New Delhi, Aug 17: The common entrance test for undergraduate and post-graduate courses in medical colleges across the country from the next academic year is set to become a reality with the Union Health Ministry clearing the proposal by the Board of Governors of MCI.
 A notification to this effect is expected within the next week, Chairperson of the Medical Council of India Board of Governors Dr S K Sarin told reporters here today.
 He said a single entrance test would substantially reduce the stress level of the students, who, under the current system, have to sit for up to seven separate entrance tests.
 Under the new entrance which would be called the National Eligibility Test, the colleges can choose from separate merit lists for students in the general, minority, disabled and any other categories, he said.
 Admission tests are conducted annually for nearly 32,000 undergraduate seats and 13,000 post graduate seats in medical colleges across the country.
 Another board member Sita Naik said recognizing the need for curriculum needs of medical education, the MCI was also working towards introducing new methodologies for teaching.
 This includes having more distance learning centres, adapting new methods like skill labs and more interactive tele-medicine classes for students in far-flung areas.
 "In fact the health ministry is in the process of establishing an all India tele-medicine network," she said.
 The members also emphasised on having more post graduate and under-graduate seats in medical education. "We have to increase the number of PG seats and courses. We are making speciality boards which will look into the courses".
 Sarin said that the board had before it around 300 applications for starting new courses.
 He added that the board has taken a decision to make it compulsory for each and every doctor to register in the state where they are practicing.
 Apart from this, from now on all colleges applying for registration can now come directly to the MCI and nor through the Health Ministry as earlier.
 The board has also set up an equivalence committee which is evaluating degrees and courses from various countries and colleges in the country to rate them.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST