MD in Psychiatry at Maharajgunj Medical Campus (MMC), Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, is a three-year postgraduate medical residency under the Institute of Medicine (IOM), Tribhuvan University. The program is designed to develop the knowledge, clinical skills, professional attitude, and service-management abilities required to assess and manage mental health problems independently.
The MD Psychiatry program of the Institute of Medicine began in 1977 through the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health. At MMC, Psychiatry is an established academic department within a wider medical teaching environment that includes Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, Neurology, Emergency Medicine, Community Medicine, Clinical Pharmacology, and other related disciplines.
Maharajgunj Medical Campus is a constituent campus of the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University under Tribhuvan University.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Course | MD in Psychiatry |
| Level | Postgraduate medical program |
| Institution | Maharajgunj Medical Campus |
| Location | Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Institute | Institute of Medicine |
| University | Tribhuvan University |
| Department | Psychiatry |
| Duration: | 3 years |
| Training mode | Full-time residential |
| Entrance | MECEE-PG |
| Admission framework | Medical Education Commission |
| Professional registration | Nepal Medical Council |
MD Psychiatry prepares residents to manage a broad range of mental health problems through clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, teamwork, service organization, teaching, and research.
The course is structured around independent management of mental health conditions while maintaining appropriate professional standards. Residents learn to gather information from patients and relatives, perform relevant physical examinations, use available diagnostic procedures, and formulate clinical decisions within the resources of the healthcare setting.
The program also develops skills beyond individual patient care. Graduates are expected to participate in the organization of mental health services, provide in-service training to hospital and community health personnel, work effectively within multidisciplinary teams, and take leadership responsibilities where required.
Duration: 3 years
The postgraduate program follows a three-year full-time residential training model.
Each postgraduate student is assigned a preceptor or guide. The training framework is designed to develop clinical competence progressively across psychiatry, behavioral sciences, neuroscience, epidemiology, research, and different psychiatric subspecialties.
The Institute of Medicine postgraduate framework requires residents to comply with academic and administrative regulations throughout training. Postgraduate programs are conducted on a non-practicing basis, so residents are expected to devote the training period to their approved academic and clinical responsibilities.
By completion of the residency, the program aims to develop the ability to:
The course therefore combines specialist clinical psychiatry with health-service organization, communication, leadership, and teaching responsibilities.
The first year establishes the scientific and behavioral foundation required for advanced psychiatric training.
Core areas include:
Basic Neuroscience and Neuropathology help residents understand the biological foundations relevant to psychiatric practice.
Behavioral Sciences and Psychopathology develop the conceptual framework required for understanding human behavior, psychiatric symptoms, and the description and classification of mental health problems.
Epidemiology and Biostatistics provide the quantitative foundation needed for research and population-level understanding of mental health.
Research is a formal requirement of MD Psychiatry.
During the second-year phase, the resident undertakes research under the guidance of faculty and prepares a thesis.
The dissertation should preferably be completed and submitted six months before the anticipated final MD examination.
Acceptance of the thesis is a requirement for progression to the final examination. A candidate cannot sit for the final examination unless the thesis has been accepted.
The research component therefore forms an integral part of the residency rather than an optional academic activity.
The third year concentrates on major psychiatric specialties and treatment approaches.
Theory areas include:
This structure exposes residents to psychiatric care across different age groups, clinical settings, and types of mental health conditions.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry addresses mental health conditions in younger patients, while Geriatric Psychiatry covers psychiatric care in later life.
Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry connects mental health practice with other medical specialties. Neuropsychiatry and Neurology provide additional study related to the interaction between neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Addiction Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, and Community and Social Psychiatry broaden the scope further into substance-related disorders, medico-legal psychiatry, and population-based mental health services.
At the end of the three-year residency, candidates undergo practical and clinical assessment.
The overall evaluation framework follows Institute of Medicine guidelines and includes:
The first-year assessment covers foundational scientific and psychiatric subjects, while the second-year phase includes thesis work. The third-year assessment covers the major psychiatric specialty areas and practical or clinical competence.
This staged structure allows evaluation of both academic knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge in clinical psychiatry.
Eligibility: Applicants must hold an MBBS or equivalent qualification from an institution recognized by the Government of Nepal.
The postgraduate eligibility framework includes:
The one-year experience requirement applies to MD Psychiatry under the stated postgraduate framework.
Admission is conducted through the Medical Education Common Entrance Examination for Postgraduate Level (MECEE-PG).
The postgraduate entrance, merit, and matching process is administered by the Medical Education Commission.
Candidates must satisfy the academic and professional eligibility requirements and obtain the qualifying score in the entrance examination.
Admission then follows the prevailing MEC framework for:
Seat allocation and scholarship arrangements may change between admission cycles according to MEC decisions and the applicable admission calendar.
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Question type | Single best response MCQs |
| Options | Four: A, B, C, D |
| Number of questions | 200 |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Recall : Understanding : Application | 30 : 50 : 20 |
| Minimum qualifying score | 50% |
The entrance examination covers the wider MBBS knowledge base rather than Psychiatry alone.
Clinical subjects account for 115 marks, while Basic Medical Sciences account for 60 marks.
Psychiatry carries 7 marks within the clinical section.
Other subjects include Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, Otorhinolaryngology, Ophthalmology, Anaesthesiology, Radiology, Dermatology, Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Community Medicine, Research Methodology, and Forensic Medicine.
A further section covers mandatory CPD areas such as medical ethics, rational use of drugs, infection prevention, BLS/ACLS, and communication skills.
The residency places specific emphasis on mental health service organization.
Graduates are expected to develop the ability to organize services for a defined population or geographical area and contribute to the training of hospital staff and community health personnel.
The program also expects residents to work within multidisciplinary teams involving related professionals and to assume leadership responsibilities when appropriate.
This service-oriented component distinguishes the course from a program concerned only with individual diagnostic encounters.
Psychiatry is one of the established departments at Maharajgunj Medical Campus.
The campus also includes Neurology, Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, Community Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Clinical Pharmacology, Clinical Physiology, and other departments relevant to multidisciplinary medical education.
MMC conducts undergraduate MBBS education, MD/MS postgraduate programs, dental and allied health education, and DM/MCh higher-specialty training within the wider Institute of Medicine academic structure.
MD Psychiatry is a three-year full-time postgraduate medical residency.
Applicants require an MBBS or equivalent qualification from an institution recognized by the Government of Nepal, applicable medical council registration, and one year of experience.
Yes. Admission follows the Medical Education Commission's postgraduate common entrance, merit, and matching framework.
Yes. Residents must undertake research under faculty guidance and complete a thesis. The thesis must be accepted before the candidate can sit for the final examination.
The third-year academic areas include General Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry, Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Neurology, Addiction Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, Community and Social Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry, Psychopharmacology, and other treatment methods.
Yes. Residents complete three years of full-time residential training and are assigned a preceptor or guide.
