NCR releases draught guidelines for National register of Doctor

The National Medical Commission (NMC), the country’s highest medical education and practise authority, released a set of three draught rules on Wednesday regarding physicians’ registration on the National Medical Register, particularly in the aftermath of a scheduled licentiate test. The Indian Express describes these recommendations and how they will alter how medical practice is controlled.

What are the guidelines in draught form?

The NMC has produced three forward-looking Draught Rules—Licence to Practice Medicine, 2022; Additional Qualifications Registration, 2022; and Temporary Registration of Foreign Medical Practitioners to Practice Medicine in India, 2022. These rules collectively define the procedure for physicians to be registered with the National Medical Register. At the moment, all physicians must register with their individual state medical boards in order to practice medicine.

In accordance with the requirements, Indian medical students must get an MBBS degree from a recognised school, do a 12-month internship, and pass a test called the National Exit Test (NExT) to be able to practice.

How will medical graduates from other countries be registered?

Graduates from other countries who want to become doctors have to go to an institution that is “recognized and listed by the NMC.” They also have to be registered as a medical practitioner in the country where they live, complete a 12-month internship in India, and pass the same NExT test.

At the moment, the NMC does not maintain a list of internationally recognized medical institutions. It does, however, have a set of minimal conditions, such as a 54-month term or the use of English as the language of instruction, that an institution must adhere to in order for its degrees to be recognized in India.

Second, students are required to do a year-long internship in the nation in which they are studying and then return for another year-long internship. The revised guidelines make no mention of this.

Third, unlike Indian medical graduates who have registered right away after finishing their MBBS, international medical graduates have to pass a screening exam before they can be registered.

Additionally, the proposal provides for short-term registrations for physicians from other countries who want to study in India, pursue fellowships, do clinical research, or volunteer in the community. Additionally, they have a procedure for registering foreign medical specialists to practise medicine (including live operations) in India during a workshop or seminar. Temporary registration lasts for a maximum of 12 months. It expires at the end of the programme for which it was issued or when the visa for which it was issued is no longer valid.

The draft rules are accessible on the NMC’s website, and comments may be sent until May 5 to emrb.regn@nmc.org.in.

What exactly is NExT?

The National Exit Test is a planned test for giving licence and registration to practise medicine in India and is comparable to the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) for individuals intending to practise medicine in the United States.

At the moment, students who finish their MBBS and pass their university’s final exam are entitled to get their licence without taking a licensure exam.

Instead of the present NEET-PG exam that students must sit for after completing their MBBS and one-year internship, the new exam will serve as a country-wide standardised examination for passing MBBS, obtaining a licence, and qualifying for post-graduate studies.

Another distinguishing element of the exam is that it would not be purely theoretical, as is the case with MBBS finals or the NEET PG examination. It will consist of two parts: a written test and a practical exam in which candidates will be evaluated on their clinical knowledge. Students must sit for the first NExT examination upon completion of their MBBS degree and for the second examination following completion of their internship.

Although NExT was scheduled to begin this year, students scheduled to attend have already finished their MBBS exams and internships, and those scheduled to sit for next year’s test have already completed their MBBS finals.

According to informed sources, NExT is expected to commence in 2024.

What is the proposed national medical registry?

At the moment, there is a national medical registry of all physicians that is generated by combining data from all states. The proposed regulation, on the other hand, wants to build a dynamic and always-updating registry.

According to the proposed rules, the NMC will assign a unique identification number to each student who passes the NEET and gets admitted to a recognised medical institution. The site will thereafter be made available to colleges and institutions for the purpose of updating student information and uploading all confirmed degrees and certificates. When a student completes a post-graduate programme, a super-specialty course, or any other recognised training programme, their ID will be updated.

Additionally, the proposed standards require physicians to maintain their registration by updating it with details of new credentials, changes in employment, contact information, or location of work “as soon as the change happens.” At the moment, states update their registration records only when physicians re-register every five years.

How might a dynamic register be beneficial?

Currently, each state maintains its own registry and has its own set of standards for removing names. Consider Delhi, which is a mecca for medical students. It does not remove the names of graduates who relocate to other states before the five-year period expires; rather, it provides a NOC for registration in the new state. This effectively leads to data duplication.

“After finishing their MBBS in Delhi, many students seek registration and subsequently do their internship in other states where they are registered. However, we just provide a NOC to these students and do not remove their names from the Delhi registration since many of these students return to Delhi for further studies or practise. The name is erased only if they do not re-register within five years, “a Delhi Medical Council official said.

Due to the five-year backlog in updating the medical registry, many physicians who have retired or died have remained on it for years. As a result, when the government conducts a census of physicians in the nation, they believe that only 80% of those registered are active.

There will be no duplication of data with a unified national registry and a unique identifier. Additionally, the data is expected to be updated more regularly, culminating in a full database of physicians in India, complete with information on their education and training. Afterward, this information could be shared with state governments or other groups that need doctors.

Social media heading 

What exactly is NExT?

What is the proposed national medical registry?

How might a dynamic register be beneficial?                                        

The National Medical Commission (NMC), the country’s highest medical education and practise authority, released a set of three draught rules on Wednesday regarding physicians’ registration on the National Medical Register, particularly in the aftermath of a scheduled licentiate test. The Indian Express describes these recommendations and how they will alter how medical practice is controlled.

What are the guidelines in draught form?

The NMC has produced three forward-looking Draught Rules—Licence to Practice Medicine, 2022; Additional Qualifications Registration, 2022; and Temporary Registration of Foreign Medical Practitioners to Practice Medicine in India, 2022. These rules collectively define the procedure for physicians to be registered with the National Medical Register. At the moment, all physicians must register with their individual state medical boards in order to practice medicine.

In accordance with the requirements, Indian medical students must get an MBBS degree from a recognised school, do a 12-month internship, and pass a test called the National Exit Test (NExT) to be able to practice.

How will medical graduates from other countries be registered?

Graduates from other countries who want to become doctors have to go to an institution that is “recognized and listed by the NMC.” They also have to be registered as a medical practitioner in the country where they live, complete a 12-month internship in India, and pass the same NExT test.

At the moment, the NMC does not maintain a list of internationally recognized medical institutions. It does, however, have a set of minimal conditions, such as a 54-month term or the use of English as the language of instruction, that an institution must adhere to in order for its degrees to be recognized in India.

Second, students are required to do a year-long internship in the nation in which they are studying and then return for another year-long internship. The revised guidelines make no mention of this.

Third, unlike Indian medical graduates who have registered right away after finishing their MBBS, international medical graduates have to pass a screening exam before they can be registered.

Additionally, the proposal provides for short-term registrations for physicians from other countries who want to study in India, pursue fellowships, do clinical research, or volunteer in the community. Additionally, they have a procedure for registering foreign medical specialists to practise medicine (including live operations) in India during a workshop or seminar. Temporary registration lasts for a maximum of 12 months. It expires at the end of the programme for which it was issued or when the visa for which it was issued is no longer valid.

The draft rules are accessible on the NMC’s website, and comments may be sent until May 5 to emrb.regn@nmc.org.in.

What exactly is NExT?

The National Exit Test is a planned test for giving licence and registration to practise medicine in India and is comparable to the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) for individuals intending to practise medicine in the United States.

At the moment, students who finish their MBBS and pass their university’s final exam are entitled to get their licence without taking a licensure exam.

Instead of the present NEET-PG exam that students must sit for after completing their MBBS and one-year internship, the new exam will serve as a country-wide standardised examination for passing MBBS, obtaining a licence, and qualifying for post-graduate studies.

Another distinguishing element of the exam is that it would not be purely theoretical, as is the case with MBBS finals or the NEET PG examination. It will consist of two parts: a written test and a practical exam in which candidates will be evaluated on their clinical knowledge. Students must sit for the first NExT examination upon completion of their MBBS degree and for the second examination following completion of their internship.

Although NExT was scheduled to begin this year, students scheduled to attend have already finished their MBBS exams and internships, and those scheduled to sit for next year’s test have already completed their MBBS finals.

According to informed sources, NExT is expected to commence in 2024.

What is the proposed national medical registry?

At the moment, there is a national medical registry of all physicians that is generated by combining data from all states. The proposed regulation, on the other hand, wants to build a dynamic and always-updating registry.

According to the proposed rules, the NMC will assign a unique identification number to each student who passes the NEET and gets admitted to a recognised medical institution. The site will thereafter be made available to colleges and institutions for the purpose of updating student information and uploading all confirmed degrees and certificates. When a student completes a post-graduate programme, a super-specialty course, or any other recognised training programme, their ID will be updated.

Additionally, the proposed standards require physicians to maintain their registration by updating it with details of new credentials, changes in employment, contact information, or location of work “as soon as the change happens.” At the moment, states update their registration records only when physicians re-register every five years.

How might a dynamic register be beneficial?

Currently, each state maintains its own registry and has its own set of standards for removing names. Consider Delhi, which is a mecca for medical students. It does not remove the names of graduates who relocate to other states before the five-year period expires; rather, it provides a NOC for registration in the new state. This effectively leads to data duplication.

“After finishing their MBBS in Delhi, many students seek registration and subsequently do their internship in other states where they are registered. However, we just provide a NOC to these students and do not remove their names from the Delhi registration since many of these students return to Delhi for further studies or practise. The name is erased only if they do not re-register within five years, “a Delhi Medical Council official said.

Due to the five-year backlog in updating the medical registry, many physicians who have retired or died have remained on it for years. As a result, when the government conducts a census of physicians in the nation, they believe that only 80% of those registered are active.

There will be no duplication of data with a unified national registry and a unique identifier. Additionally, the data is expected to be updated more regularly, culminating in a full database of physicians in India, complete with information on their education and training. Afterward, this information could be shared with state governments or other groups that need doctors.

Social media heading 

• What exactly is NExT?
• What is the proposed national medical registry?
• How might a dynamic register be beneficial?