NMC will soon finalize the framework and dates for the next examination for medical graduates
The National Exit (NExT) examination, a combined test for medical graduates, is currently being finalized by National Medical Commission, India’s regulatory body for medical education. The exam date will reportedly also be established during the future meeting when these requirements will be submitted to NMC.
The NExT test will serve as both the qualifying exam for final-year undergraduates and the license exam for practicing contemporary medicine. Additionally, it will be used to assign postgraduate seats to MBBS students and assess foreign medical graduates who want to work in India.
The National Medical Commission made the proposed rules for the NExT Exam available for public feedback in December 2022.
Since the National Medical Commission was established by the National Medical Commission Act of 2019, the NExT test was anticipated to begin within three years. However, the commission issued a gazette announcement delaying the deadline by a year.
The objective is to provide uniform standards of instruction and training while guaranteeing uniformity in the summative evaluation process for medical graduates throughout the nation. The academic division of the commission recently got in touch with medical schools to find out how their current batches of MBBS courses were progressing in order to simplify scheduling. The exam dates will be finalized with the use of this data.
The NExT exam will consist of two parts: NExT 1, a theoretical test, and NExT 2, a practical, clinical, and oral examination encompassing seven clinical areas or disciplines. A practice exam is also being planned by officials to help pupils get used to the process.
Prestigious institutions like the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) would be eligible to use NExT in addition to the current national eligibility-cum-entrance exam (NEET). Through this endeavor, a national standard for medical education is to be created.
