Despite new CBME rules, the NEXT Dilemma Continues

New Delhi: With the National Medical Commission (NMC) recently releasing its CBME Regulations, governing the entire functioning of MBBS education in India, there were hopes that there would be clarity on the future of the National Exit Test (NExT) in the coming few years.

However, the guidelines have silently ignored to address the question of since when NExT will be applicable adding to the dilemma of thousands of students who are currently pursuing their MBBS.

The Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Guidelines, 2023, which are effective from August 01, 2023, talk about various aspects of MBBS admission. Regarding the students, who are going to join the MBBS course this year i.e. 2023-2024, the regulations make it clear that they will give their NExT exam in 2028.

What do New CBME Regulations mention about NExT?

According to the academic calendar for the MBBS batch of 2023-2024, which has been published by the NMC in the final CBME Regulations 2023, NExT step 1 will be held in February 2028 and NExT step 2 exam will be held in February 2029.

These new regulations became effective on August 1, 2023, after NMC had released the draft on June 23, 2023 and invited comments regarding the same.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that through a circular dated June 12, 2023, NMC released the CBME curriculum for the MBBS course, which was later withdrawn and cancelled.

According to the academic calendar published in the previous version of the CBME curriculum, MBBS batch 2023-2024 were about to appear in the final examination or NExT in December 2027 or January 2028. 

However, later NMC withdrew and cancelled the circular dated 12.06.2023 altogether, and along with it the CBME curriculum, guidelines for Manpower requirement for research facilities in a medical college, Admission of students under "Disability Category" in MBBS course, Format for submission of information regarding admission of in a medical college were all cancelled.

According to the final CBME Regulations 2023, which came into effect on Tuesday, the duration of 4.5 years of the MBBS course has been divided into three phases. The tenure of Phase I or the First Professional phase is 12 months including a Foundation Course of one week and university exams. Similarly, the 12 months long Phase II or Second Professional phase includes university examinations. In the case of Phase III, the tenure is 30 months long and it is divided in Third Professional Part I and Part II. Among these, Third Professional Part I is 12 months long and it includes university exams. In the case of Third Professional Part II, it is 18 months long including the University exams.

"Third Professional Part II / National Exit Test (NExT) as per NExT regulations- (Final Professional) examination shall be at the end of 17th / 18th month of that training, in the subjects of General Medicine, General Surgery, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Pediatrics, and allied subjects as per NExT REGULATIONS," further mentioned the new CBME regulations.

It further clarified that 75% attendance in the electives and submission of log book maintained during electives is required for eligibility to appear in the final MBBS examination/ NEXT.

Also Read: Breaking News: No NExT Exam for 2019 MBBS batch, confirms Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya

Dilemma for NExT Continues: 

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that NMC NExT Regulations, 2023, were published in the official Gazette on June 28, 2023. "These Regulations shall come into force at once from the date of their publication in the official Gazette," mentioned the apex medical commission.

In fact, a mock test for NExT exam was scheduled to be held on July 28 and it was decided that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi would conduct the mock test.

However, opposing the decision of conducting the NExT exam for the 2019 batch, the students and doctors termed it to be a violation of the NMC Act, 2019. Referring to the 2019 Act, the doctors pointed out that the 2019 MBBS batch started on August 1, 2019, i.e. the batch started before the publication of the NMC Act 2019. Therefore, the doctors argued that conducting NExT for the 2019 batch would be a violation of the NMC Act 2019.

Even though NMC had announced that the NExT exam would be implemented from the 2019 MBBS batch, the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced at an event at AIIMS Raipur that there will be no NExT Exam for the 2019 MBBS Batch and the exam will not replace the final MBBS examinations.

Consequently, on the basis of the directions and advice of the Union Health Ministry, NMC deferred the NExT examination until further notice from the Ministry. "All the stakeholders are hereby informed that the National Exit Test (NExT) examination is deferred on the advice of the Ministry, dated 11.07.2023, till further directions from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare," stated the letter issued by NMC Secretary Dr. Pulkesh Kumar.

However, the notification issued by NMC did not address the issue of conducting NExT for the 2019 MBBS Batch and did not give any clarity regarding conducting NExT in the coming few years.

Also Read: NMC to cancel NExT Mock Test, Refund Fees to Students

Later, the NExT mock test scheduled to be held on July 28, 2023, was also cancelled and since then there has been no intimation from the side of the NMC regarding the issue of conducting NExT, the common exit cum licentiate examination.

Amidst all this uncertainty regarding the NExT examination, a recent media report by The Print mentioned that the Central Government is planning to instruct the NMC for issuing a fresh notification with a clarification that NExT for medical students will be conducted in 2025, instead of 2024, which was previously announced.

The Daily further mentioned that the Union Health Ministry is also urging the Apex medical education regulatory body NMC to include clearer instructions and address "discrepancies" found in the previous announcement.

Commenting on this, a senior Health Ministry official told The Print, “It will be the 2020 MBBS batch which will take the first NExT. Also, we are now writing to the NMC to release a fresh notification declaring the intent and also fixing the discrepancies which were there in the notification issued previously.”

Also Read: NMC releases final regulations on MBBS Curriculum