Medical panel’s feedback system for MBBS students sparks debate

The National Medical Commission (NMC)’s recent initiative to introduce an anonymous feedback system for MBBS students, that enables them to directly report concerns related to teaching quality, faculty shortages, clinical training and patients exposure, labs, ragging, mental health support, and campus facilities, has become a point of keen interest within medical academic circles. The move is being closely examined for its potential impact and the reforms it could bring to medical education.

Most interestingly, the NMC has also asserted that all responses submitted by students will be kept anonymous and strictly confidential. The feedback is intended exclusively for internal academic assessment and quality improvement purposes. This initiative aims at gathering valuable feedback on different aspects of medical college and overall educational experience.

A newly MBBS graduate (2020 batch) from the PGIMS, Rohtak, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said a grievance portal already existed for the students to file complaints and share feedback, but it was not yet effective in improving academic quality and fully resolving their concerns.

“Several associations of the MBBS graduates have repeatedly highlighted violations of norms by medical colleges, particularly regarding the working hours of resident doctors. Yet, no meaningful action has been taken to improve their working conditions. If the NMC truly intends to enhance the quality of medical education and the functioning of medical colleges, it must take strong and decisive action,”

he added.

Another MBBS student from a private college said while launching a feedback system was commendable, the real concern was how quality could be enhanced in those colleges where many doctors and facilities existed only on paper.

“The NMC should consider setting up state-wise or region-wise inspection bodies to regularly visit colleges, personally assess facilities, infrastructure and faculty strength, and interact directly with the students to improve academic quality and overall functioning. Additionally, members of these bodies should be rotated periodically to minimise the risk of manipulation or corruption,” the student added.

Dr Ranbir Singh Dahiya, a retired professor from the University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, and co-convenor of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (Haryana), a social organisation working in the field of healthcare, has welcomed the move but simultaneously expressed doubts about whether it will truly achieve its intended purpose.

“It is an open secret, not only in Haryana but in other states as well, that many medical colleges suffer from substandard education due to inadequate infrastructure, insufficient facilities, and a shortage of faculty. Even when the MBBS students and other stakeholders submit written complaints to state authorities or the NMC, the response is often minimal, which discourages complainants. In some cases, the students even face backlash from their institutions after being identified as the source of the complaint,” he said.

Dr Dahiya observed that safeguarding the anonymity of students in this new initiative was a commendable step but the NMC must also act on the alarming issues that had already come to light in the public domain if it really wanted to improve the quality of medical education. He further highlighted the urgent need for reforms in the examination system to curb unfair practices by students attempting to complete their courses through dishonest means.

“Although the students already have the freedom to raise their concerns or share feedback from the college level to the central authorities, it remains to be seen in the coming days whether this new feedback system will prove effective in making any improvement in quality of medical education, or if it will follow the pattern of previous initiatives aimed at strengthening the education system,” he concluded.

The Democratic Medical Association (DMA India), a national body of doctors and medical students, has also raised serious concerns regarding the effectiveness of this new

mechanism.

“Such measures alone are insufficient for quality improvement. What is truly needed is strict accountability, transparent follow-up and on-ground verification. Instead of merely going through feedback and filing complaints formally, strong action based on the feedback is required to ensure that the students and other stakeholders have confidence in the system,” said Dr Amit Vyas, national president of the DMA.

He asserted that, in their experience, there was virtually no follow-up from the higher authorities after a complaint was submitted.

“What actually happens is that the colleges send carefully crafted replies through email or letters intended to protect their image. The authorities, instead of conducting independent, on-site verification, simply accept these responses and mark the issue as ‘resolved.’ In reality, nothing changes,” Dr Vyas explained.

He further stated that the issue extended beyond individual complaints. “It reflects a systemic decline in basic medical education standards: substandard teaching, inadequate faculty, minimal clinical exposure, almost no real patient handling, and a startling lack of functional laboratories in most private medical colleges,” he added.

Meanwhile, a senior faculty member at the PGIMS, Rohtak, stated that the feedback initiative would definitely assist the authorities in identifying systemic gaps, including inadequate faculty strength, limited clinical exposure, poor infrastructure, and shortcomings in student welfare. “It is also likely to improve oversight of medical colleges and contribute to raising the standard of undergraduate medical education across the country,” he added.