No MBBS batch should be allowed to move to the next level without exam: MCI

NEW DELHI: The board of governors in suppression of Medical Council of India (MCI) has issued advisory on MBBS examination and external examiners for the MBBS examinations in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As per the advisory no batch should be permitted to move to the next level of the MBBS course without an examination.
It further said that the colleges should aim to complete the first MBBS course within two months of re-opening of the colleges and thereafter the first MBBS University exams should be completed as soon as possible, preferably within a month.
The Board has further advised that relaxations provided for the conduct of final year postgraduate examination in terms of the appointment of examiners and the exam patterns, would also be applicable for the conduct of MBBS university examinations.
In respect to external examiners for the MBBS examinations the university is advised to considering the risk stratification of the areas where the Medical colleges/institutions are located, if external examiners are not available from outside the state due to pandemic that the external examiners to be selected from a different university in the state. These external examiners have to be physically present at the venue of the examination.
If this is also not possible then at least half the external examiners to be selected from a different university, who would be physically present at the venue of the examination and the other half from a different university who would participate through video conferencing.
Conduct of practical/clinical examinations
The Board stated that since the objective of the practical examination is to ascertain skills relevant to the subject as outlined in the respective course curricula, alternative methods of skill evaluation which may include OSCE/OSPE, simulations, case scenarios, etc. may be used in lieu of clinical cases, wherever the latter is not feasible as provided for in the regulations.