Rheumatology is a sub-specialty in pediatrics and internal medicine that is devoted to diagnosis and treatment of diseases and conditions affecting bones, muscles and joints. Candidates who have completed DM in Rheumatology are called as Rheumatologists and these professionals mainly deal with heritable connective tissue disorders, vasculities, certain autoimmune diseases, soft tissue disorders and joint disorders.

DM in Rheumatology is three-year super-specialty course offered by a number of colleges in India and the names of government colleges offering this course are given below:

Andhra Pradesh:

• Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad

Tamil Nadu:

• Madras Medical College, Chennai

Competition for this course:

The total number of seats in colleges approved by the Medical Council of India for this course is just 8 out of which the aforesaid government colleges are permitted to admit three students per year and four students per year respectively for the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences and Madras Medical College. One more seat is available in the Christian Medical College, Vellore, which is not a government college. Since only eight seats in total is available in India, heavy competition exist among students to seek admission to the DM in Rheumatology course.

Eligibility Criteria for seeking admission to the DM in Rheumatology course:

For seeking admission to the DM in Rheumatology course, candidates must have completed their MD in medicine or Osteopathy.

Subjects covered under DM Rheumatology course:

Some of the subjects covered under this three-year super-specialty course are given below:

• Reconstructive surgery in Rheumatic diseases

• Medical orthopaedics and rehabilitation

• Specific articular and connective tissue diseases

• Clinical pharmacology in Rheumatic diseases

• Differential approach of major rheumatic syndrome

• Recent advances in Rheumatology and immunology

• Clinical Pharmacology, Rehabilitation Surgery, Special Problems related to Rheumatic diseases Paediatric Rheumatology, Pregnancy and Rheumatic diseases

• Clinical Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

• Basic Sciences & Diagnostic Procedures in Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology

Future of Rheumatology:

This is a rapidly growing medical specialty with advancements owing to new scientific methodologies for prior identification of diseases pertaining to rheumatology and immunology. Due to changes in the lifestyle, many people are facing joint related problems since most of them are working sitting in the same place for hours together in front of the computer or some of them spend most of the time in travelling in bikes. Many other factors have contributed towards the increasing incidence of Rheumatics disease in younger generation these days. This in turn increases the demand for Rheumatologists.