DM Cardiothoracic Vascular Anaesthesiology and Critical Care (DM CTVA & CC) is a higher-specialty Doctorate of Medicine program developed under the Institute of Medicine (IOM), Tribhuvan University, for anaesthesiologists seeking advanced training in the perioperative and critical-care management of cardiac, thoracic, vascular, and interventional cardiology patients.
The program was accepted by the Medical Education Commission and planned for commencement from 2025 AD. Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular & Transplant Center (MCVTC) was inspected for program feasibility and approved as the training center. Maharajgunj Medical Campus has a Cardiothoracic Vascular Anesthesiology department and identifies MCVTC among its associated teaching and clinical centers.
Maharajgunj Medical Campus is a constituent campus of the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University under Tribhuvan University.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Course | DM Cardiothoracic Vascular Anaesthesiology and Critical Care |
| Abbreviation | DM CTVA & CC |
| Degree level | Higher-specialty / Doctorate of Medicine |
| Academic institution | Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University |
| MMC department | Cardiothoracic Vascular Anesthesiology |
| Approved training center | Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular & Transplant Center |
| Planned commencement | 2025 AD |
| Eligibility: | MD Anaesthesiology or equivalent |
| Professional registration | Specialty registration with Nepal Medical Council or respective medical council |
| Entrance questions | 200 |
| Entrance duration | 3 hours |
| Pass standard | 50th percentile |
| Negative marking | 0.25 mark deducted for each wrong response |
DM CTVA & CC is intended to develop specialist expertise in anaesthesia and critical care for patients undergoing cardiac, thoracic, and vascular procedures as well as interventional cardiology procedures.
The program builds on prior postgraduate training in Anaesthesiology. Candidates therefore enter after completing MD Anaesthesiology or an equivalent qualification rather than directly after MBBS.
Its academic scope extends from perioperative assessment and anaesthetic management to postoperative cardiothoracic and vascular critical care, advanced monitoring, mechanical ventilation, extracorporeal support, echocardiography, coagulation assessment, and research.
The program also emphasizes multidisciplinary work involving anaesthesiologists, surgeons, cardiologists, perfusionists, and other healthcare professionals.
The program aims to train anaesthesiologists in the specialized management of patients undergoing cardiac, thoracic, and vascular surgery and interventional cardiology procedures.
Its stated objectives include:
The course therefore combines specialized anaesthesia with critical-care medicine and multidisciplinary cardiovascular care.
Eligibility: Applicants must hold:
This is a higher-specialty program, so prior postgraduate qualification in Anaesthesiology is essential.
The entrance examination follows a single-best-response multiple-choice format.
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Question type | Single best response MCQs |
| Options | Four: A, B, C, D |
| Number of questions | 200 |
| Full marks | 200 |
| Wrong-answer penalty | 0.25 mark deducted per incorrect response |
| Pass standard | 50th percentile |
| Duration | 3 hours |
Unlike several other higher-specialty entrance formats, this examination specifically includes negative marking.
The pass standard is stated as the 50th percentile rather than a fixed score of 100 out of 200.
The 200-question examination is divided into four broad areas.
| Area | Questions |
|---|---|
| Applied Basic Medical Science | 20 |
| General Subjects | 60 |
| Subspecialty Subjects | 90 |
| Miscellaneous | 30 |
| Total | 200 |
Subspecialty Subjects carry the largest share of the entrance examination.
Applied Basic Medical Science contributes 20 questions.
The subjects include:
These subjects assess the scientific foundation required for advanced anaesthesia and critical-care training.
General Subjects contribute 60 questions.
The syllabus includes:
This section assesses the core Anaesthesiology knowledge expected before entering the subspecialty.
The subspecialty section includes anaesthesia for:
These areas sit at the center of DM CTVA & CC training.
The syllabus also covers anaesthesia for other patient groups and specialties, including:
This gives the entrance syllabus a wider advanced-anaesthesia scope beyond cardiothoracic procedures alone.
Critical Care Medicine is a major part of the subspecialty syllabus.
Topics include:
The inclusion of postoperative critical care directly reflects the program objective of preparing trainees to manage complex cardiac, thoracic, and vascular patients after surgery.
Advanced monitoring forms another defined area of the specialty syllabus.
Topics include:
These techniques are assessed within the context of complex anaesthesia and critical-care management.
The syllabus includes:
These imaging techniques are particularly relevant to perioperative cardiac assessment and intraoperative monitoring within cardiothoracic anaesthesia.
Patient blood management is specifically included in the subspecialty section.
The examination syllabus also covers point-of-care coagulation testing using:
These areas connect anaesthesia, bleeding management, transfusion decision-making, and perioperative coagulation assessment.
The specialty syllabus also includes:
This extends the course beyond operating-room anaesthesia into recovery, procedural anaesthesia, perioperative pathways, and continuing developments in the specialty.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is another stated component of the higher-specialty syllabus.
It is positioned alongside advanced monitoring, critical care, echocardiography, blood management, and coagulation testing within the subspecialty portion of the examination.
Thirty questions are assigned to academic and professional topics.
These include:
Research is also one of the stated objectives of the program, with emphasis on academic work and publications in the specialty.
Maharajgunj Medical Campus includes Cardiothoracic Vascular Anesthesiology as an academic department.
Its related departments include:
Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular & Transplant Center is one of the IOM-linked centers associated with MMC for teaching and clinical training.
For DM CTVA & CC specifically, MCVTC was inspected by the Medical Education Commission for feasibility and approved as the training center.
Applicants require MD Anaesthesiology or an equivalent qualification together with specialty registration from the relevant medical council.
Yes. Nepalese applicants require specialty registration with the Nepal Medical Council. Applicants from another country require registration with the respective medical council.
Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular & Transplant Center was inspected and approved as the training center for the program.
The examination contains 200 single-best-response multiple-choice questions.
Yes. Each incorrect response carries a deduction of 0.25 mark.
The stated pass standard is the 50th percentile.
It covers advanced anaesthesia for cardiac, thoracic, vascular and other specialized surgical settings, Critical Care Medicine, advanced monitoring, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, echocardiography, blood management, coagulation testing, pain management, NORA, ERAS, and recent advances.
The program was accepted by the Medical Education Commission and planned to start from 2025 AD.
