MD Paediatrics is a postgraduate medical programme focused on the comprehensive care of infants, children and adolescents. The syllabus combines theoretical learning with extensive clinical exposure, practical training, emergency care, research and academic activities. Students are trained to assess normal and sick children, diagnose and manage childhood diseases, handle paediatric and neonatal emergencies, and communicate effectively with children and their families.
The curriculum covers a wide range of areas, including growth and development, nutrition, neonatology, infectious diseases, genetics, immunology, gastroenterology, respiratory medicine, cardiology, haematology, oncology, nephrology, endocrinology, neurology and adolescent health. Along with clinical knowledge, the programme also emphasises research methodology, medical ethics, communication, teaching skills and essential diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Table of Contents
- MD Paediatrics Syllabus: Detailed Breakdown
- MD Paediatrics Syllabus: Theory Papers
- What Skills Are Acquired Through the MD Paediatrics Syllabus?
- MD Paediatrics Syllabus: Clinical Training
- MD Paediatrics Syllabus: Assessment and Examination
- MD Paediatrics Syllabus: Research and Dissertation
- Recommended Books for MD Paediatrics Syllabus
- Recommended Journals in MD Paediatrics Syllabus
- MD Paediatrics Syllabus FAQs
MD Paediatrics Syllabus: Detailed Breakdown
The MD Paediatrics syllabus covers both fundamental and advanced aspects of child healthcare. It begins with the normal child, growth and development, nutrition and preventive paediatrics, and extends to specialised areas such as neonatology, genetics, metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, immunology, gastroenterology, respiratory medicine, cardiology, haematology, oncology, nephrology, endocrinology and paediatric neurology. The detailed syllabus below is based on the MD Paediatrics curriculum of Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute:
The syllabus also includes applied anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, community medicine, paediatric surgery and radiology to help students integrate basic sciences with clinical paediatric practice.
MD Paediatrics Syllabus: Theory Papers
The MD Paediatrics theory examination consists of four papers, with each paper carrying 100 marks. Each paper is three hours long and contains 10 short essays of 10 marks each. The four papers together carry 400 marks.
Cluster I
Cluster I includes nutrition, growth and development, immunisation, infectious diseases, genetics, immunology, rheumatology, psychiatry and behavioural sciences, skin, eye, ENT, adolescent health, critical care, accidents and poisoning.
Cluster II
Cluster II includes neurology and disabilities, nephrology, haematology and oncology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, respiratory disorders and cardiovascular disorders.
What Skills Are Acquired Through the MD Paediatrics Syllabus?
The MD Paediatrics syllabus is designed to develop a broad range of clinical, diagnostic, procedural, emergency management and communication skills. Students are trained not only to understand childhood diseases but also to assess patients, interpret investigations, perform essential procedures, manage emergencies and communicate effectively with children and their families.
Clinical Assessment and Diagnostic Skills
Students develop the ability to assess children systematically and use clinical findings to arrive at appropriate diagnoses and management plans. The curriculum specifically includes history taking, physical examination, investigation planning and interpretation.
Key skills include:
- Taking an appropriate paediatric clinical history.
- Performing a complete physical examination of children.
- Assessing growth and development.
- Performing anthropometry and nutritional assessment.
- Conducting neurological examination of newborns.
- Assessing primitive reflexes.
- Performing fundoscopy and otoscopy.
- Assessing external genitalia and Tanner's SMR scales.
- Planning appropriate and cost-effective investigations.
- Interpreting blood, urine, CSF and other fluid investigations.
- Interpreting X-rays, ECG, ABG, CT, ultrasound and other investigations.
Emergency and Critical Care Skills
A significant part of the curriculum focuses on recognising and managing acutely ill and critically ill children. Students receive training in paediatric and neonatal resuscitation and are required to undergo PALS and NRP training during the first six months of the course.
Students develop skills in:
- Assessing an acutely ill child.
- Recognising shock and respiratory failure.
- Managing paediatric and neonatal emergencies.
- Performing neonatal resuscitation.
- Performing paediatric resuscitation.
- Stabilising critically ill children.
- Monitoring sick children.
- Managing oxygen therapy and respiratory support.
- Responding to emergency situations requiring rapid intervention.
Procedural and Practical Skills
The curriculum provides hands-on training in essential diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Several procedures are classified as PI (Perform Independently), indicating that students are expected to develop independent competency in these skills.
These include:
- Intravenous injections and intravenous cannulation.
- Arterial cannulation.
- Lumbar puncture.
- Blood transfusion.
- Neonatal exchange transfusion.
- ABG sampling and interpretation.
- Central line, PICC line and CVP-related procedures.
- Intraosseous access.
- Bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsy.
- Pleural tap.
- Diagnostic and therapeutic paracentesis.
- Mantoux testing.
- Vaccination.
- ORS and oral rehydration therapy.
- Liver biopsy.
- Neonatal and paediatric partial exchange.
- Nebulisation and inhaler therapy.
- Oxygen delivery.
- Feeding tube/Ryles tube procedures.
- Urinary catheterisation.
- Procedural sedation and analgesia.
Neonatal Care Skills
The curriculum gives extensive exposure to newborn and neonatal care, including normal newborn care, high-risk infants, prematurity, low birth weight, congenital abnormalities, neonatal respiratory disorders, neonatal seizures, feeding, fluid and electrolyte management, ventilation, neonatal infections and neonatal follow-up.
Students therefore develop skills in:
- Newborn history and examination.
- Routine newborn and nursery care.
- Neonatal resuscitation.
- Assessment of high-risk newborns.
- Neonatal respiratory management.
- Oxygen therapy and ventilation.
- Neonatal feeding and nutrition.
- Recognition and management of neonatal infections.
- Neonatal transport and follow-up of high-risk infants.
Growth, Development and Nutrition Skills
MD Paediatrics training also develops skills in monitoring growth, assessing development and identifying nutritional problems. The syllabus includes growth assessment, developmental assessment, developmental delay screening, nutritional evaluation, breastfeeding, lactation management, complementary feeding and nutritional disorders.
Students learn to:
- Monitor physical growth.
- Assess developmental milestones.
- Identify developmental delays.
- Assess nutritional status.
- Perform dietary recall and calorie/protein estimation.
- Provide nutritional advice.
- Counsel families regarding breastfeeding and infant feeding.
- Manage common nutritional disorders.
Skills in Managing Paediatric Specialities
Because the syllabus covers almost every major paediatric system, students develop a broad clinical approach to children with acute, chronic and multisystem disorders. The curriculum includes gastroenterology, respiratory medicine, cardiology, haematology, oncology, nephrology, endocrinology, neurology, immunology, rheumatology, infectious diseases and other specialties.
This helps students develop the ability to:
- Recognise common and complex paediatric disorders.
- Develop differential diagnoses.
- Select appropriate investigations.
- Interpret clinical and investigation findings.
- Plan treatment and follow-up.
- Recognise cases requiring specialist referral.
- Manage children with multisystem and chronic illnesses.
Communication and Counselling Skills
Communication is an important component of the MD Paediatrics curriculum. Students are trained to communicate with children and guardians, explain health and disease, obtain informed consent and interact empathetically with families.
The skills include:
- Communicating effectively with children and guardians.
- Explaining disease and treatment.
- Discussing serious illness with families.
- Communicating appropriately in situations involving death.
- Obtaining informed consent.
- Demonstrating empathy towards families.
- Preparing referral letters and replies.
- Preparing discharge summaries and death certificates.
- Providing appropriate counselling.
Research, Teaching and Academic Skills
Research and academic development are also part of the MD Paediatrics curriculum. Students undertake dissertation work, receive research methodology training and participate in seminars, journal clubs, case discussions, conferences and other academic activities.
Students develop skills in:
- Evaluating medical literature.
- Critically appraising journal articles.
- Understanding research methodology and statistics.
- Conducting dissertation-related research.
- Presenting cases and research findings.
- Participating in journal clubs and seminars.
- Teaching undergraduate students.
- Conducting bedside teaching sessions.
- Using medical literature databases and online resources.
- Applying research ethics and medical ethics.
Overall Skills Developed Through MD Paediatrics
On completion of the MD Paediatrics syllabus, graduates are expected to have developed clinical assessment, diagnostic, procedural, emergency, neonatal, communication, counselling, research and teaching skills. The course is structured to progressively develop these competencies through theoretical education, clinical postings, bedside training, academic activities, practical procedures and assessment.
MD Paediatrics Syllabus: Clinical Training
Clinical training forms an important part of MD Paediatrics. Students receive structured exposure to paediatric wards, neonatal intensive care, paediatric intensive care, outpatient services, immunisation, emergency medicine and selected subspecialties.
Year-Wise Clinical Postings
The curriculum also encourages special postings at institutions with appropriate facilities so that postgraduate students can gain exposure to advanced techniques, procedures and skills.
Academic and Clinical Learning Activities
Along with ward postings, students participate in lectures, seminars, journal clubs, bedside clinics, grand rounds, mortality review meetings, inter-departmental meetings, clinical pathological conferences and undergraduate teaching. These activities help develop clinical reasoning, investigation decisions, treatment planning, communication and academic presentation skills.
MD Paediatrics Syllabus: Assessment and Examination
Assessment in MD Paediatrics covers both theoretical knowledge and practical clinical competencies. Formative assessments are conducted periodically to help students improve their knowledge, skills and attitudes. Theory and practical examinations are conducted at regular intervals during training.
Marks Distribution
The practical and clinical examination includes long cases, short cases, ward rounds, OSCE stations, viva voce and pedagogy. The clinical component assesses areas such as nutrition, imaging, counselling, procedures, instruments, recent advances and adolescent health.
Pass Requirements
Candidates must secure at least 40% marks in each theory paper and at least 50% cumulatively across all four theory papers. A minimum of 50% marks in the practical examination is also mandatory for passing the degree examination as a whole.
Students are also required to maintain a log book recording their clinical work, training and procedures. The log book and dissertation are periodically reviewed by the guide/HOD.
MD Paediatrics Syllabus: Research and Dissertation
Research forms an integral part of the MD Paediatrics programme. Students are required to undertake a dissertation and receive training in research methodology, medical ethics and bioethics. The curriculum also encourages participation in conferences, research paper publication and academic presentations.
The dissertation topic must be registered after obtaining Ethics Committee approval during the first postgraduate year. The curriculum specifies that the thesis must be submitted at least six months before the theory and clinical/practical examination, and students can appear for the examination only after acceptance of the thesis by the examiners.
The programme also requires the postgraduate to publish one research article in a journal and make one oral and one poster presentation at a state or national conference.
Recommended Books for MD Paediatrics Syllabus
The curriculum lists a number of essential and reference textbooks for postgraduate study. The latest applicable editions are to be used as part of the syllabus. Some of the books such as Cloherty’s manual of neonatal care, Manual of paediatric therapeutics, etc are recommended. To learn more about the important books of the program, interested students can check out the table given below:
Essential Books
Recommended Journals in MD Paediatrics Syllabus
The syllabus also recommends several indexed journals and reference series to help postgraduate students stay updated with developments in paediatrics and related specialties.
Recommended Journals
- Indian Paediatrics
- Indian Journal of Paediatrics
- Pediatric Clinics of North America
- New England Journal of Medicine
- The Lancet
- British Medical Journal
- Journal of Paediatrics
- Archives of Disease of Childhood and Adolescence
- Paediatrics
- Perinatal Clinics of North America
- Indian Journal of Practical Paediatrics
Reference Series
- Suraj Gupta's Recent Advances in Paediatrics
- David's Recent Advances in Paediatrics
- Advances in Paediatrics
- Year Book of Paediatrics
MD Paediatrics Syllabus FAQs
What is covered in the MD Paediatrics syllabus?
It covers growth, nutrition, neonatology, infections, genetics, cardiology, neurology, nephrology, endocrinology, oncology and more.
What skills are acquired during MD Paediatrics?
Students develop clinical, diagnostic, procedural, emergency, neonatal, communication, counselling, research and teaching skills.
Does MD Paediatrics include neonatal training?
Yes. It covers newborn assessment, prematurity, neonatal emergencies, infections, respiratory care, feeding, ventilation and follow-up.
Are emergency and critical care skills taught in MD Paediatrics?
Yes. Training covers shock, respiratory failure, resuscitation, trauma, poisoning, seizures, DKA, burns and critical care.
What practical procedures are included in MD Paediatrics?
Procedures include IV cannulation, lumbar puncture, blood transfusion, bone marrow aspiration, pleural tap, paracentesis and catheterisation.
Does MD Paediatrics include research training?
Yes. Students receive training in research methodology, dissertation work, medical ethics and scientific publication.
Is communication training included in MD Paediatrics?
Yes. Students learn counselling, informed consent, communicating serious illness, empathy, referral writing and professional communication.
How many theory papers are there in MD Paediatrics?
There are four theory papers, each carrying 100 marks. Each paper is three hours long and contains 10 short essays.
How are MD Paediatrics candidates assessed?
Assessment includes theory, clinical examinations, viva voce, OSCE/OSPE, pedagogy, competency assessment, log book and dissertation.
What is the total marks distribution for MD Paediatrics?
MD Paediatrics has 700 marks: 400 for theory and 300 for practical and viva components.
What are the minimum marks required to pass MD Paediatrics?
Candidates need 40% in each theory paper, 50% overall in theory and 50% in the practical examination.
Is a dissertation compulsory in MD Paediatrics?
Yes. Students must complete a dissertation, obtain Ethics Committee approval and have it accepted before appearing for the final examination.
