Our medicolegal experts answer a medicolegal query on whether doctors with a diploma and/or additional qualifications in child health can practice as a specialist in neonatology.

Question: Can someone with DCH and MRCPCH degree practice as a neonatologist?

Answer: The Medical council of India (MCI) registers MBBS qualification and your registration number is always your MBBS registration number. Your postgraduate degrees from an MCI-recognised college is registered by the medical council as “additional medical qualification” and they provide you a certificate for the same. Now, the registered medical practitioner that means, and the MBBS doctor can practice in the field he likes. The only prohibition as per the Medical Council Act (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics regulations) is,

Code 7.20 A Physician shall not claim to be a specialist unless he has a special qualification in that branch.

Code 1.4.2 Physicians shall display as suffix to their names only recognised medical degrees or such certificates/diplomas and memberships/honours which confer professional knowledge or recognise any exemplary qualification/achievements.

So, if the additional qualification is not an MCI recognised course, the doctor cannot claim to be a specialist. But, having said that, this shall not prevent him from practicing in the field of his choice.

Hence, if Diploma in Child Health (DCH) and Membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (MRCPCH) are not MCI recognised courses, the person cannot claim to be a specialist or neonatologist, but he/she surely can work in the field of neonatology. Mentioning himself as “doctor with special interest in neonatology”.

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Disclaimer- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of M3 India.

The authors, Advo. (Dr) Hitesh Bhatt and Dr. Geetendra Sharma from “B & S medicolegal consultancies” are Medico-legal Consultants.