Foreign medical graduates with incomplete internships can complete it in India: Govt

The government has said that the foreign medical graduates whose internships are incomplete due to the Russia-Ukraine war or the Covid-19 pandemic can complete the remaining internship in India, provided they clear FMGE.

Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply in Lok Sabha that those Indian students who studied medical courses abroad and could not complete their internships due to compelling situations such as the Covid-19 pandemic and war can now finish their remaining internship in the country but they must have cleared FMGE (Foreign Medical Graduate Examination).

FMGE is the mandatory examination for Indian students with foreign medical qualifications to practice medicine in India.

She was replying to the question that whether the government proposes to frame a scheme for admission of Indian students returned from China due to Covid-19 or from Ukraine medical colleges due to the ongoing Russia and Ukraine war and also to allow them to do their internship in India.

“The NMC, for the betterment of Indian student pursuing medical studies abroad, vide circular dated 04.03.2022 has allowed foreign medical graduates with incomplete internship due to such compelling situation which is beyond their control such as war and COVID-19 pandemic etc. to complete their remaining part of an internship in India subject to the condition that such candidates must have cleared FMGE (Screening Test), which is mandatory for Indian students with foreign medical qualification to practice medicine in India,” she said, as reported by Indian Express.

Data of students going abroad to study MBBS is not maintained centrally

In her written reply, she also said section 14 of the NMC Act, 2019 prescribes conducting of a uniform entrance examination NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) to all medical educational institutions at undergraduate and post-graduate levels. 

Also, Clause 8 (iv) of Eligibility Requirement for admission into undergraduate medical courses in a Foreign Medical Institution Regulation, 2002 says any Indian citizens/Overseas citizen of India who wants to study in a medical institution outside India, on or after May 2018, shall have to mandatorily qualify NEET for admission to MBBS course. Hence, clearing NEET is the requirement even for students who opt to study medical courses abroad and no separate permission is required from National Medical Commission (NMC). Therefore, the Centre does not maintain any data of students going abroad to pursue MBBS.

Read more:

• Indian students pursuing MBBS from China seek practical training, internship in India
• MUHS to start online classes for Ukraine returned medical students from April 1
• Govt says it has taken up issue of return of Indian students to China
• J&K, Centre working on policy for Ukraine returned medical students to continue study