moderate fee structure as compared to MD/MS courses", and that "some

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

ern countries give prominence to DNB degrees, which encourages young doctors to opt for it". Vinit Kumar Singh, the then national vice president of Association of DNB Doctors (ADD) stated that "the DNB qualification is considered to be at par with postgraduate and post-doctorate degrees offered by institutes of several European countries when it comes to employment. We have seen several instances, where an MD/MS doctor has failed to clear the exam and this highlights the difficulty level, standard and credibility of the exam". Aviral Mathur, the then president of Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) noted that "the trend took an upward swing in the early 2000s as some foreign countries started to value DNB degrees over MD/MS degrees". Lakshya Mittal, the then national president of United Doctors Front Association commented: "the DNB qualification is recognised by the NMC and is widely accepted clinically as well as academically both nationally and internationally, which enhances the career prospects for doctors".

Recognition of DNB qualifications

Diplomate of National Board (DNB) postgraduate degree is equivalent to the Master of Medicine (MD),

(MS),

(DM), and Master of Chirurgiae (MCh) in all purposes (including appointment to teaching posts). On 20 February 2009, the

notified the same through an extraordinary gazette order, pertaining to the amendment made in the First Schedule of the Indian Medical Council Act of 1956, where DNB qualifications are listed. The postgraduate degree awarded by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) is called the Diplomate of National Board (DNB). The list of recognised qualifications awarded by the NBEMS in various broad specialties and super-specialties as approved by the Government of India are included in the First Schedule of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.

List of broad specialties

Three-year postgraduate residency programme is available in the following broad specialties: #

Anaesthesiology Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, ...

Anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...

Biochemistry Biochemistry, or biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology, a ...

# Community medicine #

Dermatology Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the Human skin, skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A List of dermatologists, ...

, venereology, and

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...

Emergency medicine Emergency medicine is the medical specialty concerned with the care of illnesses or injuries requiring immediate medical attention. Emergency physicians (or "ER doctors") specialize in providing care for unscheduled and undifferentiated pa ...

Family medicine Family medicine is a medical specialty that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and parts of the body. The specialist, who is usually a primary care physician, is ...

Forensic medicine Forensic medicine is a broad term used to describe a group of medical specialties which deal with the examination and diagnosis of individuals who have been injured by or who have died because of external or unnatural causes such as poisoning, assa ...

# General medicine #

General surgery General surgery is a Surgical specialties, surgical specialty that focuses on alimentary canal and Abdomen, abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, Appendix (anatomy ...

# Geriatric medicine # Hospital administration # Immunohematology and

blood transfusion Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood products into a person's Circulatory system, circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used for various medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood. Early transfusions used ...

# Maternal and child health #

Microbiology Microbiology () is the branches of science, scientific study of microorganisms, those being of unicellular organism, unicellular (single-celled), multicellular organism, multicellular (consisting of complex cells), or non-cellular life, acellula ...

Nuclear medicine Nuclear medicine (nuclear radiology, nucleology), is a medical specialty involving the application of radioactivity, radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Nuclear imaging is, in a sense, ''radiology done inside out'', ...

Obstetrics Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a su ...

and

gynaecology Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences) is the area of medicine concerned with conditions affecting the female reproductive system. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, which focuses on pre ...

Ophthalmology Ophthalmology (, ) is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and surgery of eye diseases and disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a ...

, #

Orthopedics Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics (American and British English spelling differences, alternative spelling orthopaedics) is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgic ...

Otorhinolaryngology Otorhinolaryngology ( , abbreviated ORL and also known as otolaryngology, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ORL–H&N or OHNS), or ear, nose, and throat (ENT)) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the surgical an ...

(ENT) # Paediatrics # Palliative medicine #

Pathology Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatme ...

Pharmacology Pharmacology is the science of drugs and medications, including a substance's origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic use, and toxicology. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur betwee ...

# Physical medicine and rehabilitation #

Physiology Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...

Psychiatry Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of deleterious mental disorder, mental conditions. These include matters related to cognition, perceptions, Mood (psychology), mood, emotion, and behavior. ...

Radiation oncology Radiation therapy or radiotherapy (RT, RTx, or XRT) is a treatment using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer therapy to either kill or control the growth of malignant cells. It is normally delivered by a linear particle a ...

# Radio diagnosis # Respiratory medicine

Doctorate of National Board (DrNB)

The Doctorate of National Board (DrNB) is a doctoral level super-specialty programme conducted by the NBEMS in various super-specialty disciplines. The duration of the course is three years for postgraduates, such as MS, MD, or DNB. Candidates can also join after

directly into an integrated six-year DrNB programme in limited super-specialty disciplines. The programme is available in the following super-specialties: ;Three-year programme # Cardiac anaesthesia # Cardio vascular and thoracic surgery #

Cardiology Cardiology () is the study of the heart. Cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery di ...

# Clinical haematology #

Clinical immunology Immunology is a branch of biology and medicine that covers the study of immune systems in all organisms. Immunology charts, measures, and contextualizes the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; ...

and

rheumatology Rheumatology () is a branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis and management of disorders whose common feature is inflammation in the bones, muscles, joints, and internal organs. Rheumatology covers more than 100 different complex diseases, c ...

Critical care medicine Intensive care medicine, usually called critical care medicine, is a medical specialty that deals with seriously or critically ill patients who have, are at risk of, or are recovering from conditions that may be life-threatening. It includes ...

Endocrinology Endocrinology (from ''endocrine system, endocrine'' + ''wikt:-logy#Suffix, -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the ...

# Gynaecological oncology #

Interventional radiology Interventional radiology (IR) is a medical specialty that performs various minimally-invasive procedures using medical imaging guidance, such as Fluoroscopy, x-ray fluoroscopy, CT scan, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or ultraso ...

# Medical gastroenterology #

Medical genetics Medical genetics is the branch of medicine that involves the diagnosis and management of hereditary disorders. Medical genetics differs from human genetics in that human genetics is a field of scientific research that may or may not apply to me ...

# Medical oncology #

Neonatology Neonatology is a subspecialty of pediatrics that consists of the medical care of newborn infants, especially the ill or premature newborn. It is a hospital-based specialty and is usually practised in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Th ...

Nephrology Nephrology is a specialty for both adult internal medicine and pediatric medicine that concerns the study of the kidneys, specifically normal kidney function (renal physiology) and kidney disease (renal pathophysiology), the preservation of kid ...

# Neuro anasthesia # Neuro surgery #

Neurology Neurology (from , "string, nerve" and the suffix wikt:-logia, -logia, "study of") is the branch of specialty (medicine) , medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the nervous syst ...

# Paediatric cardiology # Paediatric critical care # Paediatric neurology # Paediatric surgery # Plastic and reconstructive surgery # Surgical gastroenterology #

Surgical oncology Surgical oncology is the branch of surgery applied to oncology; it focuses on the surgical management of tumors, especially cancerous tumors. As one of several modalities in the management of cancer, the specialty of surgical oncology has evolv ...

# Thoracic surgery #

Urology Urology (from Ancient Greek, Greek wikt:οὖρον, οὖρον ''ouron'' "urine" and ''wiktionary:-logia, -logia'' "study of"), also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of t ...

Vascular surgery Vascular surgery is a surgical subspecialty in which vascular diseases involving the arteries, veins, or lymphatic vessels, are managed by medical therapy, minimally-invasive catheter procedures and surgical reconstruction. The specialty evolve ...

;Six-year programme # Cardiac anasthesia # Cardio vascular and thoracic surgery # Neurosurgery # Paediatric surgery # Plastic and reconstructive surgery

List of subspecialties for FNB

The National Board of Examinations also runs Postdoctoral fellowship programme in select subspecialties. On successful completion of two-year residency, candidates are awarded Fellow of National Board (FNB). Fellowship programme is available in the following subspecialties: # Arthroplasty # Breast imaging # Hand & Micro Surgery # Maternal and Foetal medicine # Infectious Diseases # Interventional Cardiology # Laboratory Medicine # Liver Transplantation # Minimal Access Surgery # Neurovascular intervention # Paediatric Gastroenterology # Paediatric Haemato Oncology # Paediatric Nephrology # Pain medicine # Reproductive Medicine # Spine Surgery # Sports Medicine # Trauma & Acute Care surgery # Vitreo-Retinal Surgery

References

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Welcome To National Board Of Examination

External links

Official Site
Medical education in India Ministry of Health and Family Welfare