The truth about what’s going on in the Indian EM arena- as I see it. 18/7/2017, Chennai

            Emergency Medicine in India is hogging the
            lime light in print and social media out of
            the blue but sadly for the wrong reasons1-3.

            While it is very heartening to see many
            budding doctors taking an interest in the
            specialty of late, most do so for the right
            reasons of “ I love the adrenaline rush”, “ I
            am actually going to save lives”, “I sort
            them out as they come”, “ I will be the first
            to make a diagnosis and in most cases it
            sticks”, “ I want to help the sickest ones in
            my country and do my bit to erase the huge
            deficits in Acute and Emergent care in
            India” and “ Nothing is more gratifying than
            seeing a very sick patient rapidly get better
            in front of your eyes as you intervene
            positively”.

            Some of them misguidedly choose it for the
            wrong reasons too , common ones being ” I
            will become a consultant sooner than my
            other colleagues”, “ I will earn more than the
            others”, “It is easier to go overseas if I do
            EM” and “ I don’t seem to be able to get into
            anything else” .

            The true options in front of you which
            would ultimately make you a specialist in
            EM in India are only three- MD( EM),
            DNB( EM) and MRCEM and they’re the
            only registrable ones with MCI.


            surrogate way to sell something which
            shouldn’t be sold. The last time when there
            was a window open for lateral entry into
            DNB( EM), MRCEM was denied entry as
            the torch bearers of EM then coupled
            MRCEM with the other unregistrable
            qualifications. Now they are at it again to
            save something they shouldn’t.

            In simple terms MRCEM is a qualification
            you obtain after having undergone a
            stipulated (3 years) period of training in EM
            and allied specialties having passed the
            necessary components of the exams. 

            Anyone who is doing DNB, MD or any unnamed
            training or residency for 3 years in EM
            could end up with MRCEM if you pass the
            various components of the exam contrary to
            what has been said in a recent guide to
            EM4 which doubts the eligibility for those
            doing DNB and MD.

            For all those wanting to appear for the
            MRCEM exams, a hearty welcome for it is a
            great qualification to have after clearing all
            the tall hurdles.

            Emergency Medicine is a budding specialty
            in India and we should make all attempts to
            become academically better, establish local
            guidelines to deal with emergencies inherent
            to our terrain etc. Instead trying to offer
            degrees isn’t something we should be doing.
            We need to salvage the pride of EM. Let’s
            all get together and do it
            Jai Hind


            
        

            You could of course go overseas to countries
            where EM is established, train there and
            obtain CCTs( certificate of completion of
            training) having passed their respective exit
            exams( the likes of FRCEM, FACEM...) .

            I know there is a lot of dissent from those
            who are saying we started before the MD
            and DNB but that was fine at that juncture
            but not anymore. When the law of the land
            (MCI) says stop your MEMs, then it has to
            stop. Offering “Master degrees” in any
            specialty is certainly something that can
            only be done when MCI authorises your
            institution to. It is certainly very different
            from giving a certificate.

            It is scandalous that good, enthusiastic
            budding doctors (From government and
            private medical colleges and FMGs) are
            being roped into these MEMs with the
            promise of a job which fetches them lakhs
            and will get them MRCEM etc...

           In a recent article doing big rounds in the
           social media3
           , MEM is made out to be the
           key path to MRCEM. This is clearly a ploy
           to sell MEMs after the recent dip in their
           credibility, being exposed naked by a recent
           article in a leading news paper1,2.

           It is no more a case of “ I want to help the
           specialty grow”. The paths are set. It is
           wrong to create blind-ends unless you want
           to waylay the unsuspecting traveller and rob
           them.

           I have a request from all those who possess
           MRCEM/ FRCEM and practice in India.
           Please do not bring the reputation of these
           qualifications down. We have worked very
           hard to get it. The efforts to link MEM with
           MRCEM is plain mischievous and is a 

           References :