National Exit Test will soon be mandatory for Council registration of all new doctors: NMC gazette

New Delhi: As soon as the National Exit Test (NExT) becomes implemented by the National Medical Commission, it will be mandatory for both Indian and Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) to clear this exam to obtain a temporary or permanent registration.

However, until then, the "licence to practice and prevailing system of Registration shall continue", NMC has stated in the recently released guidelines titled "Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine Regulations, 2023".

After NExT replaces the existing system, FMGs will have to clear this examination to get a provisional registration for enrolling in the mandatory Internship Programme. 

Passing this exam will also be a must for both the Indian Medical Graduates and FMGs to apply for permanent registration in the National Medical Register, NMC has clarified in the Gazette notification dated May 10, 2023.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that four years after first hinting that there will be a common National Medical Register for all the registered medical practitioners of the country, the NMC has finally announced the formation of the same.

According to the NMC Gazette notification published in this regard, there will be a common medical register titled National Medical Register that will be maintained by the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) under the NMC.

Along with specifying the details of the entries contained in the National Medical Register (NMR), the NMC notification has also made the passing of NEXT examination compulsory for both Indian and Foreign Medical Graduates for the purpose of registration with the NMR.

The Apex medical commission has addressed both the processes of obtaining provisional registration for internship training and also the process of registration in NMR for licence to practice.

Further, each doctor will now have a Unique Identification (UID) Number, which shall be generated centrally by the NMC Ethics Board and thereby grant the practitioner, Registration in NMR and Eligibility to practice medicine in India. The notification also mentions that a processing fee for generation of UID (as prescribed by EMRB, NMC from time to time) shall be payable in favour of the NMC Secretary.

Also Read: Finally, NMC Announces A Common National Medical Register for All Doctors

Provisional registration for Internship training:

i. Any person who has passed the qualifying examination of any University or medical institution in India for the grant of a recognized medical qualification shall be entitled to be registered provisionally for the purpose of internship training and on an application made for provisional registration to the concerned State Medical Council.

ii. Any person who obtains a foreign medical qualification and qualifies the National Exit Test (NExT) held under section 15 of the Act, and fulfils conditions specified in the Foreign Medical Graduated Regulations, 2021 may also be granted provisional registration for doing internship by the concerned State Medical Council.

Registration in National Medical Register (NMR) for licence to practice:

i. Any person who obtains a primary medical qualification recognized under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 and qualifies the National Exit Test held under section 15 of the Act, shall be entitled for grant of registration in NMR.

ii. Any person who obtains a foreign medical qualification and qualifies the National Exit Test held under section 15 of the Act, shall also be entitled for grant of registration in NMR, subject to fulfilment of conditions specified in the Foreign Medical Graduates Regulation, 2021.

iii. Generation of Unique Identification (UID) Number: An UID shall be generated centrally by the Ethics & Medical Registration Board (EMRB), National Medical Commission (NMC) and thereby grant the practitioner, Registration in NMR and Eligibility to practice medicine in India.

iv. A processing fee for generation of UID (as prescribed by EMRB, NMC from time to time shall be payable), in favour of the Secretary, NMC.

The notification also notes that "Until such time that these Regulations and appropriate sections are in force, licence to practice and prevailing system of Registration shall continue."

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that NExT, a common exit exam envisaged by the government to standardize medical education across the country, was proposed by NMC as a part of the bill passed in the year 2019.

Section 15 of the NMC Act provides for the conduct of a common final year undergraduate examination, to be known as the National Exit Test (NExT) which shall be the basis for Registration to practice medicine, admission to PG medical courses and Screening Test for foreign medical graduates to practice modern medicine.

The NExT was supposed to be operational within three years from the commencement of the NMC Act, 2019 i.e. 25th September 2022 and conducted through a designated authority and in such a manner as may be specified by regulations. The Act came into force in September 2020.

Last year, NMC finally released the proposed draft regulations related to National Exit Test (NExT) and put an end to the speculations regarding the manner of the exam and its other details.

In the Draft, NMC provided all the details related to the NExT exam detailing its objective, applicability, its bifurcation into STEP 1 and STEP 2 and how these two steps examinations be conducted as well as the calculations and validity and the uses of the NeXT scores.

According to the draft, NEXT step 1 scores will be used towards PG entrance and NEXT STEP 2 will be a qualifying exam. The validity of the NEXT STEP 1 score towards PG entrance shall be 3 years and at the same time there is no limit on the attempts at both the exams provided that the candidate has passed both NExT Step 1 and NExT Step 2 Examination within 10 years of joining the MBBS Course

Back then, NMC had clarified that NExT shall be applicable to-

(i) All undergraduate medical students pursuing the degree ofMBBS in all Medical Colleges asapproved by the National Medical Commission through the Medical Assessment and RatingBoard as well as the Undergraduate Medical Education Board

(ii) All Foreign Medical Graduates approved by the National Medical Commission for the purposeof obtaining licence to practice medicine as a registered medical practitioner in India and forenrolement in the State Register or the National Register, as the case may be in such manner asmay be specified by regulations.

(iii) Any other person with a Medical Degree for purpose such as pursuing an academic course,observership or any other purposes as may be specified and approved by the National MedicalCommission through due notification or regulations from time to time

Also Read: NMC releases draft gazette on NEXT with details, invites comments