Exit exam for medical grads likely from 2024

The National Exit (NEXT) examination - a common qualifying criterion for final-year undergraduate medical students, the measure for merit-based allocation of postgraduate seats, and the screening mechanism for foreign medical graduates wanting to practise in India - will be introduced next year, according to a senior government functionary.

- Rhythma Kaul

'UNIFORMITY IN EVALUATION'

The combined NEXT exam will also serve as the mandatory licentiate examination for undergraduate medical students to practice modern medicine in India.

"The final decision is that the exit exam will be conducted in 2024. Preparations will be made accordingly," said the senior government official cited above, asking not to be named.

HT reported last month that regulations for the NEXT examination for medical graduates were being finalised, and would be placed before India's medical education regulator in a meeting in early June.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) in December last year put draft regulations related to NEXT in the public domain for comments. The objective of these rules is to bring in uniformity in evaluation across the country with reference to the minimum common standards of education and training of medical graduates.