Tough norms put FMGs in a fix

The NMC, in the notification, has denied the acceptance of compensation certificates for online classes, which are obtained by FMGs from their parent institutes abroad.

Hyderabad: Pursuing an MBBS degree in foreign countries with the hope of establishing a thriving practice in Hyderabad has become even more difficult for Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs), who have completed their degree at universities in China and Ukraine, among other countries.

In addition to preparing for multiple years to clear the mandatory Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), which makes FMGs eligible to register as doctors with the State Medical Councils, they now have to mandatorily undergo a Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) for a period of two-three years, which is a schedule of 12 months that must be repeated, a recent notification from the National Medical Commission (NMC), the regulatory body for medical education in India, stated.

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The NMC, in the notification, has denied the acceptance of compensation certificates for online classes, which are obtained by FMGs from their parent institutes abroad.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the NMC had offered a provision for FMGs to compensate for online classes (that were conducted during the pandemic and Ukraine-Russia war) with offline classes with the parent university or by doing one or two years of extra practical training/internship in India.

However, a few days ago, the NMC withdrew this provision and, in a new notification, said: “It has been observed that many FMGs are maliciously obtaining compensatory certificates from their parent universities for online classes carried by them.”

As a result, “FMGs, who have attended their classes online for any duration during their course completion, are required to qualify the FMGE and subsequently also undergo CRMI for a period of two to three years,” it added.

Needless to say, the fresh NMC directives did not go down well with foreign medical graduates from Telangana and other parts of India, who are now holding daily protests at the NMC in New Delhi.