The Indian government will most likely introduce a new exam “The National Exit Test” or “NeXT” for final year medical students from 2023. The test will serve as a basis to obtain a doctor’s license and will also serve as a merit-based allocation for post graduate degrees in medicine. With the introduction of the exam the centre is likely to do away with the NEET PG exam.
The process for admissions to undergraduate degrees is likely to remain the same, with the NeXT serving as a test to officially obtain a license / charter to practice medicine in India. The government plans to mandate the exam (NeXT) in all medical institutions of the country (including the prestigious All India Institutes of Medical Sciences – AIIMS). The idea is to introduce a common pedagogy or standard of practicing doctors in the country.
While the specifics of the exam are still being worked out, it is likely to be implemented for the graduating class of 2023. The proposal for the exam was tabled through the National Medical Act, 2019 and was pursued by the national medical commission which was launched in September 2020
The current process of admission to post graduate medical courses is done through the NEET-PG (National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test – Postgraduate) which is the modal exam to get admission into various post graduate Doctor of Medicine, Mastery of Surgery & diploma courses
