"We are surprised," says final year MBBS student from Kottayam Medical College, Kerala, Nirupama N, on hearing that the National Exit Test (NExT) exam will be held for students from 2019 batches onwards. To recall, NExT registrations began on June 28. With regard to this, the National Medical Commission (NMC) had conducted a webinar for all government medical colleges and final-year MBBS students on June 27 at 2.30 pm.
Explaining her statement further, Nirupama said, "First, NMC informed that NExT will be held for 2022 batch but now, they disclosed that it will be starting with 2019 batch. This is very last minute." Another MBBS pass from the 2017 batch, Swetha Sara Mathew, from Kerala opines, "NExT is a good option. However, 2019 batch students may not get enough time for preparation."
"Considering the exam scores will be taken into consideration for PG admissions as well, this decision is very concerning and surprising," the student shared. This exam is a life-changing exam, Nirupama stressed. With a similar view, Suyash Kulkarni, a final year MBBS student from AIIMS, Bhopal said, "NMC has given this information on short notice and even after that, we are not clear when the exam is scheduled to be held."
AIIMS curriculum
Further, Kulkarni pointed out that the AIIMS curriculum will conclude in December and state colleges' curriculum ends in May. "So, if the NExT exam is going to be held in May 2024, do we wait till May and not engage in any internship till then?" Moreover, even if the exam is being held in November 2023, it is being informed on very short notice, this will cause major problems, he adds.
Alisha Lakhani, a 2019 batch MBBS student from Shantabaa Medical College & General Hospital Amreli, Gujarat points out two major drawbacks of the webinar held by NMC. "Information provided about the exam is discrete and incomplete. Secondly, the average time a candidate is appearing for the exam is 6.5 hours (three hours one exam + two hours break + one and a half hour exam). This will create a lot of pressure on us."
"In the break time, do we eat something, drink or revise or stay in a state of panic about the next exam?" she questions. Further, preparing for two clinical subjects on the same day will be a hindrance, she stressed. Nirupama is also of a similar view that the schedule of the exam is stressful. "Paediatrics and surgery are conducted on the same day which is very stressful because both the subjects are of equal importance," she adds.
Mock tests to the rescue?
"While the mock test will make us aware of the exam pattern, announcing this on short notice is concerning," opines Kulkarni. On the other hand, Alisha Lakhani raises a very strong point when she says, "Conducting mock tests in July for an exam which is going to be in May 2024 is very early and it doesn't seem sensible." Moreover, it is a Computer based Test (CBT), so far, we have never given a CBT exam and now, we have to be familiar with it, she adds.
"Before announcing the mock test date, the NMC should announce the NExT exam dates," she suggests. Stating that mock tests are good, Nirupama opines that it'll all be based on textbook knowledge and will have MCQs. "The last time we attempted MCQs was for NEET UG and in our final years, we focus more on theory. Also, MCQs cannot be handled by everyone," she stressed. Explaining this further, she said, Questions will be asked on clinical knowledge which will be tough to be answer as these include essay answers or theory type.
"Moreover, another concern is mock tests are usually available with the coaching institutes or education portals which most of them cannot afford. So the preparation will be affected," Nirupama adds.
Gaps and delays
The gaps between the exam was not accepted well by the students. Kulkarni opines, "Exams are held for three days and mock test only for a day, so the confusion regarding the exam pattern is prevalent." Speaking about the stress, he said, "Usually, after attempting the NEET exam, we will be relieved that a big task is of our shoulders. But now, with the NExT exam, after appearing for an exam for three hours, we have another exam to attempt within a gap of two hours. This is very hectic." Nirupama agrees with the same.
Considering the schedule to be too tiring, Alisha Lakhani said this will be a drawback. "Preparing for two clinical subjects for an exam on the same day will be a hindrance to students," she says. Moreover, there is no supplementary exam and this is a pass-or-fail exam. "If one fails the exam, they should appear for the exam in the next attempt which leaves a gap of say three months to one year," adds Alisha.
Being a 2019 batch student, she said, they will complete their final year in the month of November. "If the exam is being held in May 2024, there is already a gap of 6 months. Then the counselling will take time. How do we compensate for this?" she questions. Kulkarni asks about those who want to give another attempt. There is no clarity, he adds.
FMGs POV
NExT is not just for MBBS candidates. It is one entrance exam for all Indian and Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) required to pass the final year and obtain a license to practice medicine. So, the point raised by experts we spoke to was that the context of the subjects differs in India and that of foreign medical colleges. So the exam will be tough FMGs, opines career expert Jayaprakash Gandhi.
Speaking to EdexLive, Rachita Dinesh Kurmi from Shandong University, China said, "There has been no clarity from the NMC webinar. They said NExT Step 1 will be conducted before final year exams but then what about 2018 FMG batches?" she questions.
Additionally, she says, "They also mentioned NExT Step 1 will be held in November and in December FMGE (Foreign Medical Graduate Exam) will be conducted or not is still a question," she highlighted. Further, she said, the webinar and the presentation which explained the exam were conducted without thinking about FMG students and led to more confusion, she stressed.
