Exit exam for MBBS graduates from next year likely

Corresponding with the decision of implementation of Neet as the only medical entrance examination from next academic year and partially this year, there is also an exit exam for MBBS graduates likely to take place from the next academic session. The decision is being contemplated by the government, with a single objective of judging the skills acquired by medical students while pursuing their course. It will enable it to judge if the MBBS doctors are good enough to practice. The Health Ministry is mulling over including the MBBS exit exam in the all-India PG medical entrance exam.

If implemented, the year 2017-18 will be the first academic session where MBBS grads will be required to take the mandatory exam and score prescribed percentiles for practicing medicine.

The government is planning to provide the license to practice to only those UG medical students who achieve predetermined quality level, through their marks secured in the exit exam.

Foreign graduates seeking to practice in India will also be required to appear for the three-in-one exam. The separate exam (Foreign Graduates Medical Exam) might be done away with, so that PG medical entrance examination can be availed by foreign students as well.

A ministry source implied that the proposal is also keeping in mind the foreign graduates, Persons of Indian Origin and Overseas Citizens of India holding foreign medical degrees to appear only for a single exam, for testing their eligibility to practice in India.

"There will be no additional burden on MBBS students. The objective is to see if the graduate is good enough to practice medicine at the end of his course. We are, however, not proposing a new exam for MBBS exit. The existing all-India PG entrance exam conducted annually around November-end will be used for this purpose. The proposal is to use the PG exam for MBBS exit as also for testing foreign graduates who seek licences to practise in India," a Health Ministry official said to Tribune.

The ministry's reasoning for PG test as the MBBS exit exam is that 95 per cent MBBS graduates appear for all-India PG entrance exam.

"Those who secure a minimum 45 percentile in the PG entrance exam are eligible to apply for PG courses. This criteria can be fixed as the threshold for MBBS exit exam, which means graduates who touch this mark will be eligible to practice medicine," a ministry official said.