No MBBS NexT in next 6 months; NEET-PG 2023 to be held earlier than previous year

NMC is planning a merger of NBE with NMC for the smooth conduct of the PG entrance exam for MBBS graduates.

The much talked about MBBS exit exam, NExT, is unlikely to take place in the next six months, thus putting to rest speculations that the National Exit Test will be held in January 2023. The NMC is also mulling a merger of the National Board of Examination (NBE) with NMC for proper and smooth conduct of the PG entrance exam for MBBS graduates.

The NMC has also stated that NEET PG 2023 will be conducted earlier than the previous year, this is in order to streamline the conduct of the examination which has suffered a huge backlog because of COVID-19 impact.

Today representatives of the Indian Medical Association- Medical Students Network (IMA-MSN) met National Medical Commission (NMC) board members with their various concerns and demands and apprised them on the ambiguity over NEET / NExT Pattern, Provision of the stipend in private and deemed universities, demand for One Nation-One Stipend, and about the confusion over the new internship guidelines, family adoption programme by first-year medical students & eligibility of 2017 batch on upcoming NEET PG 2023 exams.

The board said that concrete decisions over the pattern of NExT and its implementation is yet to be taken. “However, the board assured of the fact that we can't expect NExT exam in upcoming 6 months,” the association said.

In response to the date of the NEET PG/NExT examination, the board stated that they are waiting for directions from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. In continuation to the talk, the officials said that the board may think of merging NBE with NMC for proper & smooth conduct of the PG entrance exam for MBBS graduates.

The IMA-MSN in a statement stated: “The board asked us to wait for an official circular by NMC and refrain from believing rumours about the NExT exam. In favour of NExT, the board quoted that idea of bringing the NExT pattern of examination is to regularise the system of conducting exams uniformly across all medical colleges of the country so that none of the medical colleges lags in their curriculum and that the present issue of ineligibility over NEET PG by medical students of few states due to delayed internship can be waived off.”

Medical Colleges to Strictly follow NMC Internship guidelines

In relation to the persisting confusion over the eligibility criteria for new internship guidelines, the board in its clear statement stated that it has directed every medical college through official notification to follow new internship guidelines from current intern batches itself.

Medical students across the country will now undergo internships according to the log book that will be laid down by their respective medical colleges which will benefit them in many ways as affirmed by NMC board members.

In reply to the family adoption programme for first-year medical students, the board added that the NMC under its action plan is committed to bringing out a family adoption programme for first-year medical students across all medical colleges in the country in order to connect doctors with the community at the grass-root level.

Over the eligibility of the 2017 batch for the NEET PG 2023 exam across medical colleges of the country. Quoting the example of Bihar where internships for some medical colleges started in July 2022, the board in its clear statement replied by saying that it is very less likely that the students will be able to take the NEET PG exam in 2023.

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