The Medical Council of India (MCI) has issued a gazette notification extending the validity of NEET score from one year to three years for abroad medical admissions. The new rule will allow the candidates, seeking abroad admission, to postpone admission or change college/course for three subsequent years from the date of result publishing.
The new decision of MCI to extend validity comes as a follow up to its earlier decision making NEET UG compulsory for Indian students who seek abroad medical admission. The new rule will ease many of the difficulties faced by Indian candidates, especially the ones arising out of long admission procedures in foreign universities lasting up to one year in some extreme cases. As the visa processing and other procedures get lengthier there was a possibility of one-year-NEET-score-validity getting expired and candidates losing chance.
NEET-UG is an all India medical entrance test for admission to all private and government medical seats in India except AIIMS and JIPMER. Since 2019 onwards NEET is compulsory for Indian candidates seeking medical admission abroad.
Consequences of validity extension
The validity extension will allow foreign aspirants to pursue their dream in a much more relaxed and dignified manner. Before starting the real course they will get time to get prepared and get familiarized with the foreign education environs.
The new rule will bring relief to foreign aspirants as they could divert a lot of their energy and attention to other relevant areas. Also as the domestic medical seats are limited compared to demand, a lot more candidates would think it convenient and attractive to look for abroad courses. There is a fee advantage as well for certain foreign colleges in case of private college admissions. As more candidates go for abroad admissions a lot of domestic seats will get released for qualified candidates.
The decision by MCI adds a lot of flexibility to candidates for three years, as they can choose to change college / course without reappearing for the entrance exam. Also it will give ample time for the candidate to pursue a language course or a premedical course prior to seeking admission to MBBS/BDS course.
The trend of Indians seeking abroad admission is always upward. The recent notification by MCI making NEET compulsory for foreign admission was intended to ensure minimum student quality. But it was a blow to candidates seeking foreign admission. The pressure is reduced now to some extend with the coming of the new rule.