Doctors Disagree Over Exit Exam For MBBS Graduates

Eklavya Overseas. December 15, 2019

BENGALURU: The newly proposed National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill gets clearance in the parliament and becomes a law, the MBBS graduates will not be eligible to start their medical practice automatically after completing their MBBS. They will have to qualify another exit exam (National Licentiate Examination) to acquire a license to practice their medical profession in India. The Bengaluru branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and medical students have displayed a mixed reaction over the exit exam proposed in the NMC Bill. 2017. Some of the doctors opposed the proposal, whereas some of them supported the idea. Supporting the exit exam, the doctors said that the National Licentiate Examination would be the best way to remove ineligible medical graduates from practicing their medical profession in India as well as strengthen the quality of education in MBBS colleges.

Dr. Ajai Kumar, an oncologist and the CEO of the HCG Private Limited said, "Exit exams can weed out incompetent doctors from practicing medicine. The standard of teaching medicine is not the same in all medical colleges. It's important to check how competent a doctor is. Doctors must be confident of writing such exams." Significantly, the NMC Bill, 2017 proposes to accomplish the NEET (National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test) and NLE (National Licentiate Examination), popularly known as the exit exam for medical graduates. Opposing the exit exam, the doctors said that the exit exam will diminish the value of medical colleges, as qualifying the MBBS, PG in Medical Sciences or specialty courses will not be sufficient.

The authority to allow doctors to practice their medical profession in India will be the hostage to the central government. Anand Kumar, the general secretary of Bangalore Medical College Students' Association and the students of the third year of MBBS said, "After five-and-a-half years of study, we clear MBBS. The exit exam is nothing but an additional burden. The MBBS exams also test our capabilities, so why have another exam to test the same?" Dr. Srinivasa S., the president of the IMA Bengaluru said, "It's strange that the NMC Bill proposes to introduce exit exam for MBBS students, but nothing for Ayush doctors who can start practicing allopathy after taking a six-month 'bridge course'. This is not at all in the interest of patient safety."

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