Soon NEXT will become mandatory to get license to practice
New Delhi: After introducing the National Exit Test (NEXT) in the Indian medical education system, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has taken another step towards uniformity with the recently released "Draft Regulations of License to Practice Medicine, 2022."While the former had been introduced as a uniform gateway for the graduating doctors (from both India and Abroad), the latter has...
New Delhi: After introducing the National Exit Test (NEXT) in the Indian medical education system, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has taken another step towards uniformity with the recently released "Draft Regulations of License to Practice Medicine, 2022."
While the former had been introduced as a uniform gateway for the graduating doctors (from both India and Abroad), the latter has now confirmed that soon NEXT will become mandatory for doctors to get the license to practice in India.
Although the new graduates will be required to clear the upcoming uniform licentiate examination NEXT for earning their registration, NMC has also announced that the existing doctors will not have to appear for this test for the purpose of registration anymore.
"In accordance with Section 33 of the NMC Act, an Indian Medical Graduate who has been registered in the Indian Medical Register maintained under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and / or registered by a State Medical Council prior to the coming into force of this Act and before the National Exit Test becomes operational under sub-section (3) of Section 15, shall be deemed to have enrolled in the National Register maintained under this Act and hence obtained license to practice Medicine," clarified NMC.
Medical Dialogues had recently reported about the new "Draft Regulations of License to Practice Medicine, 2022," which apart from discussing the rules for doctors to obtain medical license in India had also dealt with the processes of "Registration of Additional Qualifications 2022" and "Temporary Registration of the Foreign Medical Practitioner to Practice Medicine in India."
Such regulations have been introduced by the apex medical regulator when the National Exit Test is expected to change the entire process of registering new doctors in India.
NEXT would not only serve as a licentiate exam for those who have done MBBS in India as well as abroad but would also serve as a gateway to admission to the postgraduate broad-speciality medical education in the country. The exam is going to be attempted by Indian medical graduates and foreign medical graduates (FMGs) alike, thus providing a level playing field for all to practice in the country.
Also Read: A sneak peak into NEXT exam
Regarding the eligibility condition for obtaining Licence to Practice Medicine in India, the new Draft Regulations have time and again stressed upon the importance of NEXT. The eligibility conditions for the new medical graduates for practicing medicine in India are as follows:
- Licence to Practice Medicine for those who have obtained their Primary Medical Qualification in India: applicable to Indian Medical Graduates:
The eligibility requirements for Licence to Practice Medicine is subject to fulfilment of any of the following set of requirements [(a) or (b) or (c)] by an Indian Medical Graduates. To be eligible for Licence to Practice Medicine all of the following conditions and sub-sections thereof must be fulfilled after the National Exit Test (NExT) held under Section 15 of the NMC Act becomes operational-
(i) The person should have obtained the graduate medical qualification in modern scientific system of medicine/ allopathy, MBBS, in India, duly recognized by the National Medical Commission as regulated by the "Graduate Medical Education Regulation, 1997" and "Regulations on Graduate Medical Education (Amendment), 2019"with subsequent amendments, if any, duly recognized by the National Medical Commission under Section 61(2) of the NMC Act, 2019;
(ii) Completed one year / 12 months of Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship as regulated by the "Graduate Medical Education Regulation, 1997" and subsequent amendments duly recognized by the National Medical Commission under Section 61(2) of the NMC Act.
(iii) In accordance with Section 33(1) of the National Medical Commission Act 2019, qualifies the National Exit Test (NexT) held under Section 15 of this act, after this becomes operational.
b. Before, the National Exit Test (NExT) held under section 15 of the NMC Act, 2019 comes into force the existing system of the registration of medical practitioners shall continue.
c. In accordance with Section 33 of the NMC Act, an Indian Medical Graduate who has been registered in the Indian Medical Register maintained under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and / or registered by a State Medical Council prior to the coming into force of this Act and before the National Exit Test becomes operational under sub-section (3) of Section 15, shall be deemed to have enrolled in the National Register maintained under this Act and hence obtained license to practice Medicine.
- Licence to Practice Medicine for those who have obtained their Primary Medical Qualification in any country other than India: applicable to Foreign Medical Graduates:
The eligibility requirements for Licence to Practice Medicine is subject to fulfilment of any of the following set of requirements [(a) or (b) or (c) or (d)] by a Foreign Medical Graduate
(a) As stipulated in the foreign medical graduate licentiate regulations 2021 National Medical Commission Act 2019, Section 33 (2), for a Foreign medical Graduate to be eligible for Licence to Practice Medicine, all of the following conditions and sub-sections thereof must be fulfilled after the National Exit Test (NexT) held under Section 15 of the NMC Act becomes operational
(i) The person should have obtained a medical qualification in modern scientific system of medicine/ allopathy from a medical institution established in any country outside India and recognized and listed in the Schedule maintained by NMC;
(ii) Is recognized and Registrable as medical practitioner in that country;
(iii) In accordance with Section 33(1) of the National Medical Commission Act 2019, qualifies the National Exit Test (NexT) held under Section 15 of this act, after this becomes operational;
(iv) He does compulsory rotating Houseman ship (medical Internship) in an NMC recognised College/Hospital before taking further step of NexT-Test;
(v) Any other requirement as may be specified / notified including but not limited to the Screening Test Regulations, 2002; and the Eligibility Requirement for taking admission in an undergraduate medical course in a Foreign Medical Institution Regulations, 2002 of the erstwhile Medical Council of India with amendments duly recognized by the NMC under Section 61(2) of the NMC Act and the Foreign Medical Graduates Licentiate Regulations 2021 of the NMC Act, 2019.
(b) Before, the National Exit Test (NExT) held under section 15 of the NMC Act, 2019 comes into force the existing system of the registration of the foreign medical graduates shall continue.
(c) In accordance with Section 33 of the NMC Act, a Foreign Medical Graduate who has been registered in the Indian Medical Register maintained under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and / or registered by a State Medical Council prior to the coming into force of this Act and before the National Exit Test becomes operational under sub-section (3) of Section 15, shall be deemed to have obtained Licence to Practice Medicine under this Act and be enrolled in the National Register maintained under this Act.
(d) Unless otherwise notified, the provisions of Section 40 of the NMC Act 2019 shall apply after the National Exit Test (NExT) becomes operational.
Although the rules have clearly mentioned that it is mandatory for the new doctors to clear the National Exit Test (NEXT), NMC has also clarified that the existing doctors will not have to appear for the same as they "shall be deemed to have enrolled in the National Register maintained under this Act and hence obtained license to practice Medicine."
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