Will it be NEET or NEXT in 2023? Worried MBBS students urge NMC to issue a clarification soon

The year 2023 is full of uncertainties for MBBS students who wish to pursue a higher degree. The National Medical Commission (NMC) had issued a notification that the NEET PG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Postgraduate) and FMGE (Foreign Medical Graduate Examination) would be replaced with the NEXT (National Exit Test) exam in the upcoming year. The NEXT exam is meant as a qualifying/licensing exam. The attempt is to devise a common qualifying exam throughout the country.

However, since its announcement, NMC has not yet brought out any notification or clarification on the subject, which has led to worry among students. The NEXT exam was proposed to be scheduled in January 2023, which is roughly six months from now. The students are demanding that NMC and NBEMS (National Board Of Examinations In Medical Sciences) should announce the clarifications soon so that they have enough time to prepare for the licensing test. And if the NEXT exam is not held, then they would prepare for NEET PG.

Students have taken to Twitter to pose this demand. “Is NEET-PG 2023 postponed to May? Why there is no transparency in our medical system? Neither any information about NEET/NEXT which would be held either in 2023? So much mental pressure that no system can understood,” reads a tweet from Dr Ismael siddiqui (@broken_intern), an MBBS doctor. 

Another tweet by Dr Rohan Krishnan (@DrRohanKrishna3), National President of FAIMA (Federation of All India Medical Association), read, “Well i request @NBEMS_INDIA @MoHFW_INDIA @NMC_IND to clear the air about NEET/ NEXT Atleast 6-8 months before exams with detailed syllabus. Any last minute abrupt changes will not be accepted and we will do a Nation wise protest if apt time, detailed syllabus is nt maintained.”

Speaking to EdexLive on the matter, Dr Rohan said, “There is no official notice from the NMC on the exam yet. There is also no transparency on whether NEET or NEXT exam will be conducted. We want the government to issue a notification on the plan of action. We want them to clarify the exam pattern as well”.

Dr Rohan, through another tweet, mentioned that he had a meeting with the MoHFW (Ministry of Health and Family Affairs) officials regarding the issue and the date of the exam is yet to be finalised, though the exam, whether NEET or NEXT, would be held in January 2023.

However, replying to this tweet, many students expressed their unhappiness with the announcement of the NEXT exam. “Sir; NEXT would mean admissions will happen after 1 yr in 2024; not 2023. That would cause a gap of 1 yr of PG. It would make most sense to conduct NEET PG 2023 in Jan as scheduled and then do NEXT 2024 in march/April and NEXT 2025 in Jan 2024,“ a tweet from an account with the name DownACliff (@WrongTurn2022) reads. 

"Please ask for neet sir we already lost a lot of time this year we cant change our preparations in 5 months,” another tweet from Pavi Thiru (@paviThiru1) reads.

“Sir anyupdate about exam when can we expect an official notice regarding weather its neet or next 2023?!as u mentioned plz clarify this before counseling get an official statemnet from them plz.atleast this can provide justice to us.just a clarity plz ask then not to mess dis tym,” a tweet from Dr Mounika (@MegaMouni) expresses.