Doctors’ body opposes proposed NEXT exam

Bhubaneswar: The National Medical Students’ Action Council on Thursday opposed the Centre’s move for bringing reforms in medical education by introducing the National Exit Test (NEXT) examination.

“The NEXT, a common exit test or a licentiate examination for the MBBS students is against the interest of medical professionals as all medical graduates would need to pass the examination to practice medicine. Such an examination would put unnecessary burden on the medical students. Hence, we strongly oppose the new system of examination,” said National Medical Students’ Action Council Chairman Dr Shiv Joshi at a media conference here on Thursday.

The council members will intensify their protest, if the decision to introduce NEXT examination is not withdrawn at the earliest, he added.

The meeting was attended by Indian Medical Association (IMA) Students’ Wing president Abhijit Upadyhaya, IMA (Odisha) former president Saroj Kumar Sahu, joint secretary Samrat Kar and students from SUM Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Hi-Tech Medical College (Bhubaneswar and Rourkela), Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIIMS) and SCB Medical College and Hospital (Cuttack).