– Baishali Mukherjee

The National Medical Commission (NMC) of India has recently advised Indian students to thoroughly investigate the medical colleges abroad and their rules, regulations, and education standards before seeking admission. This warning primarily targets Indian students who aspire to study medicine in private medical colleges abroad.

NMC has cautioned students to ensure that the foreign medical institutions they consider applying to comply with the 2021 Foreign Medical Graduate Licensure (FMGL) regulations. The FMGL regulations, which came into effect on November 18, 2021, outline stringent requirements for medical courses pursued abroad, including a defined course duration, specific medium of instruction and curriculum and medical training adhering to prescribed standards. Failure to verify this could lead to significant challenges for students in the future.

The NMC has emphasized that key aspects like the course duration, medium of instruction, syllabus, or clinical training of the chosen institution must align with these guidelines. Otherwise, these factors could prevent students from obtaining a license to practice medicine in India after graduation. In such cases, the responsibility would fall entirely on the student.

Despite repeated warnings, some students continue to enroll in private foreign medical colleges without due diligence. According to NMC, many of these colleges have substandard education and training methods, making it impossible for the commission to recognize their degrees.

Reports suggest that the training and curriculum in these foreign colleges often fail to meet NMC’s standards, disqualifying graduates from practicing allopathic medicine in India.

It is pertinent to note here that the Nepal Medical Council‘s new regulation fails to meet the requirements needed to appear for the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021, to practice in India. Consequently, many Indian students who have studied medicine  in Nepal after 2021 for MBBS or BDS degrees are now facing uncertainty. According to the recently announced notification of the NMC there is also no provision for treating international students as natives while giving licenses to practice in Nepal.

Also read: NMC withdraws order on courses by College of Physicians and Surgeons