NExT Unnecessary In Our Next Step, Contend Section Of Medical Students

Bhubaneswar, July 5: The National Medical Commission (NMC) is examining a proposal of the Ministry of Health to waive the fee of mock National Exit Test (NExT) scheduled on July 28 for the 2019 batch final-year MBBS Students.

The development comes as a section of the medical fraternity and student bodies have hit the streets against NExT, contending that the National Exit Test Regulations 2023 violate the NMC guidelines and that confusion continues to surround the test.

NExT will be conducted by AIIMS including the mock test before NExT is officially introduced from next year. In a notification issued last week, AIIMS has stated that general category students will have to pay Rs 2000 and OBC candidates Rs 1000 to sit for the mock test. The objective of the test is to familiarise the students with the computer-based test and about the exam centres.

The Ministry of Health, however, has asked for a fee waiver, media reports said.

The NExT will basically serve two purposes – certifying the eligibility of the medical graduates to register and practice in India and ranking the students seeking PG admission. The test will be held in two phases. Foreign medical graduates will also have to sit for the NExT to practise in India. 

Hundreds of medical students have, however, expressed their strong reservations about NExT, arguing that it lacks clarity. The 2019 batch, in particular, are of the view that they are being made ‘guinea pigs’ in the entire exercise. The Federation of Resident Doctors Association has also lent their support to the agitating medical graduates.

“What mistake did the 2019 batch do? Ans: He dreamed of MBBS in the country. Is NMC really an institute…”, it said on its Twitter handle.

Protesting against NExT, a MBBS Student in Rohtak maintained that the test will cause more harm than good for the medical education in the country. He said the priority for the final year students will shift towards preparing for the exam rather than treating the patients and gaining practical knowledge. He also feared that the test will extend the duration of the MBBS programmes as failed students will have to wait for another six months to appear in the second phase.