Mumbai: The universities have been advised not to permit promotion of any batch of students to the next level without exams, by the Medical Council of India, in a circular on Tuesday. The announcement was made to clear any queries from stakeholders on re-opening the medical colleges and conducting the exams. It was also indicated by the councils that MBBS final year students can apply for internships after passing the final semester exams.
Amit Deshmukh, State Medical Education Minister, earlier gave direction to Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) to begin the classes for the first, second, and third-year undergrad students. He also advised them to permit the final year students to begin their internships and to withhold the conduction of exams until the situation significantly improves. Paying attention to this advisory of the council, colleges affiliated to MUHS might commence lectures at once; however, they might not allow students to initiate internships without exams.
The council suggested universities to conduct unsettled supplementary exams for the final year MBBS students that were scheduled in the initial half of 2020, at the earliest “...as the students have completed the course once and need not wait for the formal reopening of colleges. Such students will be joining college/hospitals for internships after passing final exams”.
Colleges were given direction to complete the MBBS course for the first year of 2019 batch within two months of colleges being reopened and conduct the exams within a month after that. The syllabus has been revised for the MBBS first year batch of 2019, by the MCI and is told to conduct the exams by the end of September, as said by an MUHS official. However, their course was disturbed along the way, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdowns. The universities are also advised by the MCI to complete the courses within two months for all other classes and initiate the conduction of exams.
The council recommended getting external examiners for conducting the exams. For clinical and practical examinations, alternative methods of skill evaluations have been included, such as case scenarios, simulations, and structured objective practical and clinical examinations. This advisory will be implemented as a one-time measure with regards to Covid-19, it stated.
Ajit Pathak, the controller of MUHS examinations, said, “Our priority is to hold certifying exams with compliance to MCI and state government directions.” But, there was no elaboration since the matter is considered sub judice and scheduled for hearing at a later date this month.
“The MCI directive is fair as the students cannot be sent to internships without having clinical exposure; it is a very vital part of the curriculum for the final year”, said Sudha Shenoy, a parent representative.
Leave a comment