Here’s what doctors think of NExT medical exam?

The indianexpress.com spoke to some stakeholders, including students who will be giving NExT, and students who are not sure whether they will have to give it or not as the date for NExT is not decided yet. While most have welcomed the decision, some were not particularly happy about it. However, one issue that remains common among all — confusion regarding the conduct of NExT.

Sparsh Singh, MBBS student, Maharani Laxmibai Medical College, Jhansi 

It is a good initiative. It will eliminate the system where more weightage is given to any subject. On paper everything seems perfect, however, there is a lot of confusion regarding its implementation. There is a lot of grey area as to how things will work out — especially if you apply for improvement, and how seats will be allotted. There are a lot of question marks. But, I believe that the confusion will be sorted out once it is implemented. The students are apprehensive as no one wants to be a lab rat for any kind of experimentation but the silver lining of
what I find is, it will be the same for everyone and I know we will sail through this.

Dr Sharad Aggarwal, National President, IMA 

Any change is welcome for improvement. However, I don’t understand the need for NExT, as our existing medical system has been appreciated by countries across the world. Our students also go through difficult exams and work hard to clear them. The medical profession is based on a lot of practice and with the introduction of one more exam, students will focus more on clearing yet another exam rather than focusing on practicals. They won’t be able to develop their clinical acumen. Introducing NExT for the FMGE students is still advisable as we don’t know what is their standard of study but here in India, I don’t think it is a well-thought-off process

Dr Rohan Krishnan, Chairperson, FAIMA

I think it is a welcoming move by the government but it should be implemented properly for facilitating the students. There should be mock training for teachers and students as there is confusion regarding how the exam will be conducted and when it will be conducted. It is a good idea to bring uniformity but there is no need for such a long gap between NExT 1 and 2. The gap can be reduced to three to four months. Also in some places, especially in South India, there are two batches running at one time and with NExT, the second batch will have to wait more than one-and-a-half-year to appear for the exam.

The NMC should also conduct a training session for all the deans so they get accustomed to everything and similarly teach the professors and teachers about the exam. As per reports, NMC will set up a new body conducting NExT, in this new body there should be equal participation from all parts of the country.

Boentika Singh, MBBS student, Sarojini Naidu Medical College, Agra (She doesn’t have to give NExT)–

Finally, it is coming into action. There is a standardisation of exams irrespective of your undergraduate college be it in India or abroad. In the current scenario, people try to run away from their postings, why? Because they are simultaneously preparing for an exam. But, with NExT in action, you need to prepare and do the internship properly and now NExT (NExT 2) is solely for your internship, post internship you need to clear your clinical rotation.

An internship is one of the most important parts because in MBBS you are exposed to 19 subjects and you get an idea which branch is for you. Though it is not confirmed when exactly would NExT be implemented, the curriculum of our college is changing, preparing the juniors for NExT – they are giving MCQ exams as well in theory. There are changes in the number of subjects as well. There will be uniformity in exams and there will be no gaps in the timeline.

Shubhajeet Roy, MBBS student, KGMU, Lucknow (Unsure whether he will appear NExT)–

I am an MBBS student of the 2019 batch. And, according to the timeline given by NMC, we should be giving NExT but since it has not been announced yet, I am not sure whether we will be taking it or not. It is a good thing that the Indian government is trying to set up a system that is parallel to that in the US. However, things need to be more planned for coming into materialisation. In the USA, the students are allowed to appear for repeated attempts but the scores are not calculated through an average formula. Here, they will take the average of the last three scores and that is what a lot of students are complaining about. In the USA, students are informed much in advance. It’s a good step as it is towards advancement and standardisation.

Whenever happens, the NExT step 1 will be before the internship whereas NEET PG used to be after the internship. Now, students can devote more time to internships. NExT step 2 will be focussed on their clinical skills. There will be more application-based knowledge in this exam. The world is moving towards objective exams and this is a welcome step.

Being the first batch won’t be comfortable as there are no past papers to rely on, plus unlike a three-hour exam it will be six exams for a total of 13.5 hours. As students start preparing for such life-changing exams 1-2 years before the exam, the government should inform the students much in advance.

Navreet Kaur, Sir Salimullah Medical College and Hospital, University of Dhaka (Foreign Medical Graduate Student, 2019)

There is no mention of foreign medical graduates and how they will go about it. They have taken out a schedule for NExT. There is no coordination between the exams in India (NExT exam) and those abroad. If the college exam clashes with the NExT, how will students manage? They should give some time to students and include students studying abroad. More and more foreign-returned students are opting for MRCP, PLAB as they have clear instructions. We also want to serve our country but for that, we need to feel included in the education system. They should take foreign students into consideration as there are many students who go abroad to complete their medical education.

Dr Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, Director, RDJD Medical College, Dean, Students Welfare Aryabhatta Knowledge University–

NExT is a pandora of confusion. Why is this government questioning the degrees given by their own colleges accredited by the government? They are talking about uniformity of exams, however, both the practical exams will be conducted by the universities themselves. I don’t believe they should end age-old systems in one go, instead, they should modify the existing system and monitor them. It is not a perfect alternative, it would not uplift the standard of education. It is more or less a bureaucratic exercise.