Zubair Qureshi
The National Medical and Dental Academic Board of the Pakistan Medical Commission after considering demands submitted by the foreign medical graduates to the Authority has decided that there is no justification to lower the National Licensing Examination part-II (NLE-II) pass percentage from 70pc.
The board in its 43rd meeting considered the demands regarding NLE-2 be withdrawn as a pre-condition to grant of a license to the foreign graduates and passing marks be lowered to 50pc. According to the PMC spokesperson, the NLE-II is primarily clinical evaluation for foreign medical graduates
The board also discussed the demand reviewing mandatory station requirements.
The Board while deliberating on the issue highlighted that the whole purpose of the NLE was to test the competency, knowledge, and skills of a graduate to ensure they are a ‘safe doctor’ as they would be granted a license to treat patients independently.
The NLE skills exam represented the basic skills that are mandatory for patient handling and management in the absence of which patients would be at severe risk, said the spokesperson.
Accordingly, it is imperative that graduates are able to show at least 70pc of fundamental basic skills and competencies to ensure patient safety.Lowering the standard will deprive patients of their fundamental right to be treated by a safe doctor, it was decided in the meeting, according to the spokesperson.
The Board was of the view that majority of the foreign graduates are coming from countries where English is not the spoken language therefore, serious concerns exist as to the clinical training they have received in the absence of being able to communicate in the local language with doctors, medical staff at hospitals and patients or being aware of the medical terms ordinarily referred to in the local language.
In addition, an absence of clinical training and mostly book education is a serious concern, and therefore, the NLE exam especially the Skills exam (NLE-2) is essential to ensure and certify that a foreign graduate has the necessary competency and skills to be a safe doctor.
Moreover, the Board further deliberated on the pass percentages of different international licensing exams being undertaken in different countries like USMLE, etc., which have a passing percentage of above 70pc.
Keeping in view the above fact, the Board could not find any justification to lower the NLE-2 pass percentage from 70pc. After a detailed discussion, the Board disagreed with lowering the pass percentage and decided to keep the current pass percentage at 70pc.
The Board further decided to carry out an additional advance analysis to give more data to see if there is any justification to change the pass percentage in the future
