CHENNAI: Government medical colleges students across the state will hold black badge protests on Tuesday against the National Exit Test (NExT) proposed by the National Medical Commission (NMC). The Tamil Nadu Medical Students Association and Doctors Association for Social Equality will lead the protest in the state and decide the next course of action after discussing with students.
The National Exit Test will act as the common qualifying final-year MBBS exam, a licentiate exam to practice modern medicine. It will also be the qualifying exam for merit-based admission to postgraduate courses and screening exam for foreign medical graduates who want to practice in India. NExT will replace Foreign Medical Graduate Exam and NEET PG.
“This will be an additional burden to MBBS students as they cannot prepare for competitive exams while doing their internship. During the internship period, students are burdened with work in wards and it will be difficult to prepare for a competitive exam,” Dr P B Vignesh, a house surgeon at Thanjavur Government Medical College, said.
“To pass NExT, students should take six exams in three days. It also carries negative marks. This will make MBBS students concentrate more on theory and not on practicals. They will not have clinical knowledge. In the present system of one year internship, students gain more clinical knowledge. This competitive exam will add stress on students,” I Porkudi, a final year MBBS student at Tiruvarur Government Medical College said.
Tamil Nadu Medical Students Association president Dr Keerthy Varman questioned how the central body can decide on the degree when the university is the authorized institution to issue the MBBS degree. “The exam pattern varies from state to state. How can the Centre decide on a common pattern?” Keerthy said.
“The medical students will work wearing black badges on Tuesday. Next course of action will be decided after discussing with the students. Online meetings also will be conducted to get the opinion of students. Even Madhya Pradesh and other northern states are opposing NEET. Without any field studies they cannot introduce NExT,” Keerthy said.
“This is an attempt by the union government to centralise medical education. They cannot take powers from the state universities. DASE along with TNMSA will conduct a statewide conference to get the opinion of the students on NExT,” Dr G R Ravindranath, general secretary, Doctors Association for Social Equality said.
MBBS rank list on July 16
Dharmapuri: The rank list for MBBS/ BDS courses will be released on July 16, said health minister Ma Subramanian at Harur on Sunday. Addressing media persons, the minister said 39, 924 aspirants had applied for MBBS/ BDS courses, of which 32, 649 applications were accepted. The rank list will be released on July 16. Earlier, the minister inaugurated `3. 78 crore worth buildings and equipment for PHCs in Marandahalli, Theerthamalai and Kadathur. Also, he distributed assistance worth `3. 43 crore to 376 beneficiaries.