The National Medical Commission has made proposals under the name of License to Practice Medicine-2022, Registration of Additional Qualifications-2022.
National Medical Commission (NMC) (Previously, the Medical Council of India) is responsible for the standards and management of medical education in the country, is taking steps towards key changes in the medical field. The National Exit Test has been under discussion since the inception of the NMC.
What is NEXT?
National Exit Test a joint examination for admission into PG and Super Specialty courses, which will replace NEET-PG Entrance for PG admissions after MBBS. It will also be conducted for students who have completed MBBS abroad and intend to practice in India, which will replace Foreign Medical Graduation Examination (FMGE).
As a joint examination for the MBBS Final
There is also a proposal to conduct the National Exit Test as a joint final exam for MBBS students in all the states of the country. It is a known fact that MBBS final examinations are now conducted separately in all the states under the auspices of the Medical Education Departments of the respective State Governments. This is expected to indicate differences in pass percentages and skills in students. As a solution to this, the National Medical Commission (NMC) is of the view that if NEXT is conducted as a joint examination for the MBBS finals, it will be possible to know the knowledge gained by the students in line with the national standards.
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NEXT in two steps
NMC plans to conduct NEXT in two phases (NEXT-1, NEXT-2,). This was discussed at a high-level meeting a few months ago. It is learned that NMC has proposed to hold NEXT-1 after completion of Final Theory Part and NEXT-2 after completion of rotating internship the following year. Steps are being taken to implement these proposals from the 2022 academic year i.e., for the students who joined MBBS in 2022. They will have to pass the NEXT exams in 2026 and 2027.
NEXT Eligibility
Must have completed MBBS from a recognized University / Medical College to attend NEXT. In addition, a compulsory rotating medical internship of 12 months must be completed. Those who complete these will be allowed to apply for NEXT. After passing NEXT you will have the opportunity to register in the National Medical Registry, or in the State Medical Registers.
The number of students studying MBBS abroad is also in the thousands. The NMC has set some criteria for making it compulsory to pass the NEXT for higher education and practice in the country. They are -
- Indian students studying MBBS abroad must complete the course at an NMC recognised medical education institution.
- Must have completed a Medical Internship called Compulsory Rotating House Menship at an NMC Accredited College or Hospital in our country.
- After completing both these you can apply to NEXT.
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Candidates who have so far completed medical education abroad and are returning are appearing for the FMGE exam. This test will be replaced by NEXT
It is expected that the NEXT-1 can be administered as a theory test and the NEXT-2 as a practical test.
NEXT Exam Pattern:
The NEXT test will be conducted in two stages. NEXT-1 will be conducted for 960 marks with a total of 240 questions in two sections - Major and Minor Subjects. Four marks will be allotted for each question. There is also a negative marking policy. One mark will deducted for each incorrect answer. The examination is conducted with multiple choice questions in Objective mode. The Commission clarified that questions will be asked from all the 19 subjects in MBBS as mentioned in the MCI Curriculum.
Major Subject Number of Related Subject Questions Number of Minor Subject Questions
- In Major Subject Medicine, related subjects will be Dermatology, Psychiatry (55Q) and minor subject will be Pediatrics (25Q)
- In Major Subject Surgery, related subjects will be Orthopedics, Anesthesia (60Q) and minor subject will be ENT (20Q)
- In Major Subject Obstetrics and Gynecology related subject will be Radiology (60Q) and minor subject Ophthalmology (20Q)
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NEXT-2: Completely practical skills will be tested through NEXT-2, which will be conducted after the completion of one year internship. It seems that this test will be conducted in six sessions over a period of three days.
MBBS students must pass both NEXT-1 and NEXT-2. Students should qualify in NEXT-1 in order to get into the internship. The requirement that the candidates should pass with at least 50 per cent marks in both the stages will also be enforced.
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