The discrepancy and confusion surrounding the National Exit Test (NExT) exam seems like an unending affair as the recently released prospectus has baffled students with not only information that is vague but with a high fee that is being levied from students.
A webinar was conducted by the National Medical Commission (NMC) on Tuesday, June 27. It was presided over by the NMC Chairman, Dr Suresh Chandra. The students are of the opinion that the information relayed during the webinar didn’t alleviate the problem but rather pushed the future of about 80,000 medical students into darkness.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi released an information brochure on Wednesday, June 28, which consists of guidelines for appearing in the examination, the application process, the application fee, scheme of examination and so on. Students had expected a few questions to be answered, regarding the dates of the exam and other information that would have shed a clear light on when one needs to appear and how should one prepare but students are in the same position as they had begun in the first place.
Why charge a fee for a mock test?
Students were in shock to see that a fee was being charged for just a mock exam, says Dr Rishi Raj Sinha, National Executive Member, FAIMA (Federation of All India Medical Association). He further questions that nothing as such was discussed in the seminar, then why such an imposition? “NMC is acting like a coaching institute rather than a governing body.” Alisha Lakhani, an MBBS student from Amreli, Gujarat, too, is supportive of the stance and says that the entire meaning of NeXT is rendered futile.
She says, “During the webinar, one point was emphasised and it was that NExT is a candidate-friendly exam but not only the transition from the Paper/Pen Test to the Computer Based Test will take some time to familiarise but there are added expenses, for example, one has to travel to the centre.”
She adds that it is certainly not candidate friendly where one has to pay for a practice test, and where the commission has totally disregarded students who are economically weak.
Dr Dhruv Chauhan, National Zonal Coordinator, IMA-MSN (Indian Medical Association Medical Students Network), calls it invalid and something that lacks sense. He says that the NMC could have either released a set of exam papers making the pattern obvious or could have launched an application, via which, students could personally log in and appear for the mock test without any added pressure of registration, or fees that are to be charged. “NMC itself is not clear regarding the procedure,” Dr Chauhan says.
Another point that is to be paid heed to is the reservation for the mock test. The brochure states that the General and the OBC candidates, and the SC/ST/EWS category applicants have to pay a sum of Rs 2,000 and Rs 1,000, respectively. There are no charges for the PwD applicants. Chauhan states, “Reservations should be kept where it is required and not where it is not required.”
He says that in the first place, the inclusion of reservations even in mock applications is baseless and charging students for a practice test is out of everyone’s knowledge. “Medical students used to pay Rs 4,250 for their NEET PG application and that is high as compared to say UPSC which is only Rs 100.”
Students to pay the hefty amount
When it comes to questioning the extra charges being enforced on these budding doctors, the amount being imposed upon them for the mock test and the unknownst NExT application fee, certain things have also been burdening them regarding a few issues concerning this newly initiated exam.
Sinha says this creates an atmosphere where medical students are getting increasingly frustrated. The exam conducted by AIIMS Delhi can have a certain standard of pattern and questions, other central universities might have different sets of patterns. Dr Dhruv states that the mock test is supposed to be a preparatory test. “It is so random to expect students to prepare for something in a month. Earlier students were ready for a theoretical paper, now they have to shift their focus to a more MCQ-based pattern.”
Dr Archana Kumari, who is an FMG student, currently doing her internship, says, “We (Foreign Medical Graduates - FMGs) have no information whatsoever if we are eligible to appear for the exam, as in the prospectus, nothing is mentioned.” The prospectus under Section IV: Eligibility to Take Mock/Practice Test mentions that final-year students pursuing MBBS courses in medical colleges/institutes in India are only eligible.
The NMC hasn’t said anything except for this. Archana further talks about the confusion regarding when they are going to appear for the NExT. If it is going to be in November 2023, it leaves them with less time for preparation.
Alisha Lakhani points out the amount of stress the medical students have to bear with the announcement of the news in the middle of the year but also during the middle of the semester. She says, even if it's a mock test to get students acquainted, how can a student complete the syllabus, that too a whopping number of 19 subjects, before they have even finished the degree? “What is the use of conducting the exam a year in advance when students have not even completed their course?”
As the confusion mounts, here is what Dr Dhruv says, “Nobody knows what will happen next in NExT.”
