Future Of Indian Medical Students Studying In Philippines Uncertain

Based on the guidelines of the National Medical Commission (NMC), the future of as many as 10,000 Indian medical students studying in the Philippines looks uncertain.

Currently, the whole country is talking about the uncertainty Ukraine returned medical students are facing but there is also a group of Indian medical students studying in the Philippines who are undergoing the same fate even when there is no war in the Philippines.

The reason is NMC is not considering pre-medical courses from Philippine colleges valid and this makes around 10,000 students ineligible to practice in India.

B Harshavardhan, a student studying medicine in the Philippines said, “If the NMC excludes this bridge course, the whole medical education of the Philippines becomes invalid for Indian students, as its MD course is only of 48 months duration, whereas the NMC’s notification mandates approval to a course with a minimum duration of 54 months,” as reported by Outlook India.

Earlier this month, these students protested outside the NMC office in Delhi and now they have also approached the Delhi High Court and urged the court to intervene in this matter. The students allege that the NMC order invalidates one to two years of their studies.

NMC not considering BS Bilology from Philippines

In its communication with the Indian Embassy in the Philippines, NMC has said that it will not consider the bachelor of science course (also known as BS Biology or bridge course) as a part of medical education to be recognised in India. BS Biology is an 18-24 month course which every student in the Philippines has to undertake before they take the second 48-month-long main course called the doctor of medicine (MD).

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