Page 50 - 23rd Convocation Booklet
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The Road Ahead
The National Board has huge plans ahead for the benefit of the community, to augment healthcare
facilities by creating learning temples in them and to allow greater opportunities for medical doctors
who wish to specialize into a particular discipline. In order to achieve these goals, the board is
actively working to start new academic courses, increase postgrad seats, strengthen the externship
model for trainees and implement a stipend assistance scheme in coordination with the NITI Aayog.
Plans are afoot to establish state-of-the-art skill labs and simulation centres, wherein trainees in the
surgical and interventional specialties can acquire hands on experience and develop necessary skills
before stepping into the operating rooms. A number of procedures can be carried out on mannequins
and models, which are so well simulated that they can offer a real time feel.
NBEMS as the Vanguard of AI in Healthcare
In the landscape of modern medicine, the transition from traditional diagnostic tools to advanced
algorithmic intelligence is no longer a futuristic vision; it is a current reality. The National Board of
Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has stepped into this digital frontier with a landmark
initiative that is poised to redefine healthcare delivery in India. The Online Training Programme on
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare represents a seismic shift in how physicians are trained to
navigate the complexities of the 21st-century.
The Strategic Imperative: Why AI, Why Now?
The genesis of this programme is rooted in a clear-eyed assessment of India’s unique healthcare
challenges. As the nation grapples
with a high patient load and
rural-urban divide, the traditional
healthcare model requires a force
multiplier. During the
programme’s official launch on
January 21, 2026, Union Minister
of State for Health and Family
Welfare, Smt. Anupriya Patel,
articulated this necessity with
precision: "AI in healthcare is no
longer optional; it is a necessity".
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