No Exit Exam

IMA rejects EXIT Examination

• The Centre's plan to conduct an exit exam for MBBS students is being opposed by Indian Medical Association (IMA). Such a move will belittle the scope of the MBBS exam. Why have another exam when students anyway write the final-year MBBS exam? Does it mean the degree is invalid?
• Only the Medical Council of India (MCI) can decide what students should study and how to certify them, not the government.
• IMA is also opposing the 6-month training exam under PC PNDT Act.
• It is also against registration every 5 years based on an exam or credit hours CME.
• India already is facing a shortage of 4 lakh doctors and 10 lakh nurses. Any such rule will demotivate students as it will degrade MBBS as a degree.
• The government can if they want conduct a single final year exam combined with the NEET equivalent to certify medical graduates and select them for postgraduate seats.
• Re-registration of doctors once in 5 years can be done to maintain accurate data by the medical councils of the state but not linked to passing exam again. The purpose of re-registration is to maintain data. Even now, the councils have data on doctors who are dead. We need to streamline the process to update data. But CME attendance score and credit hours cannot be made mandatory.
• What counts in a doctor's profession is experience and not theory. Many councils are making it mandatory for doctors to submit certificates showing 30 points gained by attending CMEs and gaining credit hours.
• Many Supreme Court judgments have said that one is supposed to possess an average degree of skill and knowledge to practice. One is not expected to excel in his profession. The passing marks are 50% and not 90%. A fifty percenter is a good doctor. MBBS degree means that the person is qualified enough to practice medicine.
• Accreditation, like NABH, also are not mandatory as they are for excellence in health care and not getting NABH does not mean the hospital is negligent or of B grade category.