National Medical Commission relaxed criteria to pass MBBS

Health experts are worried about the long-term impact of such adjustments on the quality of healthcare and the medical profession in the state.

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has relaxed the passing marks for the MBBS exam making it easier for students to qualify for the test. The move, however, has sparked worries about its impact on the quality of healthcare.

Though the aggregate score to pass a subject having theory and practical exams remains 50% under the revised guidelines issued on September 1, the key change is in individual subject components. The minimum percentage for such subjects has been lowered from 50% to 40%. Similarly, for subjects with two papers, students only need to score an aggregate of 40% instead of 50% earlier. The guidelines will be implemented from October 1. The Board of Studies at the Kerala University of Health Sciences will convene on Friday to discuss the implementation.

Health experts are worried about the long-term impact of such adjustments on the quality of healthcare and the medical profession in the state.

A senior medical college faculty said the new guidelines are in contrast to the recommendations of the Competency-Based Medical Education Regulation.

“Failing in MBBS is already difficult. The standards have been diluted further. Students qualifying for MBBS now will find it difficult to practice or clear qualifying exams in other countries,” he said, adding that the weightage on practicals will help students score well with the college’s support.

Frequent changes in NMC guidelines have left students confused too. Dr C Ravindran, an additional professor at Thrissur Government Medical College, said the frequent changes suggest NMC too is trying various methods to suit the requirements of the changing situation.

“There will be confusion until the NMC finalises the standards. With MBBS becoming a basic degree, the focus has shifted to specialist culture,” he said.

Dr Althaf A, professor at Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College, opined that there was a need to improve the standards of examination.

“Exams should be made more structured. Any dilution in standards will further impact the quality of the profession and healthcare,” he said, adding that the theory paper should be multiple-choice questions based on real scenarios.

Allaying concerns, Dr Mohanan Kunnummal, the Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University of Health Sciences, said the changes will not lead to deterioration in quality.

“The changes are minimal. In fact, the guidelines stopped a 5-mark moderation and made internal assessments only qualifying. Earlier, there were complaints that private colleges were liberal with internal assessment marks when it was added to summative assessment,” he said. Mohanan said the NMC decided to change the criteria after complaints that some students were passing exams on the back of theory marks.