Regulations proposed by NMC may be called the Foreign Medical Graduate Regulations, 2021, They shall come into force from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.
The National Medical Commissions draft regulation 2021 for foreign medical graduates, released on its NMC website, gives only two years to clear the test. It also proposes an additional paper in pre and para clinical subjects. As per the proposed regulation, students get only four attempts. The draft regulations mention the eligibility criteria for licensing those Foreign Medical Graduate who intending to practice medicine in India. As per the new draft regulations for FMGs, a person willing to practice in India after obtaining primary Medical qualifications from outside of India have to qualify the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) until the National Exit Test (NExT) becomes operational. The commission has also invited comments on the draft regulations.
In General Only 15-20 Percent Of Foreign Medical Graduates Clears Screening Test.
Eligibility Criteria for licensing to Practice in India: No person shall allowed to obtain license for practicing medicine in India unless a person fulfills the following criteria
1- Eligibility/Requirements prior to entry into the Medical College/Institution- For those who have completed their Senior Secondary School education in India prior to joining a medical college overseas
Total of twelve (12) years of schooling (Senior Secondary/ Higher Secondary/ Intermediate/ Secondary or equivalent) duly recognized by the appropriate authority in Central/State/UT Govt
A person should have studied science subjects of Physics, Chemistry, Biology/ Biotechnology as the core or main subjects in the last two years of schooling or during graduation after schooling (which shall include practical tests in these subjects);
A person should have successfully qualified in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduates [NEET (UG)] for the purpose of taking admission in the Foreign Medical Institution.
2- Eligibility Requirements for a person intending to practice in India after completion of their Senior Secondary Education as well as MBBS or its equivalent medical qualification from outside India
- In case a person has studied senior secondary education and undergraduate Medical education from outside India according to the rules and regulations of the country where he has completed his medical education, he shall be entitled to obtain license to practice in India provided he has completed at least 12 years of schooling with science subjects of Physics, Chemistry, Biology/ Biotechnology and English in their school completion or equivalent examination or in their graduation as core subjects with subsequent successful completion of at least First Year of Graduation in Science with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/ Biotechnology provided that a university or equivalent examination in theory and practical was held in these subjects
- Person has undergone minimum of four and half years (54 months) of theoretical and practical training for acquisition of primary medical qualification i.e. undergraduate medical training (MBBS) after 10+2 educational structure with an additional 12 months of internship/clinical clerkship after qualifying in the country where the medical qualification has been awarded. The MBBS education must have been in English medium.
- Person has undergone minimum of four years (48 months) of theoretical and practical training for acquisition of primary medical qualification i.e. undergraduate medical training (MBBS) in English, after graduation and with practical/clinical training conducted physically with an additional 12 months of internship/clinical clerkship after qualifying in the country where the medical qualification has been awarded.
- Primary qualifications to be obtained in a foreign Medical Institution shall include theoretical classes , practical clinical training and twelve (12) months of compulsory rotating internship/clinical clerkship commensurate with rotating internship in India which shall include hands-on training in clinical subjects of Community Medicine, General Medicine, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, General Surgery, Anaesthesia, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Orthopaedics including PM&R, Otorhinolaryngology, Ophthalmology, Casualty services, Lab services, Elective posting in either of Dermatology-Venereology-Leprosy, Tuberculosis & Respiratory Medicine, Radio diagnosis, Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Blood bank and Transfusion Services.
- The entire undergraduate medical training and internship shall be outside India in the same foreign medical institution throughout the regular course of study and no part of medical training and internship should have been done in India or in any country other than country from where undergraduate training is obtained.
- A Person shall be eligible to be Registered/Licensed to practice in a country where the MBBS or its equivalent medical degree has been awarded by that foreign medical institution. The registration in that country should be valid for at least 10 years.
3- REQUIRED TO QUALIFY SCREENING TEST
A person intending to practice in India after obtaining primary Medical qualifications needs to qualify the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) until the National Exit Test (NExT) becomes operational. The National Exit Test (NExT) examination shall consist of NExT step 1 and NExT step 2. For FMGs, Step 1will includes an additional paper to assess the knowledge of pre and para- clinical subjects also. Foreign Medical Graduates are required to qualify Screening test in India (FMGE/NExT) within 2 years of completing the MBBS abroad.