IMA opposes implementation, asks med commission to rethink provisions
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to the National Medical Commission (NMC) to reconsider certain provisions of NExT, as it would jeopardise the affordability and accessibility of medical education
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CHENNAI: The government doctors in TN have requested the State Government to intervene in the implementation of the National Exit Test (NExT). They claimed that it would lower the quality of medical education and hence, should not be implemented.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to the National Medical Commission (NMC) to reconsider certain provisions of NExT, as it would jeopardise the affordability and accessibility of medical education.
The deadline for giving feedback on the implementation and preparation to conduct the NExT ended on Wednesday. Even as the State government continues to oppose National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), several government doctors’ associations in TN said that the exam would impact the quality of medical education.
One test for the entire country would only profit the private centres, even after medicos complete the course. The IMA has also pointed out: “Using the same exam to test the basic minimum required for licensing and highest standards required for post-graduate entrance assessment is completely illogical. Moreover, it cannot serve both as a licentiate exam and a PG entrance exam, as the focus of the licensing exam should be on assessing the minimum standard while that of the PG exam should be to select the most meritorious students.”
Dr GR Ravindranath, secretary of Doctor’s Association for Social Equality said that the test was a violation of State rights. “It would only lead to substandard quality of medical services in the State. So, the NMC must immediately cancel the decision to the exam.”
Earlier, the NMC had announced that the NExT exam will be conducted compulsorily from 2023 for the 2019-batch students. The TN Medical Students Association and the TN Dental Students’ Association also expressed strong opposition to the exam.
Many students opined that the test would only serve the coaching centres, similar to the ones for NEET, and would hamper their academic and clinical skills. The NMC had said that the 2020-batch students will compulsorily write the exam in 2025.
The State government doctors have urged the government to write to the Union Health Ministry about it and cancel the exam. Officials from the Directorate of Medical Education said that Chief Minister MK Stalin had already written to the Union Government stating that it would not benefit the students or the government.