Introduction
Doctor of Medicine in Psychiatry is a three-year program that was designed for those who want to specialize in psychiatry, which is one of the branches of medical science. It is one of the many specialty courses that can be studied under the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. Psychiatry deals with mental health and mental health problems, as well as its diagnosis and treatment. It is a subject that is slowly becoming less of a taboo and is taken more seriously. Importance of mental health has been acknowledged by many schools, colleges, organizations, and other institutions so, its demand is gradually growing in many places.
Objectives
The objectives of this course are as follows:
- to learn about various mental health problems
- to be capable of demonstrating learned knowledge and skills
- to produce quality psychiatrists that can diagnose mental health problems with the help of information collected about the patient through various sources
- to produce manpower in the field of psychiatry that can work both independently and also with a multicultural and multidisciplinary team
Scope
As it is a specialized branch of medical science, it has a limited scope. These are some of the job opportunities available after the completion of this course:
- Psychiatrist
- Assistant Professor – Psychiatry
Availability
This course is offered by mainly three major educational institutions and some of their affiliated colleges.
Tribhuvan University (TU)
This course is offered by TU, under the Institute of Medicine (IOM), which is one of the five institutes of TU. IOM is a highly recognized institute in Nepal when it comes to higher-level education associated with medicine.
Course structure
The course structure of TU for MD in Psychiatry is as follows:
First Year:
These are the courses/papers the students have to take in their first year:
Paper I – Basic Neuroscience & Neuropathology, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics
Paper II – Behavioural Sciences: Psychopathology/Phenomenology
Paper III – Basic Science Practical/Clinical
Second Year:
The second year of this program will be focused on research and thesis writing. The students, under the guidance of the faculty, must conduct research and submit a thesis based on that research. The only course in the second year is:
Thesis
Third Year
Theoretical courses:
- General Psychiatry
- Child & Adult Psychiatry
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Community and Social Psychiatry
- Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry
- Neurology
- Neuropsychiatry
- Addiction Psychiatry
- Forensic Psychiatry
- Psychopharmacology
- Other Treatment Methods
Practical:
The students will be working in the field under the supervision of professionals for the three years as a part of this course, and an assessment will be based on their performance.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for this program through TU, applicants must fulfill the following criteria:
- an MBBS degree or equivalent, including internship
- the degree must be from TU or an institution recognized by TU
- must be registered to Nepal Medical Council
- must have one year experience working in a university, government or charitable hospital
Affiliated Colleges
These are the colleges affiliated with TU that have the MD in Psychiatry program.
Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine
Address: Maharajgunj, Kathmandu
Phone no.: 01 4410911
Email: iomdean@iom.edu.np
Website: http://www.iom.edu.np/?page_id=131
National Medical College
Address: Birgunj-18, Parsa
Phone no.: 051 417015, 417320
Email: info@nmcbir.edu.np
Website: https://www.nmcbir.edu.np/
Universal College of Medical Science and Teaching Hospital (UCMS)
Address: Ranigaon, Bhairahawa, Rupandehi
Phone no.: 071 506138, 506030, 506092, 506121
Email: msoffice@ucms.com.np
Website: http://www.ucms.com.np/
Patan Academy of Health Sciences School of Medicine
Patan Academy of Health Sciences is a non-profit, public educational institution for health sciences. It is known for its overall success in the production of quality manpower, especially in the field of psychiatry.
Course structure
The course relies on a competency-based curriculum, which includes both theory and practical work. Thesis and research is a compulsory part of this course, along with a publishable article from the thesis and residency. Patan Hospital is the primary health institution in which the residency program will take place. Besides Patan Hospital, the trainees will be posted to various health institutions depending on the different skills they will need to acquire.
Eligibility
To apply for this program at Patan Academy of Health Sciences, applicants must fulfill the following criteria:
- must be a Nepali Citizen
- must be registered to Nepal Medical Council (NMC)
- an MBBS degree or equivalent recognized by the NMC
- one year experience in a recognized health institution
- should be less than 50 years old
Address: Lagankhel, Lalitpur
Phone no.: 01 5545112, 5545153
Email: pahs@pahs.edu.np
Website: http://www.pahs.edu.np/
National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS), Bir Hospital
Established in 2002 AD, NAMS is a well-known educational institution for medical sciences. Since its establishment, it was associated to Bir Hospital, which is one of the oldest hospitals in Nepal. It has been producing quality manpower in the field of medical sciences.
Course Structure
The three years of the program include both theoretical and practical courses with an emphasis on research and thesis. Along with proposal writing and thesis writing, there are some mandatory courses as a part of the MD program they are:
- Research Methodology – First Year
- Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support – First Year
- Medical Education – Third Year
Eligibility
To apply for this program at NAMS, applicants must fulfill the following criteria:
- must be registered to Nepal Medical Council (NMC)
- an MBBS degree or equivalent from an institution recognized by NMC
- at least two years experience in a recognized government or university hospitals or other health institution after being registered to NMC
Address: Mahaboudha, Kathmandu
Phone no.: 01 4230710
Email: admin@nams.org.np
Website: http://nams.org.np/
