Creating confusion at the start of a new academic year, which is now just round the corner, for over one lakh prospective undergraduate students of medicine, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has now withdrawn the recently issued Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 for MBBS admissions.
On June 12, the Commission had issued the guidelines on MBBS course which included the new rules on competency-based medical education (CBME) curriculum, recruitment of manpower for research facilities in a medical college, family adoption programme, admission of students under disabled category, and format for submission of information of admissions in medical colleges.
These guidelines stand withdrawn now with no intimation on when new guidelines will be issued or exactly which guidelines to follow.
The one-page notice doesn’t state any reason for the move. The Commission has issued and now withdrawn the guidelines in less than 15 days leading to lack of clarity on several important issues.
While NMC officials haven’t commented on the issue so far despite The Hindu reaching out to them, Rohan Krishnan, national chairman of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), said that NMC is taking on more work than what it can handle, and this is creating confusion.
“They are failing to do their basic task — that it to give accreditation to proper colleges and bring in robust and timely guidelines for medical curriculum. Putting out new circulars and then withdrawing them has now become a trend with the Commission. NMC should avoid putting out information of which it is not sure. This causes distress,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, the latest NMC circular issued notes: “It is informed that the Circular of even number dated 12.06.2023 thereby issuing Guidelines undergraduate Medical Education Regulations 2023, stands withdrawn and cancelled with immediate effect. This issues with the approval of Competent Authority in Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB).”
With this circular students and parents now want clarity on subjects including the fact about what will happen to the Commission’s earlier order that asked medical colleges and universities to complete MBBS admissions before August 30 and announced that the National Exit Test (NExT) exam (to replace NEET-PG) will be conducted in December and January of every year.
“We are yet to understand the implication of what this new circular by NMC means for the students who have cleared their NEET exam. So close to the counselling, subsequent admission and beginning of the academic year the NMC’s on-off policies add to the stress of the parents. We are anxious,’’ said Tuhina Sarkar whose child has cleared the NEET exam this year.
The NMC, however, now also issued a series of other communications seeking comments of stakeholders on competency based medical education curriculum regulation, minimum standard requirement for establishment of new medical colleges and increase in seats in MBBS and maintenance of standards of medical education.
