Students pursuing MBBS need to complete the course within nine years from the date of admission, while they will get only four attempts to clear the first year, according to the new regulations issued by the National Medical Commission.

In the newly issued Graduate Medical Education Regulations 2023 or GMER-23, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has stated there shall be common counselling for admissions to graduate courses at all medical institutions in the country on the basis of the NEET-UG merit list.

"Under no circumstances, the student shall be allowed more than four attempts for first year (MBBS) and no student shall be allowed to continue undergraduate medical course after nine years from the date of admission into the course," the NMC in a gazette notification on June 2 said.

The student admitted into a Graduate Medical Education Programme shall not be deemed to have completed his graduation until he completes his rotating medical internship as per Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship Regulations, 2021.

"Without prejudice to anything stated in the present regulations or other NMC regulations, there shall be common counselling for admission to graduate courses in medicine for all medical institutions in India based on the merit list of the NEET-UG," the gazette said.

Counselling shall entirely be based on the seat matrix provided by NMC, provided the common counselling may have multiple rounds as may be necessary, it stated.

The Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) shall publish guidelines for the conduct of common counselling, and the designated authority under section 17 shall conduct the counselling in conformity with the published guidelines.

The government will appoint a designated authority for the counselling and decide and notify its agency and method for all undergraduate seats.

No medical institute shall admit any candidate to the Graduate Medical Education (GME) course in contravention of these regulations, the regulations added.

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