Doctors cannot Register Additional Qualification with NMC Without Paying Fee to NBE

In a recent notice, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has clarified that doctors cannot register their additional qualifications (AQ) with the Commission without first paying the prescribed fee to the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS).

The NMC stated that it can only request verification of additional qualifications from NBEMS after applicants successfully pay the required fees. This applies to doctors who have completed their degrees under NBEMS programs such as DNB, DrNB, FNB, as well as FMGE-qualified doctors.

To facilitate the process, applicants must make the payment via the NBEMS Miscellaneous Fee Payment Portal. Earlier this year, NBEMS introduced the Credential Verification Online Portal (CVOP), which allows organizations, including employers and credential verification agencies, to request verification of credentials online and track these requests. The portal is accessible on the official NBEMS website under the “Digital Services” tab.

Previously, NBEMS had urged applicants to share a copy of their payment receipt with the concerned organization when submitting verification requests. It was specified that verification requests could only be processed once the applicant had completed the fee payment.

The NMC reiterated this requirement in its notice issued by Prof. (Dr.) B. Srinivas on December 10, 2024. The notice states:
“As all are aware, the National Medical Commission issues Additional Qualification (AQ) certificates to Registered Medical Practitioners after they acquire higher medical qualifications under Section 26 of the IMC Act, 1956, read with Section 61(2) of the NMC Act, 2019. These certificates are issued after due verification of the higher qualifications of the applicants from the concerned institute, college, or university, including NBEMS.”

The notice further emphasized:
“Applicants who have completed their additional qualifications under NBEMS and wish to apply for AQ certificates from NMC must pay the prescribed fee to NBEMS through its Miscellaneous Fee Payment Portal. After payment, a legible copy of the payment receipt should be uploaded with the online AQ application under the ‘Relevant PG document, if any’ column.”

The NMC clarified that it can only request AQ verification from NBEMS after successful fee payment by the applicant. Applicants are advised to follow these guidelines to ensure a smooth registration process.

Source: Medical Dialogues