If you are a medical student, you must be aware of the recent controversies of PMC. The National Licensing Exam (NLE) has received a very distressing response from the students and doctors. Further, the PMC thinks this is the only way to select competent doctors in Pakistan. However, according to students, there is no need for such an exam because they’ve already had their professional exams annually.
What is NLE?
NLE-The National Licensing Exam is recently introduced by Pakistan Medical Commission for the first time in the history of Pakistan. To get permanent registration by PMC, a student must pass this exam. This rule has the recent graduates in shock. Back in 2020, it was announced in the Pakistan Medical Commission Act 2020. On page 17, it is written,
PMC recently provided the students with a syllabus for the exam. Further, they’ve initiated the enrolling procedure for the NLE STEP 1. The NLE would take place twice a year. No graduate would qualify for a house job without clearing NLE. The passing percentage is 70%. However, students are not happy with this happening. The medicos from around the country are united and stand against this new policy.
Are students satisfied with the decision?
You must be wondering why students against the new exam are? According to them, PMC introduced it in March 2020. Therefore, it has no legal right to implement the policies on the batches which were registered under PM&DC. So, the students up to batch 2024 must be excluded from the policy. They consider it a Draconian law. Since the registration started, many students nationwide participated in protests.
There are already existing medical licensing exams taking place internationally. One of the examples is the UKMLA. It is a two-step licensing exam. It will take place in 2024 for the first time. However, the students were already aware of the exam when the suggestion became a policy in 2017. This will occur six years after the decision. On the contrary, PMC is conducting exams from the batches that were not aware of it even a year before.
Is NLE the same as USMLE/UKMLA?
According to Dr. Zafar Mirza, NLE is the best mode of filtration students can go through to become competent in the field of medicine. He further said that such types of exams are taking place as USMLE and PLAB. Therefore, the students responded to this point by saying that they go through five professional rounds in their MBBS journey. However, in the USA, no professional exams occur. Students pass USMLE in three steps during their MBBS. Only step 3 takes place at the end of the house job.
The comparison of NLE with USMLE and PLAB is baseless. Moreover, there is already a lack of major facilities for young doctors in Pakistan. The student also pointed the lack of facilities in NMDCAT 2020. The previous year’s admission test was a big failure as PMC was unable to ensure the safety of the exams. There were also many ambiguities in the syllabus. Since the beginning, students are worried about their future with PMC.
Also read “NMDCAT 2021 | Students are worried about their fate!”
In conclusion, students want their efforts to be paid off. Since the registration started, medicos are organizing protests against PMC. Pakistan Medical Commission must assure student satisfaction. Medical students should not be distressed any further now.
Read all about the flag day here.
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