The National Medical Commission has proposed restoring the maximum duration for completing MBBS from nine years to 10 years. While speaking to TOI Education, senior medical educator Dr. M. M. A. Faridi said the focus should be on understanding why students struggle and strengthening support systems, while United Doctors Front President Dr. Babita Sikriwal backed the move as a student-friendly measure for genuine hardship cases. The National Medical Commission’s (NMC) proposal to restore the maximum duration for completing the MBBS course from nine years to 10 years has triggered fresh debate across medical colleges. Is one additional year enough to help struggling students? Does it dilute standards? Or does it simply acknowledge the realities of life that sometimes interrupt even the most dedicated students?For Dr. (Prof.) M. M. A. Faridi, one of India’s most experienced medical educators, the conversation is far bigger than a one-year extension.“The difference between nine years and ten years is not very significant,” he told TOI Education during a detailed conversation. “The more important question is why some students are unable to progress and what institutions are doing to support them.”The observation carries weight. A distinguished pediatrician and neonatologist, Dr. Faridi has spent decades in medical education, training generations of doctors. Having served as Professor and Head of Pediatrics at University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), Delhi University, and GTB Hospital, New Delhi, he has witnessed firsthand how medical students navigate one of the country’s most demanding professional courses.As the NMC seeks public feedback on its draft amendment, Dr. Faridi believes the debate should focus not only on timelines but also on the support systems available to students facing academic, emotional, financial or personal difficulties.The first professional exam: The biggest hurdle in MBBSAs discussions around the proposed amendment continue, Dr. Faridi believes many people outside medical education do not fully understand how the MBBS system actually works.Medical education is divided into four professional examinations, commonly referred to as “Profs.”Today, each professional examination broadly corresponds to one academic year. Earlier, however, the First Professional examination covered a much longer period — initially two years and later one-and-a-half years before reforms shortened it to one year.The First Professional examination remains the most critical checkpoint.A student must clear all subjects in the First Prof before being allowed to move forward.“If one subject remains uncleared, progression stops there,” Dr. Faridi explained. “The student cannot move to the next year until all subjects are passed.”That rigidity is unique to the first year.Once students clear the First Professional examination, they can continue progressing through later years even if they accumulate backlogs in subsequent professional examinations. Those backlogs must eventually be cleared before graduation and internship, but they do not automatically halt academic progression.In other words, progression may continue, but qualification cannot.Having worked not only in Delhi but also as Principal, Dean, Chief Medical Superintendent and Professor of Pediatrics at Era’s Lucknow Medical College during its formative years, Dr. Faridi has observed these challenges from both classroom and administrative perspectives.Four attempts, two years and a make-or-break regulationThe veteran academic believes that while public attention is focused on the proposed 10-year completion limit, the more consequential regulation is actually the four-attempt rule.Under current NMC regulations, students are allowed a maximum of four attempts to clear the First Professional examination. These include both regular and supplementary examinations.In practical terms, this gives students roughly two years to successfully clear the first academic barrier.“If a student cannot clear the First Professional examination within four attempts, continuation in the course is no longer possible,” he said.The proposed amendment does not alter this provision.For that reason, Dr. Faridi views the debate over nine years versus 10 years as relatively minor when compared to the significance of the first-year eligibility requirements.Dr. Faridi’s perspective is informed by decades of academic leadership. Trained in Neonatology at the University of Illinois, Chicago, he has worked with institutions and organizations including WHO, UNICEF, USAID and various national health programmes. He also served on Government of India deputation to BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Nepal, where he helped establish pediatric teaching and training systems.Why do some students fail despite clearing NEET?Perhaps the most fascinating part of the conversation was Dr. Faridi’s attempt to unpack a question that often surfaces whenever unusually long MBBS cases make headlines: Why do some students struggle so much after entering medical college?“There is no major published research that clearly answers this question,” he said.Yet decades of teaching have given him certain insights.Some students, he observed, enter medicine because of parental expectations rather than personal ambition.Others secure admission after years of intense coaching but later discover that their interests lie elsewhere.Recalling examples from his own student days, Dr. Faridi spoke about classmates whose passions were rooted in music, filmmaking, performing arts or other creative pursuits.“They completed MBBS somehow, but medicine was never their first love,” he reflected.But lack of interest is only one explanation. Life itself can intervene.A student may lose a parent. A family business may collapse. A prolonged illness can derail academic schedules. Mental health challenges, emotional distress, financial constraints and family responsibilities can all affect performance.These are the situations where, according to Dr. Faridi, an additional year may genuinely matter.“If somebody faces a serious personal crisis, that extra time could make a difference,” he suggested, emphasizing that regulations must account for exceptional circumstances without compromising educational standards.His observations are particularly noteworthy given his extensive experience as a medical teacher, administrator and national resource person for multiple government ministries and health organizations. Over the years, he has interacted with students from diverse social and economic backgrounds and witnessed how personal circumstances can significantly influence academic performance.Counselling, mentoring and understanding the student behind the marksThroughout the conversation, Dr. Faridi repeatedly returned to one theme: support.In his view, the future of medical education lies not merely in setting deadlines but in identifying struggling students early and helping them recover academically.Drawing from the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, he argues that institutions should establish robust systems for mentoring and counselling.The objective should be to understand why a student is struggling.Is it an academic issue?A psychological issue?A financial problem?A family crisis?Or simply a lack of motivation?“Students need guidance, mentoring and counselling,” he emphasized.Medical colleges, he believes, should communicate regularly with students and parents, identify warning signs early and intervene before academic problems become irreversible.The perspective is informed by a career that extends well beyond classroom teaching. Dr. Faridi has contributed to numerous national and international health initiatives and currently serves as a senior leader in neonatology and child health circles. Such experience has reinforced his belief that educational institutions must remain both rigorous and humane.Strict attendance, but more flexibility than beforeDr. Faridi also highlighted another often-overlooked aspect of MBBS training: attendance.Medical education is not designed as a part-time academic programme. Students are expected to spend long hours attending lectures, laboratory sessions, ward postings and clinical training.Current NMC regulations require:• At least 75% attendance in theory classes• At least 80% attendance in practical and clinical sessionsImportantly, these requirements are now assessed separately, making compliance more demanding than in previous years.Yet even here, regulators have attempted to strike a balance.Students who fall short but maintain at least 60% attendance can be given additional classes after annual examinations. If they successfully complete attendance requirements, they may become eligible for supplementary examinations instead of losing an entire academic year.Similarly, supplementary examinations are now conducted much earlier than before, reducing delays and helping students remain with their original batch.According to Dr. Faridi, these reforms reflect an evolving understanding that while medical education must remain rigorous, unnecessary academic disruptions should be minimized wherever possible.Doctors’ body backs 10-year limit, seeks relief for some studentsThe proposed amendment has also found support among young doctors and medical professionals.Dr. Babita Sikriwal, National President of the United Doctors Front (UDF), welcomed the NMC’s proposal to restore the maximum duration for completing MBBS from nine years to 10 years, describing it as a “balanced and humane” measure.According to her, medical education is a long and demanding journey, and students can encounter genuine hardships ranging from serious illness and family emergencies to mental health challenges and other unforeseen circumstances.“For a student facing exceptional difficulties, one additional year can make the difference between completing the degree and losing years of hard work,” she said.Dr. Sikriwal emphasized that extending the completion period does not amount to lowering academic standards. Students would still be required to clear all examinations and complete the compulsory internship before qualifying as doctors.UDF calls for revision of First Professional attempt limitHowever, she also urged the NMC to revisit another provision of the regulations — the four-attempt limit for the First Professional MBBS examination.According to the UDF, some students from the 2021 MBBS batch were affected by delayed counselling schedules, pandemic-related disruptions, shortened academic sessions and reduced preparation time. The organisation believes such students should be considered for a fifth and final opportunity to clear the First Professional examination.“They are not seeking a relaxation of standards,” Dr. Sikriwal argued. “They are seeking a fair opportunity to demonstrate competence while remaining within the overall duration prescribed by the NMC.”Beyond the proposed extension, Dr. Sikriwal said broader reforms are needed to improve the overall experience of medical students.She noted that the UDF has consistently advocated stronger mental health support systems, transparent grievance-redressal mechanisms, structured academic mentoring and measures to reduce unnecessary stress within medical education.“There is also a need for greater uniformity in assessment practices, timely conduct of examinations and stronger support for students facing personal or health-related challenges,” she said.According to Dr. Sikriwal, medical education must remain rigorous, but it should also be responsive to the realities students face during a demanding and often unpredictable academic journey.Beyond nine years versus 10 yearsAs the NMC’s draft amendment enters the consultation phase, public debate is likely to focus on numbers: nine years or ten years.However, the conversations with both Dr. Faridi and Dr. Sikriwal suggest that the issue is far more complex than a simple numerical change.Interestingly, while Dr. Faridi approaches the issue from the perspective of a veteran medical educator and administrator, and Dr. Sikriwal from the standpoint of students and young doctors, both arrive at a similar conclusion: academic standards must remain uncompromised, but institutions and regulators must do more to identify struggling students early and support them through genuine hardships.A one-year extension may help students facing exceptional circumstances. Yet regulations alone cannot solve deeper issues related to motivation, mentorship, mental health, family crises, attendance challenges and academic adaptation.As the NMC considers stakeholder feedback before finalizing the amendment, the emerging consensus appears to be that the debate is not merely about adding one more year to MBBS. It is about building a medical education system that is both rigorous and humane — one that produces competent doctors while ensuring that students facing genuine personal, financial, health or psychological challenges are not left behind.