NMC TEQ 2024: Exactly What to Publish for Promotion — Designation-Wise & Article-Wise Breakdown

If you're a medical faculty member planning publications for your next promotion, stop and read this carefully. The NMC Draft TEQ 2024 (issued January 2025) has changed the rules — and many doctors are still publishing the wrong types of articles.

We've read the full 80+ page NMC Draft TEQ 2024 document so you don't have to. Here's exactly what counts, what doesn't, and what you need at each promotion level.

Download NMC Draft TEQ 2024 (Official PDF)

The Key Rule: Section 3.15

This single clause determines whether your publication counts for promotion or not. Here is the exact text from the NMC Draft TEQ 2024:

Read that again. The NMC has given an exhaustive list — if your publication type is not on this list, it does not count. Period.

What Counts vs What Doesn't

Publication Type	Counts for NMC?	Notes
Original Research Paper	YES	Cross-sectional, case-control, cohort, RCT — all count
Meta-Analysis	YES	Highest evidence level. Must follow PRISMA
Systematic Review	YES	Must be systematic (protocol-driven), not narrative
Case Series	YES	Multiple patients (typically 3+). NOT single case report
Case Report (single patient)	NO	Not listed in Section 3.15. Does not count
Narrative / Comprehensive Review	NO	Explicitly excluded. Only systematic reviews count
Scoping Review	NO*	Not listed. Gray area — may be argued as systematic. Risky
Letter to the Editor	NO	Not listed
Editorial / Commentary	NO	Not listed

Which Journals Are Accepted?

Your article must be published in a journal indexed in at least one of these databases:

1. Medline (NLM's curated subset of PubMed)
2. PubMed Central (PMC — the free full-text archive)
3. Science Citation Index (SCI)
4. Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE)
5. Embase
6. Scopus
7. Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

Authorship Rule: First Three Only

The document is clear:

If you're the 4th author or beyond, that publication does not count toward your promotion — even if it's an original research paper in a Scopus-indexed journal. Plan your authorship strategically.

Promotion Requirements by Designation

Assistant Professor → Associate Professor

Requirement	Broad Specialties (MD/MS)	Super Specialties (DM/MCh)
Experience as Asst Prof	4 years (5 years in some cases per Section 3.7d)	2 years
Publications required	At least 2 research publications after becoming Asst Prof	At least 2 research publications after becoming Asst Prof
Author position	Must be among first 3 authors	Must be among first 3 authors
Accepted types	Original papers, meta-analysis, systematic reviews, case series	Same
Additional	BCMET course (for UG training specialties) + Basic Course in Biomedical Research	Basic Course in Biomedical Research

Associate Professor → Professor

Requirement	Broad Specialties (MD/MS)	Super Specialties (DM/MCh)
Experience as Assoc Prof	3 years	3 years
Publications required	At least 2 research publications after becoming Assoc Prof	At least 2 research publications after becoming Assoc Prof
Author position	Must be among first 3 authors	Must be among first 3 authors
Accepted types	Original papers, meta-analysis, systematic reviews, case series	Same

Your Action Plan: What to Write Based on Your Situation

If You Have Patient Data:

Write an original research article. Cross-sectional studies, case-control studies, and retrospective analyses are the most practical for working clinicians. If you have data from your PG thesis, convert it into a journal article — this is one of the fastest paths.

If You Have Multiple Similar Cases:

Write a case series. You need at minimum 3 patients with the same condition/treatment/outcome. This is often easier than a full research study and still counts for NMC.

If You Have No Original Data:

Write a systematic review or meta-analysis. These synthesize existing published data — no patients, no ethics approval, no data collection needed. They require rigorous methodology (PRISMA protocol, systematic search, quality assessment) but produce high-impact publications.

The Fastest Path to 2 Valid Publications

Most doctors need exactly 2 publications for their next promotion. Here are the fastest realistic combinations:

Combination	Estimated Time	Data Needed?
1 Systematic Review + 1 Case Series (3-5 cases)	4-8 weeks	Yes (patients + study data)
2 Original Articles	6-12 weeks	Yes (study data for both)
1 Original Article + 1 Systematic Review	8-14 weeks	Partial (study data + literature)
1 Systematic Review + 1 Meta-Analysis	12-20 weeks	No (literature only)
1 Case Series + 1 Systematic Review	6-12 weeks	Partial (patients + literature)

Don't Forget: BCMET + Biomedical Research Course

Publications alone aren't enough. The NMC Draft TEQ 2024 also requires:

• Basic Course in Medical Education Technology (BCMET) — required for faculty in broad specialties involved in UG training. Must be completed within 3 years of appointment.
• Basic Course in Biomedical Research — from NMC-designated institutions. Required for promotion to both Associate Professor and Professor.

Many faculty members focus entirely on publications and forget these course requirements — only to discover at promotion time that they're missing a mandatory certificate.

Common Mistakes That Waste Years

1. Publishing case reports thinking they count — They don't. Only case series (3+ patients) are accepted. A single interesting case needs to be expanded to a series, or published alongside other valid publications.
2. Publishing narrative reviews — They look impressive but don't count for NMC. If you're going to review literature, make it a systematic review with PRISMA protocol.
3. Being the 4th+ author — Collaborating on a colleague's paper where you're 4th author gives you zero promotion value. Negotiate authorship position before starting any collaborative work.
4. Publishing in non-indexed journals — Always verify your target journal's indexing at the official database websites before submitting. Predatory journals that claim false indexing are everywhere.
5. Mixing up PubMed with Medline/PMC — A journal being "on PubMed" doesn't automatically mean it's indexed in Medline or PubMed Central. These are different things. Read our guide on journal indexing differences.
6. Forgetting BCMET/Biomedical Research courses — Publications without these certificates won't get you promoted.

Is This Final? 2022 Rules vs 2024 Draft

The NMC TEQ 2022 regulation is currently in force. The TEQ 2024 was issued as a draft in January 2025. The language in both is nearly identical regarding publication types — Section 3.15 uses the same four accepted types:

This is not a new restriction in the 2024 draft — it was already there in the 2022 regulation. The 2024 draft reinforces it. So regardless of which version is "final," the rule is the same: only these four types count.

Read the Full NMC Draft TEQ 2024 (PDF)

The Bottom Line

For NMC faculty promotion, you need exactly 2 publications after your current appointment, you must be among the first 3 authors, the article must be one of 4 accepted types (original research, meta-analysis, systematic review, or case series), and it must be in a journal indexed in one of 7 accepted databases.

Everything else — case reports, narrative reviews, letters, editorials, scoping reviews — may be valuable for your academic CV and clinical knowledge, but they won't count toward your NMC promotion.

Plan accordingly. Don't waste months on publications that won't move the needle.