Promote MD, MS, DNB Final year students directly: FORDA to NMC

“The final exams are supposed to evaluate the theoretical and practical knowledge of the students. However, the resident doctors have already shown their competency by serving the nation in this epidemic,” the letter addressed to the NMC chairman said.

This comes as NMC has released notification to conduct final year PG exams (MD, MS, Diploma, DNB) at various medical universities situated in different parts of the country.

“The medical fraternity stands together in this national response to COVID-19 pandemic. Doctors and other healthcare workers are putting in their best efforts to provide adequate patient care in this testing time. Many of us have contracted the infection in the line of duty and some have even succumbed to it. Resident doctors are at the frontline of this war and tirelessly working at the ground level. Amidst this epidemic exam of the final year postgraduates(MD/MS/Diploma/DNB) are going to be conducted by various medical universities in different parts of the country as per the notification of NMC,” the letter further said.

The letter contended that resident doctors couldn’t get time to prepare for the exam as they were busy in COVID-19 duty. Moreover, many of them have contracted infections as well. “Final year exams require months of rigorous and uninterrupted preparations but this time their preparation were derailed following posting in covid duties and many have tested positive,” it said.

Recently a series of exams including NEET PG 2021, INI CET 2021 have been postponed in the wake of the surging cases of corona across the country. The exam conducting body said the decision to postpone exams were taken considering safety and well-being of candidates. DNB PDCET 2021 is scheduled to be held on May 9, 2021.