The Medical Council of India (MCI) is planning to conduct a national-level ‘exit test’ for medical graduates to assess their “competence”.
The proposal, which was mooted sometime ago, recently got the MCI’s Executive Committee (EC) and the governing body’s nod in an amended form, and will be sent to the Union government for approval.
Elaborating on the status of the exam, Vedprakash Mishra, chairman of the MCI’s Academic Cell, said the MCI’s governing body had cleared the proposal amended by the EC on March 28. “When the proposal was placed before the EC, the committee modified it to make the exit exam optional. The governing body then approved it and now it will be placed before the Union government,” he told The Hindu on the sidelines of the 18th foundation day of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences here on Monday. About the necessity of such an exam, Dr. Mishra said the standards of exams conducted by different universities varied and a common yardstick was essential to evaluate graduates. “The exit exam is expected to certify their competence. The exam should be so formulated to incorporate international standards,” he said.
Incentive The MCI’s Executive Committee, apart from amending the exit test plan by making it optional and not mandatory, has suggested that an incentive be given to those taking the test, Dr. Mishra said.
