THESIS PROTOCOL FOR MD/MS/DNB/Super-speciality
A thesis protocol (also called a synopsis) is the plan you submit before starting your MD, MS or DNB thesis. It tells your university or NBEMS what you will study, why it matters and exactly how you will do it. Protocols are commonly sent back for a vague research question, objectives that don’t match the methods, or a sample size that isn’t justified. This guide lists every section a protocol needs, with a quick check for each. DNB candidates follow the single NBEMS format, while MD/MS candidates follow their own university’s template (MUHS, for example), so confirm the exact format in your university’s circular before you finalise.
IDEAL CONTENTS OF A MD/MS/DNB/DM/Mch SYNOPSIS
| Section | What it should contain |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Introduction to the topic; demographics; prevalence; the gap in existing knowledge; how this study intends to fill that gap. |
| Need / Rationale for the study | Importance of the study; current knowledge and its limitations; the need for the study; potential impact; alignment with national or global health priorities. |
| Review of Literature | Relevant studies with their abstracts, covering the historical background, current state of knowledge, key studies and findings, gaps in existing literature, and relevance to the present study. |
| Lacunae in Literature | The specific gaps or shortcomings in the existing literature, the areas that are under-researched, and how this study contributes to the field. |
| Materials and Methods | Source of data; study design; study population; study period; sample size calculation; methodology; inclusion criteria; exclusion criteria; statistical analysis. |
| Ethical Consideration | The ethical principles guiding the study: informed consent, confidentiality and privacy, minimising risks, and approval from the institutional ethics committee. |
| Limitations of the study (if any) | Potential weaknesses or constraints, such as sample size limits, potential biases, measurement errors, and generalisability of the results. |
Thesis Protocol by Speciality
Choose your branch to see the protocol format and a sample structure for your thesis.
- Medicine thesis protocol
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology thesis protocol
- Biochemistry thesis protocol
- Anaesthesiology thesis protocol
- Forensic Medicine thesis protocol
- Orthopaedics thesis protocol
- Dermatology thesis protocol
- Pathology thesis protocol
- Community Medicine (PSM) thesis protocol
- Radiology thesis protocol
- Ophthalmology thesis protocol
- Microbiology thesis protocol
- Psychiatry thesis protocol
- ENT thesis protocol
- Anatomy thesis protocol
- Physiology thesis protocol
- Pharmacology thesis protocol
- Surgery thesis protocol
- Paediatrics thesis protocol