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FNB book lists, branch by branch.

Forty-one NBEMS fellowship branches across eleven disciplines, each with the texts fellows read for the exit examination and the ones that stay open on the table.

NBEMS Diploma books
41FNB branches
292Titles listed
11Disciplines
2 yrsTypical fellowship
What the fellowship is

FNB in one screen

FNB (Fellow of National Board) is the post-doctoral fellowship qualification awarded by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences. It is a structured, full-time training programme of (in almost every branch) two years, taken at an NBEMS-accredited hospital after a broad specialty postgraduate degree (MD/MS/DNB) - or, for the three FNB-PD (Post Doctoral) branches, after a super-specialty qualification (DM/MCh/DrNB). Each fellowship has one or more prescribed 'feeder' qualifications: the specific MD/MS/DNB/DM/MCh/DrNB a candidate must already hold to be eligible. FNB fills the sub-specialty space that sits below a full DM/MCh - for example spine surgery for an orthopaedic surgeon, or fetal radiology for a radiologist. Three branches - Interventional Cardiology, Neurovascular Intervention and Liver Transplantation - are classified by NBEMS as FNB-PD, Post Doctoral fellowships open only to DM/MCh/DrNB holders.

How you get inFET - the Fellowship Entrance Test, conducted by NBEMS, described by NBEMS as 'a qualifying-cum-ranking examination for admission to Fellow of National Board (FNB)/Fellow of National Board - Post Doctoral (FNB-PD) courses'. It is a computer-based test of 100 multiple-choice questions in 105 minutes, split into two parts: Part-A (45 minutes) drawn from the candidate's eligible feeder specialty or specialties, and Part-B (60 minutes) drawn from the fellowship course applied for. Marking is +4 for a correct answer, -1 for an incorrect answer and 0 for an unattempted question. Where a fellowship has several feeder specialties, Part-A carries questions from all of them - NBEMS gives Hand & Micro Surgery, whose feeders are General Surgery, Orthopaedics and Plastic Surgery, as the worked example. Candidates apply against a single fellowship course; seats are then allotted through centralised NBEMS counselling. Candidates of any age may apply, and NMC/State Medical Council registration is compulsory.
The exit examinationThe exit examination is the FEE - Fellowship Exit Examination, held after completion of the fellowship training. Theory: one paper of 100 marks (10 questions of 10 marks each) of three hours' duration. Practical: 300 marks, comprising clinical examination and viva voce. A candidate must obtain a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate across theory and practical (200 of 400) to qualify, with the theory paper itself to be passed at 50/100. Trainees must also appear in the formative assessment during training. Successful candidates are awarded the FNB (or FNB-PD) at the annual NBEMS convocation.
RecognitionFNB is awarded by NBEMS, an autonomous body of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. NBEMS states in its FET information bulletin that 'The FNB qualifications are recognized qualifications in terms of the Gazette notification dated 10th August 2016.' In practice the FNB is the sub-specialty credential recognised for senior consultant and faculty-level sub-specialty appointments in the relevant field, and NBEMS itself accredits and inspects the hospitals that run the training. It is a fellowship qualification rather than a broad or super specialty degree, so it is additional to - not a substitute for - the MD/MS/DNB or DM/MCh/DrNB that feeds into it.
ReadingOne 100-mark theory paper of ten long questions and a 300-mark practical means the reading is narrow and deep: one authoritative text read right through, the society guidelines for your field, and a technique atlas for the table.
Pick your fellowship

All forty-one branches, grouped by discipline

Every branch below has its own page with the full reading list, the feeder specialty it is entered from and how the books are used.

Medical and Neurosciences

4 branches

  1. Infectious Disease7 titles · 2 yearsDiagnosis and management of complex, hospital-acquired and tropical infections, antimicrobial stewardship and infection control.
  2. Stroke Medicine7 titles · 2 yearsAcute stroke care, thrombolysis and thrombectomy pathways, stroke units and secondary prevention.
  3. Sleep Medicine7 titles · 2 yearsSleep-disordered breathing, polysomnography and the medical management of sleep disorders.
  4. Neurovascular Intervention7 titles · 2 yearsEndovascular treatment of aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations and acute ischaemic stroke.

Cardiac Sciences

2 branches

  1. Interventional Cardiology7 titles · 2 yearsCoronary and structural heart intervention, angioplasty, stenting and device closure.
  2. Cardiac Electrophysiology7 titles · 2 yearsArrhythmia mapping and ablation, pacemakers, ICDs and cardiac resynchronisation therapy.

Surgical - General, Gastrointestinal and Oncologic

7 branches

  1. Minimal Access Surgery7 titles · 2 yearsAdvanced laparoscopic and endoscopic general surgery.
  2. Bariatric Surgery7 titles · 2 yearsMetabolic and weight-loss surgery, including sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass, and long-term follow-up.
  3. Colorectal Surgery7 titles · 2 yearsSurgery for colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and benign anorectal conditions.
  4. Head & Neck Oncology7 titles · 2 yearsResection and reconstruction for oral, laryngeal, thyroid and salivary gland cancer.
  5. Trauma & Acute Care Surgery7 titles · 2 yearsDamage-control surgery, polytrauma management and emergency general surgery.
  6. Hand & Micro Surgery7 titles · 2 yearsReplantation, free tissue transfer, brachial plexus and reconstructive hand surgery.
  7. Liver Transplantation7 titles · 2 yearsLiving-donor and cadaveric liver transplantation, donor surgery and post-transplant care.

Orthopaedics and Spine

3 branches

  1. Arthroplasty7 titles · 2 yearsPrimary and revision hip and knee joint replacement.
  2. Spine Surgery7 titles · 2 yearsDegenerative, deformity, trauma and tumour surgery of the vertebral column.
  3. Sports Medicine7 titles · 2 yearsArthroscopy, ligament reconstruction and the management and rehabilitation of athletic injury.

Urology and Transplant

2 branches

  1. Minimal Access Urology7 titles · 2 yearsLaparoscopic, robotic and endourological approaches to urological disease.
  2. Renal Transplant7 titles · 2 yearsDonor and recipient kidney transplant surgery, immunosuppression and graft follow-up.

Obstetrics and Gynaecology

3 branches

  1. Maternal & Foetal Medicine8 titles · 2 yearsHigh-risk pregnancy, foetal diagnosis and therapy and prenatal counselling.
  2. Reproductive Medicine8 titles · 2 yearsInfertility evaluation, ART and IVF, reproductive endocrinology and the embryology laboratory.
  3. Minimally Invasive Gynaecologic Surgery8 titles · 2 yearsAdvanced laparoscopic and hysteroscopic surgery for endometriosis, fibroids and pelvic floor disease.

Paediatric Sub-specialties

9 branches

  1. Paediatric Gastroenterology7 titles · 2 yearsChildhood liver disease, malabsorption, inflammatory bowel disease and paediatric endoscopy.
  2. Paediatric Nephrology7 titles · 2 yearsChildhood nephrotic syndrome, congenital renal anomalies, dialysis and paediatric transplant care.
  3. Paediatric Hemato-Oncology7 titles · 2 yearsChildhood leukaemia and solid tumours, haemoglobinopathies and bone marrow transplantation.
  4. Paediatric Endocrinology7 titles · 2 yearsGrowth disorders, type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease and disorders of puberty and sexual development.
  5. Paediatric Emergency Medicine7 titles · 2 yearsResuscitation, triage and stabilisation of the acutely ill and injured child.
  6. Paediatric Orthopaedics7 titles · 2 yearsCongenital deformity, clubfoot, limb reconstruction and paediatric fracture care.
  7. Paediatric Urology7 titles · 2 yearsHypospadias, posterior urethral valves, vesicoureteric reflux and reconstructive urology in children.
  8. Paediatric Radiology7 titles · 2 yearsImaging of the neonate, infant and child, including foetal and neonatal neuroimaging and dose-optimised CT.
  9. Paediatric Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery7 titles · 2 yearsSurgery for congenital heart disease, neonatal cardiac repair and paediatric cardiac intensive care.

Anaesthesia, Pain and Critical Care

5 branches

  1. Paediatric Anaesthesia7 titles · 2 yearsAnaesthesia for neonates, infants and children, including cardiac and day-care paediatric surgery.
  2. Onco-Anaesthesia7 titles · 2 yearsPeri-operative care for major cancer surgery, cytoreduction and HIPEC, and cancer pain.
  3. Transplant Anaesthesia7 titles · 2 yearsAnaesthesia and peri-operative management for liver, kidney and other solid-organ transplantation.
  4. Trauma Anaesthesia & Critical Care7 titles · 2 yearsResuscitation and anaesthesia for the polytrauma patient and trauma intensive care.
  5. Pain Medicine7 titles · 2 yearsChronic, cancer and interventional pain management, nerve blocks and neuromodulation.

Radiology and Imaging

3 branches

  1. Breast Imaging7 titles · 2 yearsMammography, breast ultrasound and MRI, screening and image-guided breast biopsy.
  2. Fetal Radiology7 titles · 2 yearsFoetal anomaly scanning, foetal MRI and imaging support for foetal intervention.
  3. Musculoskeletal Radiology (MSK Radiology)7 titles · 2 yearsImaging of bone, joint and soft tissue disease, sports injury and image-guided musculoskeletal intervention.

Ophthalmology

1 branch

  1. Vitreo Retinal Surgery7 titles · 2 yearsRetinal detachment surgery, vitrectomy, diabetic retinopathy and intravitreal therapy.

Psychiatry and Mental Health

2 branches

  1. Addiction Psychiatry8 titles · 2 yearsAssessment and treatment of substance use disorders, detoxification and relapse prevention.
  2. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry8 titles · 2 yearsNeurodevelopmental disorders, childhood mood and behavioural disorders and adolescent mental health.

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Related on the site

The other NBEMS and university qualifications

NBEMS Diploma booksDrNB Superspecialty Book Guides by Subject booksDM Superspecialty Book Guides by Subject booksMCh Superspecialty Book Guides by Subject booksDNB Recommended Books by Specialty books

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Frequently asked

FNB — questions

What is an FNB?

Fellow of National Board — the post-doctoral sub-specialty fellowship awarded by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, taken over two years at an NBEMS-accredited hospital after a broad specialty MD, MS or DNB.

How many FNB branches are there?

Forty-one are covered here, across eleven disciplines from cardiac sciences and paediatric sub-specialties to radiology, anaesthesia and psychiatry. Each has its own page on this site.

How do you get into an FNB?

Through the Fellowship Entrance Test (FET) conducted by NBEMS: 100 multiple-choice questions in 105 minutes, split into a feeder-specialty part and a fellowship-specific part, followed by centralised NBEMS counselling.

What does the FNB exit examination look like?

The Fellowship Exit Examination: one theory paper of 100 marks with ten questions of ten marks each, and a 300-mark practical of clinical examination and viva. You need 50 per cent in aggregate across the two.

Is an FNB the same as a DrNB?

They are different qualifications. DrNB is the NBEMS super-specialty degree that parallels DM and MCh, while FNB is a fellowship in a narrower sub-specialty, often in fields where no DM or MCh exists. Several FNB branches have since been converted to DrNB courses.

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