HOW MEDICAL EDUCATION IS CHANGING

A new 'exit' exam, proposal for common NEET counselling, new regulations on making medical college assessment reports public - here's everything that NMC is changing.

- Sanjay

Ahead of the new academic session 2023-24, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has notified a host of new regulations and guidelines on the functioning of medical colleges and admissions. The apex medical education regulator has changed tie-breaking rules for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) and duration for completion of MBBS course. It has also issued guidelines for the National Exit Test (NEXT) which will effectively replace the Foreign Medical Graduates Exam (FMGE) and NEET PG. After 25 years, NMC on June 12 issued new guidelines for MBBS courses aiming to be more "learner-centric, patient-centric and gender-sensitive" but withdrew and cancelled them on June 23.

However, in some areas where there are demands for change, NMC has not moved. It is under criticism for not providing medical college assessment reports and failing to comply with a Delhi court order on admission of disabled candidates. Here's what's changing from this year.

NEET changes, tie-break rules

NMC's new Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (GMER2023)say that the NMC may conduct the NEET UG or "designate a single agency or multiple agencies or authority" to do it.

The tie-break rules for drawing up the rank list have also changed. In case of a tie in the total marks, scores obtained individually in physics, chemistry and biology sections will be considered in that order. If the tie still continues, there will be a draw-of-lots using a computer. These rules will be applicable from NEET UG-2024. Till NEET 2023, priority was given to marks obtained in biology, followed by chemistry and then physics.

Common counselling