Postpone NEET PG 2023, extend MBBS internship cut-off date: Unhappy medicos request NBE

NEW DELHI: The future of thousands of medicos is bleak after the National Board of Examinations (NBE) announced the last date for completion of MBBS internship as March 31. Indian Medical Association (IMA) and prospective candidates have requested the health ministry to extend the eligibility date to June 30, 2023.

On January 6, the NBE announced the NEET PG 2023 exam date. A day after the announcement, the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) requested for the extension of MBBS internship cut-off date as more than 50% of the medical interns will be eligible to appear for the exam due to the delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several students have also taken to social media to postpone the NEET PG 2023 exam scheduled to be held on March 5, 2023. While requests flood Twitter to either postpone the NEET PG exam 2023 or extend the deadline for internship completion, some students have also raised issues regarding technical glitches while making payments.

As per the data collated by the resident doctors association, the last date of completion of internship ranges from April 2023 to August 2023. Approximately 75% interns in Maharashtra and around the country are not eligible to appear for the exam, as per the IMA statement.

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The new rule will especially impact the MBBS interns from states including Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, FORDA wrote in a letter to the Union health minister, NMC and NBE.

According to The Hindu report, the NMC officials are studying the matter and they will soon take a call on extending the internship cut-off date. The report also pointed out that nearly 50,000 students will be ineligible for the exam.

“Students from 11 states will miss out on #neetpg2023 due to the 31st March internship cut off date. Authorities should be cognisant of these dates before releasing the form. I hope better sense prevails and the eligibility criteria is extended without postponing the exam,” a MBBS intern said on Twitter.

Students from 11 states will miss out on #neetpg2023 due to the 31st March internship cut off date. Authorities should be cognisant of these dates before releasing the form. I hope better sense prevails and the eligibility criteria is extended without postponing the exam. #NEETPG pic.twitter.com/kTBRVsgKvJ

— Dr. H (@HARSHAbluejay) January 8, 2023