National Licentiate (NLE) Exam to Put Undue Pressure on MBBS Students: Parliamentary Panel

A parliamentary panel has pointed that the National Licentiate Exam (NLE) would put undue stress on MBBS students, particularly on those students belonging to backward sections of the society. Therefore, the panel suggested that the NLE that was proposed in National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill must be integrated with the final-year MBBS exam. A Department associated with Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare submitted its recommendations on NMC Bill 2017 in the form of a report. The report was tabled before the parliament for discussion on March 21, 2018.

The panel clearly mentioned in its report that students hailing from backward regions face difficulty in cracking NLE since they could not afford private guidance or tuitions for NLE. Ultimately, these students will be subjected to undue pressure and stress, the committee noted.

Also Read: IMA Urges Centre to Abandon Exit Test for MBBS Graduates

According to NMC Bill 2017, MBBS graduates, including those from foreign countries will have to clear the licentiate exam to practice medicine in India. If MBBS graduates clear this exam, his/ her name will be enrolled in national or state register.

Major Recommendations of Parliamentary Panel on NMC Bill 2017: -

1. Common Pattern for MBBS Final Exam

The final-year examination of MBBS course should have a common pattern. Initially, the implementation of common pattern might be confined to particular states, but it can be extended to other states across the country within a short period.

2. Strength of NMC Should be Increased

The total strength of the NMC should be increased from 23 to 29. As per the recommendations made by the committee, NMC should have six ex-officio members, three part-time members with special knowledge and professional experience, 10 nominees from states and UTs and nine members elected by registered medical practitioners in India.

3. Constituting Medical Appellate Tribunal

There is a need to constitute a Medical Appellate Tribunal. A retired judge of Supreme Court or retired Chief Justice of High Court must be appointed as the Chairperson of this tribunal. The tribunal will have two members to have an appellate jurisdiction over the decisions taken by the committee.

4. Screening Test for Foreign Medical Graduates

An international citizen enrolled in his nation as a medical practitioner as per the prescribed law, may be permitted to practice medicine and surgery in India only after qualifying the screening test meant for foreign medical graduates

5. Competency-based Curriculum

There is a need to develop competency-based dynamic curriculum with an aim to address the needs of primary health services, family medicine and community medicine in accordance with the provisions of the guidelines/ regulations made under NMC Act.

6. Final-year MBBS Exam as Licentiate Exam

The committee pointed that the theoretical exam for all final professional MBBS students should be a common short-question based. The committee stressed that the final-year MBBS exam should be considered as licentiate exam.

7. Aadhaar-linked Database of Medical Graduates

The committee noted that the government lacks complete data regarding the availability of doctors, para-medical staff and nurses in India. Therefore, Ethics and Medical Registration Board should maintain an Aadhaar-linked database of all medical graduates. The database should also include the employment status of all medical graduates.

Also Read: IMA Criticises NMC Bill 2017

The committee concluded that the country is already facing the shortage of doctors, and the implementation of NLE will create a further shortage. The sizeable number of MBBS graduates might be debarred from practising medicine if they disqualify NLE, which means that all their efforts to pass five-year MBBS course will go into vain.

Stay tuned to CollegeDekho for more updates on NMC Bill 2017.