After being in the offing for nearly two years, the National Exit Test (NExT) — meant to replace the final MBBS exams, the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for postgraduate seats (NEET-PG), and the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) for foreign medical graduates to practice medicine in India — has hit the pause button yet again this week with the National Medical Commission (NMC), which regulates medical education and medical professionals, seeking comments on the preparation for bringing in this exam.
This latest notice comes after the Union Health Ministry constituted a seven-member committee to examine the preparedness of States and medical colleges for the implementation of the NExT for final-year MBBS students of the 2020 batch, this past October. The NMC Act of 2019 had brought in NExT for India medical students.