National Exit Test (NExT)

Why in News?

• The National Medical Commission (NMC) has recently issued the proposed draft regulations related to the National Exit Test (NExT).

Highlights

• To provide consistency across the nation in the summative evaluation with regard to the minimum common standards of education and training for a medical graduate.
• The objective of the NExT Is to improve the quality of healthcare in India by ensuring that all doctors have a minimum level of competency and knowledge before they begin practicing medicine.
• The NExT Is a medical licensing exam that is designed to assess the competency of medical graduates.
• Students who received their medical degrees from NMC approved medical institutions and overseas students also will have to qualify the National Exit Test.
• To register for medical practice in India, they must pass the NExT test.
• This centralized common exam will be conducted by a body formed by the commission for this purpose.
• National Medical commission (Amendment) Bill,2022, proposes an autonomous board, ‘Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences’, which, when comes to effect, will be responsible for holding the NExT exam.
• Currently, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) is responsible for holding exams like NEET PG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate), Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE).
• NExT will take the place of tests like FMGE and NEET PG.
• The NExT will comprise two separate exams called ‘Steps’.
• All the students who have completed the final MBBS course from a Commission-recognised medical college would be eligible to appear in the exam.
• There is no restriction in the number of attempts provided that the candidate passes both the steps within 10 years of joining MBBS.
• Just by clearing the NExT exam the foreign medical graduates will get licentiate to become practicing doctors.