Bengaluru: MBBS students from across the state will be staging a protest on Wednesday opposing the proposed National Exit Test (NEXT), that students are expected to clear to obtain a licence to practice. The students will be joined by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

The Union Health Ministry had mooted the NEXT proposal as part of the amendments to be introduced in the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Act.

Students believe that taking an entrance exam in addition to their MBBS exams would be taxing. Dr Manoop Kumaraswamy, member, Young Doctors’ Association, IMA said, “What is the necessity for an exam when we are already preparing for NEET PG? Students will have to clear yet another exam. Instead, the government can just refine the existing system. Besides, we are told that even Ayush doctors clearing this exam will be granted permission to prescribe allopathy medicines after a bridge course.”

Dr Rajashekara Bellary, president, IMA Karnataka too has voiced that NEXT would be an unnecessary burden on students. He questioned the use of having studied the course for five-and-a-half years, if those who have cleared MBBS are expected to take the exam. “Students will also lose faith in the system of study then,” he added.

The students, in a memorandum, have stated that the MBBS examinations are being conducted by UGC recognized universities and is therefore rightfully a qualifying examination for the degree of Modern Medicine. Thus introducing NEXT as a qualifying examination is unnecessary and makes the university examination redundant.

They also say that converting a competitive examination into both a qualifying examination and competitive examination for post graduation is not in the students’ interest as the structure and objective of a qualifying examination for admission to post graduation is different from a qualifying examination that is meant for assessing the minimum qualification required to receive the degree.