IMA urges NMC to reconsider NexT; Terms it disaster for country

IMA has claimed that NexT would deprive the poor, rural, under privileged and marginalised sections of their right to learn and practice medicine.

Following protest by MBBS students from various corners of the country, the Indian Medical Association has also lend its support to the students and has demanded National Medical Commission to reconsider National Exit Test (NexT). IMA has claimed that NexT would deprive the poor, rural, under privileged and marginalised sections of their right to learn and practice medicine.

The NMC has announced an exit examination for all MBBS students in the country. The exam will be taken by the students in two stages: NExT 1 and NExT 2. This examination will be their final MBBS exam, licentiate exam and post graduate selection exam.

As per the IMA, amongst several other challenges to the students, it is not possible to implement in present scenario until NMC ensure the uniform standard of medical education across all medical colleges in India. IMA has warned that NExT will be a disaster for the country.

IMA is opposing and rejecting NExT in present situation for the following fundamental reasons:

Not a level playing field

India is a country with vast diversity in geography, the people, and their social profile. Common tests for all medical students are not the right approach to achieve common minimum standards in medical education and care. Setting common uniform standards in institutions and the entrance pattern is what is desirable.

Common exams would deprive the poor, rural, under privileged and marginalised sections of their right to learn and practice medicine. Nearly 50% of the total medical colleges in India both Government and Private were started 10-15 years ago only. The standard of such colleges cannot be compared to the colleges which have well trained teachers & system. That too AIIMS conducting the NExT will be detrimental to the students of newly started medical colleges.

Minimum common standard of education should be ensured prior to uniform examination by periodic assessment and upgradation.

Licensing not required for Indian Medical Graduates

Creating an exit test to medical licence Indian medical graduates is mocking at our own system. It is certainly required for foreign medical graduates since NMC has no control over their standards. An exit test for licensing the medical graduates who complete their courses from the institutions guided and approved by NMC would be demeaning.

PG Entrance should be not clubbed

Licencing exam and PG entrance exam can never be the same as the purpose is entirely different. Licensing exam should assess the lowest minimum standard while the entrance exam would assess the best merit among students.

Dr. Sharad Kumar Agarwal, National President, IMA has stated that the entrance test hence would invariably contain tough questions too to separate the best from the rest and these questions cannot be used to assess the minimum essential standard. Hence both set of questions and the pattern of exams have to be different.

Minimum marks for passing for licensing should not be more than 30% (or percentile) if the exam is common as at least 30 to 40 % of questions will be of highest standards since its a competitive exam for PG entrance also. Hence only 50 percentage of the minimum standard questions need to be applied for qualifying for licence. If at all a central exam is being conducted for licensing, the set of questions should be different from that for PG Entrance. Testing minimum standard should be the aim for the licensing exam and no tough questions should be included. Such questions can however be included in the PG entrance part of the exam where testing the competitive merit is the aim. For each of the six papers the minimum marks for pass should be 30% (or percentile).

“It will save the national cost incurred in establishing Government colleges which will waste if after 5 years of studying candidate fails to common licensing test designed by a premium institution without understanding the gap in the standard of medical education amongst all medical colleges (mainly the around 300 new medical colleges opened in last 6-7 years),” reads a statement issued by Dr. Agarwal.

It's mentioned that the testing will be based on high quality MCQs. This is injustice to the underprivileged sections of the society especially in rural areas of the country, who wouldn't be able to practise Medicine inspite of getting entry into MBBS course, following the norms set up by the State and undergoing course in colleges approved by NMC. MCQ testing would not be ideal method of testing the skills and acumen of the students.

There is no reason or requirement to change the existing pattern of examination for Indian Medical graduates, known for their skills and acumen world over.

Nation's Loss

IMA has stated that India witnessed a surge of new medical colleges due to Central Government will power and commitment and even in last 6-7 years more than 300 new medical colleges have started. NExT for License to practice will defuse the entire efforts of central Government of opening up all these new medical colleges as if majority of students won’t be allowed to practice medicine because of a central tough exam for selecting meritorious students for PG course and licensing too AND what will these students will do after 5 years and paying almost 1 crore of fee in private medical colleges after failing in these NExT exams?

It has stated that, NExT Exam for licence will lead to generate frustrated medical students on verge of becoming doctors but denied by NExT to practice and discourage the aspirants students to join medical colleges for uncertainty in future and ultimately all new Medical Colleges will deprived of students and ultimately closed because without establishing a uniform medical education standard we have forced a common Exam NExT for licensing in India.

Exam should be conducted by Universities

Dr Agarwal states that this exam will make medical studies difficult for no reason. Even completing the course successfully wouldn’t guarantee them the right to practice medicine. This is gross injustice to our medical students. If at all any change in the present structure of exam is being envisaged, at least five to ten years of trail run till the time NMC ensure the uniform standards of medical education across all the medical colleges including permanent sufficient faculties at par with premium institute like AIIMS Delhi or at least 70 % of the AIIMS Delhi, should be conducted where the existing system will continue and students are given an opportunity to appear in the new format also, only as trail and with no weightage for the marks during this period for allow licence to practice medicine in our country.

“Indian Medical Association and its Medical Students Network are deeply concerned on NExT being inflicted unilaterally on the nation. The whole exercise of NExT has been grossly one-sided affair without listening to the legitimate concerns of the medical students and the profession. IMA rejects NExT in toto for its anti-students content,” says Dr Agarwal.

Under these circumstances, we appeal to the Central Government to intervene and instruct NMC to reconsider the proposal for NExT. We request you to kindly hold detailed discussions with all the stake holders and address all concerns before attempting implementation of NExT for Indian Medical Colleges Students. IMA is duty bound to safeguard the interest of the common man, the medical students and the Professionals alike.