Painful Wait: With NEET MDS Counseling Pending, Thousands of Dentists waiting for Allotment
New Delhi: Reeling under the acute shortage of doctors and healthcare workers in the country, the Central Government recently took several decisions including postponing the NEET-PG examination and continue utilizing the service of Resident doctors among others. However, it seems like everyone has quite forgotten about a huge workforce waiting to serve the country and waiting for their allotment to institutions after clearing NEET-MDS 2021 exam.
As a result, thousands of BDS graduates are waiting since 31.12.2021, the date of publication of NEET-MDS 2021 results, for the commencement of the counseling process that usually gets conducted online.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the National Board of Examinations (NBE) had invited online applications for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for admission to PG dental courses- NEET MDS 2021 for the academic year 2021-22. The exam was scheduled to be conducted on 16.12.2021 and its results were published on December 31, last year.
NEET-MDS is an eligibility-cum-ranking examination prescribed as the single entrance examination for admission to various MDS Courses under Dentists Act, 1948 (amended from time to time). However, the responsibility of NBE is limited to the conduct of NEET MDS, declaration of the result and handling of the result to MCC, DGHS, MoHFW for onward transmission to State Counseling Authorities. NBE has no role in counseling and allotment of seats.
Also Read: NBE invites online applications for NEET MDS 2021
Four months have passed since the publication of results, but these post-graduate aspirants are still waiting for the commencement of the online counseling process.
Speaking to Medical Dialogues, one such doctor who cleared the exam said, "The allotment was bound to start by March, however we did expect delay due to the pandemic. On filing an RTI we got the information that our counseling will be done by the MCC along with NEET PG only."
"Around 28000 students have appeared for the exam and have been waiting for the allotment for over 4 months now. Besides, the government has completely closed their eyes on the dentist force in the COVID fight. The MDS post-graduates will be of utmost use in the COVID force and with our allotment it would only help the exhausted COVID frontline workers," he added.
Also Read: NEET PG postponed for 4 months, exam only after 31st August 2021: PMO
Expressing disappointment over the recent decision by the Government to postpone the NEET PG exam, which resulted in delay in the counseling process of the MDS students as well, the doctor further added, "With our exam and result declaration already been done, an Online counseling is all that is pending. The government could easily go ahead with this and recruit members to fight COVID instead of pushing the NEET PG for more workforce."
"With NEET PG being postponed to August, we have to wait for another 4 months, which takes 8 months of our careers to no use when healthcare workers are much needed now more than anything," the doctor further told Medical Dialogues.
Expressing frustration over the scenario where the dental students are being ignored, the doctor further said, "We are the most ignored set of doctors now in this country, while we have also worked hard for 5 and half years just like any other doctors. The reality is, difference between a BDS and an MBBS student is just 0.25 or 0.5 marks in the qualifying exam mostly sheer luck. That much difference, but what we face is injustice and insult throughout our lives."
The dental students have started voicing their protest on social media handles as well.
One user wrote on Twitter, "NEET-MDS 2021students are waiting for counseling since 4 months, Online seat allotment procedure can itself provide efficient doctors who can help govt to overcome this Covid19 pandemic please start the online counseling for NEETMDS 2021 @drharshvardhan @PMOIndia @MoHFW_INDIA."
Expressing concern over wasting one year of career due to the pandemic, another doctor wrote, "Why is NEET-MDS counseling and NEET-PG exam being clubbed? There is no hindrance in covid protocol as counseling is conducted online. We doctors can't wait any longer and waste one year like this. Help ! #NEETMDS2021 #neetmds @drharshvardhan @MoHFW_INDIA @PMOIndia @anubha1812."
Requesting for acknowledgment, another doctor wrote, "We gave the NEET MDS exam and even got the results on Dec 31st. It's been 4 months and we haven't gotten any notification about the counseling. All we ask is to acknowledge us Conduct our counseling online! Don't waste the manpower which is needed rn We are doctors too! #NEETMDS."
