A few days ago I had written an article titled “NEET, Exit Test, No DNB: Read How Scrapping of MCI Will Affect Doctors” for details on NEET, National Exit Test and National Medical Council replacing the MCI.
In past few weeks, I have noticed that medical students and doctors have been opposing the National Exit Exam (NEXT) also known as Common Licentiate Exam. I do not see much point in the points raised by those who are opposing it.
Most of those who are opposing NEXT, do not even know that as per Reform of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, NEXT is going to serve as NEET. So scores of NEXT will be counted in the PG medical admission. Many people have been raising points that it is causing extra burden on the students, but it is not. Right now students are already appearing for NEET PG. So how does NEXT which will also serve as NEET is an extra burden on the students?
NEXT is planned to be similar to USMLE which is a standard to match and steps are being taken to do that. Right now in India, many doctors are passing out from Private medical colleges without even basic knowledge of medicine. And these people end up treating the patients. NEXT is planned to be a centralized exam to minimize these low quality doctors from entering the Indian healthcare system. We always criticize the government for not doing enough for Indian healthcare but now it is out chance to support the government in cleaning up Indian medical education system.
This exit exam is not going to affect good medical students from government medical colleges, who have good clinical skills. But this will mainly affect low quality students of private medical colleges. So I don’t see a point of protests by government medical college students or even Maharashtra Association of Medical Doctors (MARD).
The introduction of NEET is already a big step in getting a new life into Indian medical education system and exit test is only going to add to its positive points. We all have heard of many private medical college students who do not have even basic knowledge of medicine. This kind of doctors ends up ruining Indian healthcare and also the respect of the doctors in general.
Also, internal politics of private medical college faculties end up giving extra scores to their own students who are not on par with students/ doctors of government medical colleges. Nothing much can be done about this internal matters but exit test will ensure that these obvious bias in the marking system do not come into play for awarding medical practice registration certificates and even for PG medical admission.
I know that even in exit test there will be some loopholes which people will try and exploit but that should not force us to oppose a good initiative of the cleansing of Indian medical education and healthcare system.
If you agree or disagree with my opinion, kindly comment below and let us all have a healthy discussion about National Exit Test.
