Medical PG Practical Exam: NMC Allows External Examiners To Attend Virtually

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has allowed virtual invigilation by external coordinators for practical examinations.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has allowed virtual invigilation by external coordinators for practical examinations after receiving requests from universities and institutions about the issues they are facing in conducting practical examinations for postgraduate programmes due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. The institutions have said that many teachers are declining to be examiners. Therefore, “The Postgraduate Medical Education Board has decided to permit the examiners from outside the state to participate in the practical examination process through video conferencing. The two internal examiners, who may be from the same institution or from different institutions under the same university, should be physically present,” reads the statement released by NMC on April 22. “The concerned universities may decide the time and the method of examination taking into consideration the pandemic situation in their area,” it added. On April 19, the Undergraduate Medical Education Board of the National Medical Commission had issued an advisory related to the conduct of annual MBBS examinations.