What does New MBBS Curriculum say about NEXT? Check out Details
New Delhi: In the recently released CBME Curriculum for the MBBS course, the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) has stated that the Third Professional Part II examination will be called the National Exit Test (NExT) and it shall be held at the end of 17th / 18th month of that training.
According to the NMC Guidelines specifying the new MBBS curriculum, NExT shall be held in the subjects of General Medicine, General Surgery, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and paediatrics and allied subjects as per NExT regulations.
Medical Dialogues had recently reported that following the publication of the Graduate Medical Education Regulations 2023 in the official Gazette on June 02, 2023, the UG Board of NMC has now issued the new curriculum for MBBS students.
Issuing a circular in this regard on June 12, 2023, the Director of the UGMEB, Shambhu Sharan Kumar informed, "All previously issued Notifications/circulars/clarifications shall now be void and superseded by these new guidelines."
These new guidelines including the new CBME curriculum for the MBBS students "shall be applicable to all the admission made in MBBS course in a medical college in the academic year 2023-24."
While specifying the phase-wise training and time distribution for professional development, NMC also addressed the issue of University Examinations. As per the new curriculum, University examinations shall be held under- (a) first professional examination, (b) second professional examination, and (c) third professional examination.
Also Read: New Curriculum for MBBS notified by NMC
NMC has clarified that there will be Part I and Part II examinations in the case of the Third Professional year. The curriculum mentioned that the Third Professional Part I examination shall be held at end of third Professional part 1 of training ( 12th month of that training) in the subjects of Community. Medicine, and Forensic Medicine including Toxicology.
Referring to the Third Professional Part II examination, the Curriculum termed it as the "National Exit Test" and mentioned, "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."
The Curriculum also includes the academic calendar for CBME 2023-2024 batch. According to the time table, the MBBS students of the 2023-2024 batch will appear in the NExT examination in December 2027 or January 2028.
Academic Calendar for CBME 2023-24 Batch:
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) providing details regarding the manner of the exam and its other details.
In the Draft, NMC informed about the objective of NExT, its 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
