DNB dissertation guidelines help you turn a completed research study into a thesis your guide can review before you submit it to the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). A good place to start is the approved protocol. Put it beside your final draft and check whether each objective has a matching method, a reported result and a conclusion the data can support.
Then review the submission documents separately. Check that the thesis title matches across your records, the required declarations are signed, and the final PDF contains the pages and annexures you intended to submit. Use the NBEMS notice for your session to confirm the deadline and submission instructions.
Quick answer
Follow the NBEMS chapter sequence from Introduction through Summary and Conclusion, then add references and appendices. Verify your approved protocol, ethics documentation and required signatures. Cross-check each objective against the methods, results and conclusions. Before submitting, open the final PDF and confirm the requirements in the NBEMS notice that applies to your session.
Table of contents
- What do the DNB dissertation guidelines cover?
- DNB thesis format and chapter order
- NBEMS thesis pre-submission checklist
- NBEMS thesis rejection or revision request
- Frequently asked questions
- Conclusion
What Do the DNB Dissertation Guidelines Cover?
The documents you prepare depend on your stage of training and assessment. A protocol describes your planned study, a completed dissertation reports the study you carried out, and a modified thesis responds to assessor feedback.
Thesis protocol
The research question, objectives, study design, outcome measures and planned analysis.Check that the protocol version and supporting approvals match your institutional records.Completed dissertation
The methods you used, the results you obtained and what those results mean in relation to your objectives.Compare the final methods with the approved protocol and verify the required declarations and annexures.Modified thesis
A revised dissertation prepared in response to an NBEMS assessment communication.Check that every requested change can be located in the revised document.
The NBEMS Digital Thesis Processing Portal lists protocol and thesis guidance under Downloads and Archive-Downloads. Use the archive for document guidance and the current notice for instructions that apply to your submission.
DNB Thesis Format and Chapter Order
Front Matter and Declarations
Start with the title page and arrange the preliminary pages using the format applicable to your submission. Check the prescribed declaration or certificate, the table of contents, and any lists of tables or figures included in your draft. Confirm the required signatories and check that your name, thesis title and institution details agree across the documents.
Main Thesis Chapters
The NBEMS writing guidance places Review of Literature before Aim and Objectives. It then moves through Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Summary and Conclusion.
Title page and front matter
Match the thesis title across the cover page, declarations and applicable submission records.1. Introduction
Make sure the research question is clear by the end of the section.2. Review of Literature
Show how the studies you discuss lead to the gap your dissertation addresses.3. Aim and Objectives
Check the wording of each objective against the approved protocol and any documented amendments.4. Material and Methods
Identify the outcome measure and analysis used for each objective.5. Results
Check that the participant totals and denominators agree across the text and tables.6. Discussion
Compare your main findings with relevant studies and explain how your study’s limitations affect their interpretation.7. Summary and Conclusion
Trace each conclusion to a result reported in the dissertation.References
Match each in-text citation to its entry in the reference list.Appendices or annexures
Match each annexure label to the document it identifies.
References and Annexures
After your final edits, check citation numbering again, especially if you moved paragraphs or removed a source. Include the applicable study materials, such as a questionnaire, participant information sheet or consent form, according to your submission instructions. Verify that each annexure is legible in the exported PDF.
NBEMS Thesis Pre-Submission Checklist
Work through this checklist with your guide using the PDF you plan to submit. In the Thesis section of the NBEMS Notice Board, find the notice that matches your DNB session and check whether a later extension or update applies.
Check the Protocol, Ethics Approval, and Signatures
- ☐ Compare the final thesis with the approved protocol and check any documented amendments with your guide.
- ☐ Confirm that the applicable institutional ethics approval and any required supporting documents are available and legible.
- ☐ Verify that each required declaration or certificate has the prescribed signatures and dates.
Match Objectives, Results, and Conclusions
- ☐ Find a corresponding method and result for every primary and secondary objective.
- ☐ Compare sample counts, denominators, percentages and units across the synopsis, results text and tables.
- ☐ Check that the conclusion stays within what your study design and findings can support.
Review Citations, Annexures, and the Final PDF
- ☐ Recheck citation numbering, figure captions and annexure labels after the last round of edits.
- ☐ Open the exported PDF and inspect signatures, tables, page numbers and any scanned pages.
- ☐ Confirm the deadline, required documents, and upload instructions in the applicable NBEMS notice and portal.
NBEMS Thesis Rejection or Revision Request: What to Do Next
Start with the exact wording in your NBEMS communication. Copy the decision and requested action into your review notes. If NBEMS asks for a modified thesis, go through each assessor comment with your guide and record where the revision appears.
Clarify why some enrolled participants were excluded from the analysis.Explained the exclusions in the Results section and reconciled the participant totals in Table 1.24–25Explain how missing data for the secondary outcome were handled.Described the approach in Material and Methods and identified the denominator in the relevant results table.18, 31
These are example entries. Use the assessor’s actual wording and update the page numbers after exporting the revised PDF. Check Guidelines for Modified Thesis under Archive-Downloads for revision guidance, and follow your NBEMS communication and current portal instructions for the submission method, documents and deadline.
FAQs
1. What is the correct DNB thesis chapter order?
After the front matter, follow this sequence: Introduction, Review of Literature, Aim and Objectives, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Summary and Conclusion. Place references and appendices after the main chapters.
2. Where can I find the official DNB dissertation guidelines?
Open the NBEMS Digital Thesis Processing Portal and look under Downloads or Archive-Downloads for Guidelines for Thesis Writing & Submission. Check the current notice for your session when confirming submission requirements.
3. How does a thesis protocol differ from a final dissertation?
The protocol explains how you plan to conduct and analyse the study. The dissertation reports what you did, what you found and how you interpret those findings.
4. What should I check before NBEMS thesis submission?
Check your approved protocol, applicable ethics documents and required signatures. Then verify that your objectives match the results and that the final PDF contains the correct references, annexures and page numbers.
5. What should I do if NBEMS asks me to modify my thesis?
Review each assessor comment with your guide. Record the change you made and its location in the revised PDF. Follow the instructions in your NBEMS communication when preparing the resubmission.
6. Where can I find the deadline for my session?
Check the Thesis section of the NBEMS Notice Board for your exact DNB session. Look for any later extension or revised notice that applies to the same session.
Conclusion
Before you submit, check the chapter order against the NBEMS writing guidance, confirm the required documents are signed, and trace every objective to a result. You can do all three with your guide using the final PDF and the approved protocol side by side.
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