National Exit Research Articles

Gender disparity in academic performance in higher education institutions: a case of Wollo University, Ethiopia

IntroductionGender disparity in academic achievement in developing countries is a pervasive issue that requires attention. Examining the gender gap provides empirical evidence for decision-makers. This study explored gender-based disparities in academic achievement in higher education institutions.MethodsWe employed an ex-post facto research design and analyzed the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and national exit examination results of 1,323 students to attain the study objective. Data analysis was conducted using the Chi-square test, independent samples t-test, correlation, and simple linear regression tests.ResultsThe results revealed a statistically significant underrepresentation of female students in the top-achieving groups (χ2 (1) = 7.929, p < 0.05), whereas their proportion in the lower-achieving groups (χ2 (1) = 19.18, p < 0.05) was higher than expected. Additionally, a significantly more significant proportion of female students scored below the 50% minimum passing mark on the national exit examination (χ2 (1) = 23.857, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the analysis demonstrated that male students attained statistically and significantly higher marks on both their CGPA [t (1231) = 6.432, p < 0.001] and national exit examination [t (1231) =10.855, p < 0.001] at a 95% level of significance. The correlation test results revealed that students who performed well academically in their CGPA were more likely to score higher on the national exit examination [r (1323) =0.525, p < 0.01].DiscussionThe findings suggest that further research is necessary to explore the underlying factors contributing to the observed gender disparities in academic achievement at the tertiary level. Moreover, additional efforts have to be undertaken by concerned bodies to support and mentor female students at higher institutions.

Perception of Indian Medical Students Towards University Exams and Proposed Licensure cum Post-Graduate Specialty (Residency) entrance examination (National Exit Test)

Perception of Indian Medical Students Towards University Exams and Proposed Licensure cum Post-Graduate Specialty (Residency) entrance examination (National Exit Test)

An Analytical Study of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices regarding NEXT among the Medical Students of G.S. Medical College, Hapur, U.P., India

The National Exit Test (NEXT) is a newly introduced licensing examination in India, aiming to standardize medical education and ensure quality assurance. There is no clarity regarding NEXT among MBBS students. To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical students regarding NEXT and identify areas for improvement. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 medical students of different batches using a pretested questionnaire, with a response rate of 100% (200 respondents). The study revealed significant gaps in knowledge (36% aware of NEXT resources) and preparedness (32% joined preparatory classes), with students expressing uncertainty and negativity towards NEXT. The study highlights the need of clear guidelines , targeted interventions, including orientation programs and standardized preparation resource material to support students in navigating the challenges of NEXT

Critical Appraisal of Licentiate Examination in English Speaking Developed Countries - USA and UK as against Proposed National Exit Test (NExT) as the Licentiate Examination in India - A Study Protocol

Abstract Migration of doctors is inevitable in the context of globalization that has resulted in erosion of the geographical boundaries in a real sense. As such, to assess the eligibility of a foreign medical graduate for the purposes of practicing in a given country, there is a “test” which is necessary and therefore that is the “Licentiate examination” for the registration of foreign medical graduates in any given country. To standardize the quality of medical education and to provide a common level playfield, it is imperative that a single qualifying examination is put into place for all medical graduates independent of passing out from Indian Medical Schools or Foreign Medical Schools, which is attempted through the providence of National Exit Test (NExT). A comparative appraisal of NExT with licentiate examination in vogue in English-speaking countries, namely the USA and UK turns out to be necessary so as to evaluate its “structure” so as to deliver the required predetermined “outcome.”

Awareness and Perception of Dental Undergraduates in Belagavi District Towards the Newly Proposed National Exit Test for India.

The National Dental Commission Bill of 2023 introduced the National Exit Test (NExT) as a common final examination for all dental graduates in India, granting them the license to practice. This study evaluated dental undergraduates' awareness and perceptions of the newly proposed NExT. A self-administered questionnaire in English comprising 23 close-ended questions was used to assess the awareness and perception of the students. A pilot study was conducted to determine the sample size, and 510 students were selected using a simple random sampling technique. The survey was administered to students ranging from 1st to 4th-year undergraduates and interns from two dental colleges in the Belagavi District, India. The questionnaire demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.86) and a content validity ratio 0.82. Interns had the highest mean awareness (39.56 ± 8.99) and perception (40.87 ± 5.56) scores, whereas first-year students had the lowest, with statistically significant differences among the groups (p ≤ 0.001). Although 81% of students were aware of NExT in India, only 17.3% found it student-friendly. A positive correlation was seen between the perception and awareness scores (r = + 0.242; p ≤ 0.001). The dependence of awareness and perception scores on predictors such as age, gender, and year of study were 16.7% and 15.3%, respectively. Interns displayed a positive perception and higher awareness of NExT, whereas first and second-year dental students exhibited lower awareness and apprehensive perceptions. The introduction of NExT promises to enhance the overall quality of dental education on a national scale by providing high-quality care to patients.

The conundrum of National Exit Test in India

Abstract National Exit Test (NExT) is a common medical licentiate examination and postgraduate (PG) examination about to be implemented in the country for the first time, so it is important to discuss the advantages, concerns and fear about the exam among the students. All these years’ medical qualifying exams were through descriptive theory and practical examination through Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) and separate PG entrance examination after internship. Standardizing the medical examination throughout the country will ensure uniform quality of medical graduates and by merging the qualifying examination and PG examination will narrow down the gap reducing the time taken for the each graduate to enter specialty are the main advantages of the NExT. There are various concerns about competitive part of NExT like CBME curriculum and the medical teachers training suitability for teaching PG competitive exams. Core competencies of the CBME curriculum focuses on ‘Must Know’ and the medical education emphasizes the teachers to educate the students on core competencies. For every advantage there are more concerns and fear about the NExT exam among the students. Like any exam NExT has its own merits and drawback when implemented for the first time, by identifying the concerns and correcting them will develop competent medical graduates uniform throughout the country.

What’s National Exit Test for Medical Students: Merits, Challenges, and the Way Forward

What’s National Exit Test for Medical Students: Merits, Challenges, and the Way Forward

School Shootings, Protests, and the Gun Culture in the United States

Abstract Scholars document that attitudes toward guns and gun policy reflect deeply entrenched cultures that overlap with ideological affiliations and party politics. Does exposure to dramatic events such as school shootings and protests regarding gun control affect these patterns? I explore two aspects of the gun culture: attitudes favoring (or rejecting) stricter gun policies and the number of memberships in a key organization supporting the expansion of gun rights, the National Rifle Association (NRA). I first argue that school shootings are significant triggering events that become associated with attitudes favoring gun restrictions. A second argument holds that while triggering events such as school shootings reinvigorate the growth of a gun-rights organization, school shootings that are also accompanied by gun-control protests will decrease growth in that organization. To examine these ideas, I combine information from national exit poll data on respondents’ attitudes toward gun policy with state-level information on the counts of recent school shootings, gun-policy protests, existing laws restricting gun use, and membership in the NRA. To minimize problems associated with observational data, the analysis of public opinion applies Coarsened Exact Matching techniques followed by analysis using mixed-level logit. The second analysis uses data on gun control protests, school shootings, and NRA memberships in states over time. Results show that conservatives (but not liberals) exposed to more school shootings favor more restrictive gun policies. The second, longitudinal analysis found that there is a significant interaction effect between increases in school shootings and gun control protests that diminishes NRA memberships significantly.

Testing the Prospects of National Exit Taxation in Nigeria: its Boons and Banes

Testing the Prospects of National Exit Taxation in Nigeria: its Boons and Banes

National exit test: The medical faculty perspective—A pilot study

Background Implementation of the exit examination for medical graduates in India has been debated for many years. The national exit test (NEXT), under the construct of the National Medical Commission Act, would serve two purposes: first, it will be a common exit/licentiate examination for all Indian medical graduates, and second, it will be a test for postgraduate selections for all specialties. There has been no research or evidence on stakeholders’ opinion on this test. We aimed to assess the perspective of medical faculties, nationwide, regarding the implementation of NEXT. Methods We conducted a nationwide, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based pilot survey. The Google survey form with close- and open-ended questions was forwarded via email and WhatsApp to various groups. Results Two hundred and forty-five medical teachers participated, of which 35.9% were from Gujarat, 44.9% were working in government colleges, 91.43% had MD/MS as the highest professional degree, 50% had >15 years of experience and were from different medical specialties. The majority felt that the NEXT examination was a positive step, 82.5% suggested that a national selection/testing authority should conduct it, 36.3% suggested having the test after internship while 32.7% expected some weightage for each year of the medical programme, and 84.1% agreed that all the learning domains should be assessed by various strategies. Discussion Faculties welcomed the NEXT examination under a national testing authority. The necessity of this examination is to have uniform standards and quality for medical graduates irrespective of their institutes. Assessment of all the domains will make the Indian medical graduate more competent for the job or residency programmes.

Reluctant Republicans, Eager Democrats?

Abstract Using the registration-based samples and disposition codes of state-level pre-election telephone polls conducted by the National Election Pool as part of the National Exit Poll in 12 states, we test whether likely Democrats were more likely to cooperate with the National Exit Poll than likely Republicans and independents. Using information about both respondents and nonrespondents, we find that Democrats are more likely to cooperate with telephone interviewers than Republicans and independents by 3 and 6 percentage points, respectively, even after controlling for individual and geographic features plausibly related to nonresponse (e.g., age, gender, race, urban/rural, community support for President Trump, and effects of COVID-19). Equalizing the partisan cooperation rate when post-stratifying to account for the partisan differences in cooperation decreases the average polling error on the margin of victory by 4 percentage points in the polls we examine, but sizable errors remain in critical swing states because of within-party differences in who responds and/or errors in the available partisanship measures in the voter file.

Symposium

Clinical Research Centre for Neuromodulation in Psychiatry(Multicentric Project under India Alliance at NIMHANS, Bengaluru, CIP, Ranchi and KMC, Manipal)Proposal for Symposium at Annual National Conference of Indian Psychiatric Society, 2022Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES) in psychiatry: Scope and Emerging evidencesDuration: 60 minutesNon-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques are increasingly being used to treat symptoms that are resistant to psychotropic treatments. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is one such emerging focal stimulation technique showing promising leads in treatment resistant psychiatric conditions and getting popular due its lower-cost and ease of administration. Emerging mechanistic and clinical efficacy studies are showing promising results of tDCS for psychiatric practice. Its relative safety has implications for its utility in special populations including extremes of age, pregnancy, and comorbid conditions. Advancing technologies are leading tDCS towards personalised therapeutic options.In addition, novel transcranial electrical stimulations (tES) with different waveforms are being evaluated in neuroscience. Alternating current (tACS), oscillatory current (tOCS), pulse current (tPCS) and random noise (tRNS) stimulations are modulating neural oscillations in various clinically translatable fronts. Rich knowledge in neural oscillations in psychiatric conditions from Electrophysiological/magnetoencephalographic studies over many decades are now beginning to bear fruits for translational research.First presentation will cover theoretical basis and translational aspects of tDCS. Second presentation will discuss on safety and clinical utility of tDCS with special focus on its utility in special clinicalPage 1 of 2population. Third presentation will provide an overview on neural oscillation, and its importance in psychiatric disorders. Fourth presentation will review the novel waveforms of tES and how they can modulate neural oscillations to bring about therapeutic changes in psychiatric disorders.Structure of the SymposiumRelevance of Psychiatry in (NExT) National Exit TestThe medical colleges in India are likely to increase as per the Govt of India’s plan to have one medical college in every district to enhance the availability of medical doctors to the population needs. India already has more than 80000 medical students graduating as doctors every year. Unfortunately, the training medical students in psychiatry has been poor with no psychiatry skill mandatory for licencing to graduate as a doctor. This is in contrast to the needs of India, which has more than 200 million people with psychiatric disorders as per the WHO ICMR Global burden study. The 2019 Competency- based medical curriculum implemented in India to ensure Indian Medical Graduate (IMG) have required skills failed to incorporate psychiatry as mandatory in the examination process. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed the National Exit Test at the end of the MBBS course as a single examination for postgraduation courses. It is important that Psychiatry as a subject is given required weightage in NExT to enhance the knowledge of upcoming doctors to cater the needs of the people with psychiatric disorders in the community.Dr Ravi Gupta : Why is the NExT important for Undergraduate psychiatry education ?Dr Henal Shah : What is relevance of Psychiatry in the NExT for postgraduates, irrespective of speciality ? Dr Kishor M : Why is NExT important for Psychiatry teachers?Dr Sujit Sarkhel : The Role of Indian Psychiatric Society and its preparedness for upcoming NExTSpeakerTopicDuration discussion (including)Dr. Samir Kumar Praharaj Prof. of Psychiatry, KMC, ManipalApplication of tDCS: Bench to Bedside15 minutesDr. Sonia Shenoy Assoc. Prof. of Psychiatry, KMC, ManipalScope of tDCS in Special Population15 minutesDr. Umesh S Assoc. Prof. of Psychiatry, CIP, RanchiNeural oscillations: Implications for psychiatry15 minutesDr. Sreeraj VS Assist. Prof. of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, BengaluruNovel tES waveforms: Potentials application for psychiatric15 minutes

Concept Proposal for Nationalised Formative and Summative Assessments to Enhance the Preparedness of Medical Students for the National Exit Test (NExT) and Solution for Low Resource Countries: Insights from NBME Examinations in the USA

The National Exit Test (NExT) is planned to have a nationalised uniform assessment system for Indian medical graduates. This, being a new concept in India, the preparedness of students for such assessment needs to be under consideration. USMLE is a time-tested model in the United States of America. NBME test scores in the USA are intended for summative assessment of medical students and closely mimic the USMLE scores. We propose a model of nationalised formative and summative assessments as a preparedness tool for NExT that can be adapted by the NMC to have uniform and high-quality holistic assessment tools for Indian medical graduates.

Ensuring a Smooth and Hassle-Free Implementation of National Exit Test (NExT) exam: Feedback from a Pan-India online cross-sectional survey

Background: The National Exit Test (NExT) exam is a proposed common entrance exam for both licensing to practice medicine and admission to postgraduate medical courses in India. Recently NMC published a draft for NExT Regulations to seek comments from the students, faculty and stakeholders. So, we aimed to assess the perception of MBBS students, graduates and medical faculty towards NExT Regulations to ensure a smooth and hassle-free implementation of NExT Exam. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire based study was conducted online during January 2023. The study question-naire included various types of questions: yes/no/maybe, single best response, likert scale and open ended questions pertaining to the specific points about the NExT draft. The questions were designed under the main domains of: (1) Participant characteristics, (2) General acceptance about NExT, (3) Feedback for NExT Step 1, and (4) Feedback for NExT Step 2. Results: Of the 1412 participants, 873 (61.8%) participants felt that there was ‘No Need’ to replace the conventional theory exam. 895 (64.4%) participants preferred to have a single paper exam. 1141 (80.8%) opined that there should be ‘Single best response type Multiple choice questions (MCQs)’ only. Of the 1412 participants, 559 (39.6%) opined that the score should be valid only for 1 year and 550 (39%) opined it to remain valid for 3 years. 1042 (73.8%) participants felt there was No need for NExT Step 2. Conclusion: Though the implementation of NExT was planned with an intention to elevate the quality of medical education and bring a certain degree of uniformity across the nation, the policy level thought process did not fully percolate to the masses, especially students. The reasoning for the changes is not strongly supported by previous year data in the proposed draft. Therefore, there is a need to allevi-ate the anxiety among students about the NExT exam before implementing it. Based on our study we were able to give our suggestion to the proposed NExT draft.

The Implementation of Peer-Reflection to Improve Retakers' Achievement in National Medical Students Examination.

IntroductionFaculty of medicine plays a role to support the students’ success in passing national exit exam through mentorship. Peer-reflection evaluates the students’ learning process. We aimed to analyze the impact of peer-reflection to change the students’ learning attitude and improve national exam score.MethodsNine test-retaker students participated in mentorship program for three months. They took two parts of faculty-level examination. After the 1st and the 2nd part of faculty exam, there were peer-reflections I and II that argued about the characters, strengths and weaknesses, suggestions. Then, they did self-reflection to conduct responses about the mentorship including the impact of peers’ input and finally took national exam. The examination score before and after peer-reflection were compared. We analyzed the statement of reflection by documents and content analysis. The progress of examination score was analyzed descriptively.ResultsThe students objectively understood the strengths and weaknesses of their way of learning, and then implemented the peers’ advices. Peer-reflection method provided a feeling of same purpose, then developed ways of learning that promoted them to be higher motivated. Finally, 6 of 9 students passed the exam.DiscussionSuggestions given by peers would be memorable and powerfully changed motivation. Peer-reflection explored non-academic problems that determined the pattern and the way of how students learned.

‘The Worst Moment of My Life’: Argentina, the 2002 World Cup, and the Global Public Sphere

This study explores the political and social significance of Argentina national team at the 2002 World Cup in Asia against the global backdrop of Argentina's economic crisis in 2001–2002. The efforts of the national team players in seeking to emphasize their solidarity with the Argentine people through mass media before and after their ouster from the tournament took on global significance. The public statements of members of the Argentine national team are considered as local and global projections. The national team's lofty expectations and early exit from the tournament offers an important avenue of historical reinterpretation for understanding the Argentine crisis played out in a global context.

What are the options to implement an undergraduate medical exit examination in India?

Medical education and assessment processes in India are expected to undergo a paradigm shift with the introduction of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019. The Government of India intends to introduce a national exit test (NEXT) which is supposed to act as a single examination for graduation from medical school, granting licence to practice modern medicine, and allocating postgraduate residencies. As the nature, scope and stakes of these are different, various options regarding the content and conduct of the examination require careful consideration. We explore the options for implementation of this examination on a national scale. These options include theoretical (multiple assessment methods) with clinical examinations, multiple-choice question (MCQ)-based examination with separate clinical examination, only an MCQ-based examination, and multistep examination including screening followed by mixed assessment methods and clinical evaluation. We discuss the possible strengths and challenges of different options of implementing NEXT, and the caveats of the options.

Medical student well‐being during rural clinical placement: A cross‐sectional national survey

Understanding rural student well-being is essential to inform the development and training of the future rural medical workforce so as to ensure a pipeline of rural doctors to meet rural communities' needs. However, little is known about the well-being of students who are on rural placement. This study aims to identify the predictors of well-being amongst a national sample of medical students on rural clinical placement. The Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators (FRAME) 2015 national exit survey of medical students, completed at the end of rural terms, was used (n=644) to test the associations between well-being and demographic, financial, academic, supervisor, placement and clinical skills factors, and attitude to future rural work. Univariate and logistic regression were used. Students aged 18-24years (odds ratio [OR], 8.07 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 2.07-31.46]) and 25-34years (OR, 4.06 [95% CI, 1.35-12.18]) reported higher levels of well-being compared to students aged over 35years. Academic support from the rural clinical school (OR, 5.74 [95% CI, 2.59-12.73]), perceived respect from supervisors (OR, 3.13 [95% CI, 1.23-7.99]), not feeling socially isolated (OR, 2.7 [95% CI, 1.40-5.20]), access to counselling services (OR, 2.05 [95% CI, 1.10-3.83]), rural placement being a first choice (OR, 3.04 [95% CI, 1.58-5.86]) and positive attitudes to being part of a rural workforce in the future (OR, 4.0 [95% CI, 2.0-8.3]) were associated with higher odds of well-being compared to students who felt the opposite. Gender, rural background, financial support, clinical skills and role clarity were not found to be associated with well-being (P>.5). This study may provide guidance to rural clinical schools, policymakers and medical educators in developing rural placement programmes that enhance student well-being so we can address workforce shortages in rural areas.

Training family physicians: A qualitative exploration of experiences of registrars in a family medicine training programme in Cape Town, South Africa.

BackgroundThe MMed in Family Medicine is a professional Master’s qualification spanning 4 years of training. The outcomes were predetermined by national consensus. While these outcomes are measured in the form of a national exit examination, there has been no exploration of the experiences of registrars (residents) in this relatively new programme. To evaluate the experiences of registrars in one of the nine training programmes in South Africa and to identify areas for improvement.MethodsThis study used purposive sampling to recruit registrar (n = 9) and supervisor (n = 8) participants into respective groups. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically, and consensus was built using the nominal group technique.ResultsSupervisors identified the strengths and weaknesses of the programme which will impact on further strategic planning. Data from registrar interviews yielded two themes: affirmation, referring to the positive social engagement and facilitation of professional identity formation; and frustrations, referring to structural aspects of the programme which hindered academic progress.ConclusionQualitative programme evaluation is a useful tool in understanding the learning environment. The student perspective helped to identify the unintended consequences of the programme. It was also shown that the nominal group consensus building technique worked well in a resource-constrained environment.

Editorial Commentary on the National Exit Examination.

Editorial Commentary on the National Exit Examination.