Now Niti Aayog considers an exit exam for MBBS students

As another reform for the medical education system in India, Niti Ayog is now considering an MBBS exit exam. All MBBS students will be required to sit for the exam. These students will be from the government and private medical colleges, both. This is being considered as yet another initiative by the government to improve the quality of doctors produced across the country. This announcement follows the bold decision by the government, including the recommendation by the Niti Aayog committee to scrap MCI, in order to boost the medical education system in India.

"The main objective is to end inspector raj in the medical education sector," said an official to TOI. He added that NEET, brought to end multiplicity of exams and to usher in a free and fair process in medical admissions, along with exit exam and setting up of new regulator would help make the system more assessment-based and would focus on outcomes.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that 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. 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 practice in India.