FMAI opposes NMC's new rule for students going abroad for medical education

The Foreign Medical Association of India (FMAI) has said that NMC's new rules for students going abroad for medical education will prevent aspirants from middle-class families to become doctors.

The Foreign Medical Association of India (FMAI) conducted a press conference in Pune and said that the new rules set by the National Medical Commission (NMC) for students seeking medical education from abroad is not favourable for aspirants from middle-class families as they will not be able to become doctors.

Dr Sudarshan Gherde, president of the FMAI, said “We are protesting and the NMC should immediately reverse this decision. This rule is likely to be a major obstacle. It’s a kind of conspiracy with their future.”

“The new rules will affect around 10,000 students seeking medical education abroad every year. It is a conspiracy to prevent ordinary students from becoming doctors. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is one of the world’s leading institutions for medical education abroad. The NMC should not impose such oppressive rules on world-class education,” he added, as reported by Hindustan Times.

“Another issue is that if the NMC Act 2019 was passed on December 30, 2019, then how is it possible to issue a notification on November 18 this year? While NMC will be conducting ‘Next One’ and ‘Next Two’ examinations for students studying abroad, the question is, why insist on 54 -month course and medium of language as English."

FMAI has also asked NMC to answer whether a doctor with 54 months of medical education will be good and a doctor with 48 months of education will be uneducated. "The NMC should regulate medical education in India and control unregulated donations. However, the right of students to get cheap medical education abroad should not be taken away,” Dr Gherde added further.

Following are the new rules for doctors who studied medicine abroad but wants to practice in India:

• A medical degree from abroad should be for 54 months.
• They are required to complete a one-year internship from the same foreign university where they completed the medical course and a one-year internship is required after coming to India.
• The foreign medical degree should be in English medium.
• If the student is attending a WHO-approved foreign university then they must also need permission from NMC and the Government of India.

Read more:

• 124 medical colleges in India got NMC recognition in last three years, says Health Minister
• NMC top officials propose 10-year cap to finish MBBS course