NEW DELHI: The proposed National Exit Test (NExT), a standard qualifying exam for medical graduates, will not be implemented immediately, the NMC said Wednesday.
The announcement came after a delegation from the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), one of the most prominent resident doctors' associations in India, met the National Medical Commission (NMC) Chairman, Dr Abhijat Sheth, on Wednesday.
“The Hon’ble Chairman informed that the NExT (National Exit Test) will not be implemented immediately. For the next 3-4 years, NMC plans to conduct mock tests, which will be fully funded by NMC, to assess feasibility and gather feedback from students and institutions. The final implementation of NExT will be considered only after evaluating the outcomes and response from these trial runs,” a statement from FAIMA said.
The proposal to hold the NExT examination for all final-year MBBS graduates has been delayed due to strong opposition from medical students, various resident doctors’ associations, and the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
The opposition from various stakeholders is centred on its structure, timing, and impact on medical education.
It was scheduled to be implemented from August 2025.
The government has proposed that the new national-level exam for MBBS graduates will replace the NEET-PG and Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), a mandatory licensure exam in India for Indian citizens and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) who have completed their primary medical degree from a foreign country.
The delegation, led by Dr Sandeep Dagar, Patron, Dr Bibhu Anand, Chief Advisor, and Dr Shailja, former vice-president, also discussed the findings of its national survey, which showed that over 40 per cent of medical students studying in India’s premier medical colleges, including AIIMS, Delhi, PGI-Chandigarh, JIPMER, etc., work in a toxic environment.
The delegation urged the NMC, a statutory body in India that regulates medical education, medical professionals, institutions, and research, to establish dedicated mental health support cells, regular counselling sessions, and structured schedules to ensure work-life balance.
Highlighting the rising mental health concerns and burnout among medicos, it urged NMC to focus on promoting self-care and resilience in the medical training environment.
Sharing insights from their recent survey, which assessed the existing state of medical education and infrastructure across the country, the delegation emphasised the need to bridge disparities between government and private medical institutions and ensure uniform training standards.
They also suggested integrating research into medical education.
Discussion on collaboration with ICMR to encourage research-oriented learning at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
"Proposal for research modules and mentorship programs to be integrated into the curriculum, fostering innovation among medical students,” the statement said.
The delegation also discussed with the NMC head on improving the quality of medical education by implementing uniform teaching standards, faculty training programs, and feedback-based evaluation systems.
They also emphasised competency-based medical education (CBME) and periodic curriculum review.
The FAIMA team members also suggested strengthening ATCOM (Attitude, Ethics, and Communication) modules by integrating modern learning tools and recommended introducing soft skills and professionalism training.
According to FAIMA Chairman, Dr Manish Jangra, the NMC chairman “appreciated FAIMA’s evidence-based approach and assured that the Commission would review the recommendations for possible inclusion in upcoming policy discussions.”
