look news india
A very big and relief news has come from the National Medical Commission (NMC) for the medical students across the country. Smiles have returned on the faces of thousands of students studying medicine who were under stress for a long time regarding the first year examination (First Professional MBBS Examination). It was often seen that due to strict rules and limited opportunities, many bright students got stuck in the initial stages and their entire career hung in the balance. Keeping this serious problem in mind, NMC has taken a big step and has taken a historic decision to give an additional i.e. fifth chance to pass the first year examination to the eligible students taking admission from the academic session 2019-20 and onwards.
According to the official public notice released by the National Medical Commission, students who are enrolled in the MBBS course from the academic year 2019-20 or onwards will now be provided a total of five chances to clear the first year examination. Till now, under the old rules, students got only four chances to pass the first year, due to which many students became victims of stress after four attempts were over. After this one-time relief of NMC, now students have got the facility of one additional mercy attempt to pass the examination. However, it is clarified that this special relaxation is valid only for those students who have missed their initial four chances as per the rules but still fall within the total time limit to complete their course.
This type of flexibility in the field of medical education was being demanded for a long time by various medical colleges, students and parents of the country. Experts believe that in the last few years, the academic activities of the students were deeply affected due to the pandemic and other administrative and personal reasons. Many universities and medical students have been continuously appealing that if a student fails in the initial professional examinations due to some unavoidable reasons, a fair and liberal approach should be adopted to save his entire career from getting ruined. NMC has approved this one-time solution after seriously considering the representations received from various stakeholders and universities.
Even though NMC has given a big relief to the students by giving them five chances to take the exam, there are some conditions attached with it which will be mandatory to follow. The Commission has made it clear that getting this one extra chance does not at all mean that students can take unlimited time as per their wish. The maximum time limit for completing the full degree and Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) has been fixed at 10 years from the date of admission to MBBS course. This means that the students will have to complete their studies and all the examinations within the overall limit of ten years.
It is very important to be clear that this new instruction will not be applicable to every student. NMC has made it clear in its order that students who have already made full use of all their scheduled five chances or the earlier mercy attempts, will not be considered eligible for any sixth chance under this new relaxation. Moreover, this one-time exemption has been brought only as a temporary relief for pending and special cases. This should not be seen as a permanent rule or authority for all future batches. All medical universities and colleges of the country have been directed to study the provisions of this latest public notice and ensure relief to the eligible students accordingly.
Experts associated with the medical field believe that this sensitive decision of NMC is a very commendable step towards protecting the mental health and career of the future doctors of the country. Many times, due to excessive pressure and stress, even talented students lag behind in the initial stages, in such a situation, getting an additional opportunity will give them full opportunity to prove their abilities. There is a lot of positive response to this decision in the student community and they have now started preparing for their studies and examinations with new enthusiasm.