The NEET Puzzle
Is There a Better Way for Medical Education in India?
Let's talk about why becoming a doctor in India feels like trying to squeeze through a single, tiny door when it could be more like choosing from multiple entrances.
Law School vs. Med School: A Tale of Two Worlds
If you want to be a lawyer in India, you've got choices galore. Most National Law Universities use CLAT (Common Law Admission Test), but it's not the only game in town. NLU Delhi runs its own test. So do some private colleges.
Some accept LSAT scores (that's a global law school test), while others look at CLAT (even though they don't conduct it), or even your 12th board results. It's like a buffet - a law school may pick what works for it!
But for wannabe doctors? It's NEET or bust.
One test to rule them all.
Why Decentralized Might Be Better
This one-size-fits-all approach with NEET creates some big problems.
One, high stakes. Imagine your entire future hanging on one exam. Talk about pressure!
And two, diverse needs ignored. India's huge and varied. What works in Delhi might not fit for Tamil Nadu.
The Seat Squeeze and Fee Fiasco
Getting into a medical school in India is tougher than finding an empty parking slot in Karol Bagh on a weekend. We simply don't have enough seats. This shortage turns medical education into a luxury item.
And let's talk money. Medical school costs more than a small fortune. So, the fee is bound to be high.
A New Prescription for Medical Education
So, how do we fix this? Here are some ideas:
1. Let medical schools choose their admission style. NEET could be an option, not the rule.
2. Encourage more quality medical schools to open, including corporate-run ones. More schools mean more opportunities and potentially lower fees.
3. Ensure education loans are easy to access and there are plenty of scholarships for medical education.
4. Use the National Medical Commission to keep an eye on quality. They're better equipped than the old Medical Council of India to be a fair judge. The NMC Act already has provisions for ratings and assessments of medical schools.
What Do You Think?
It's time to give our medical education system a thorough check-up.
Do you think it's time to try something new? Should we open up more paths to becoming a doctor?
Share your thoughts!
I feel the reservation policy for sc st obc and the extrazzz should be completely suspended for good.
Only competent students should be given a fair chance to compete — with similar fellow peers
Competing apples and oranges will only cause chaos and the deserving ones will be squeezed out.
For economically backward students facing financial crunch — the state government should provide scholarships/ fees discounts etc basis some formulae.
Else create another class of institutions for such reserved category students.
Why push all through same frame which would and in fact is causing deterioration in quality of doctors India is now churning out
A reserved category student with lower grades gets through because of Lower cut offs meant for that category. — whereas a non reserved student with lower grade pays 5 times more and rarely gets through.
India needs to debate on reservation policy. Which is pathetic with almost 50 % gone to non deserving and incompetent students
Priya Shivdasani