Article

The National Medical Commission (NMC) recently announced that it will not accept any Integrated Internship within the undergraduate Medical program of International universities. This implies internship completed during the course duration in overseas Medical Universities are not valid in India. However, NMC accepts the 12-month medical internship, if it is commenced after the completion of MBBS. Also, they must complete it from their primary medical degree University/college.     Some of the recent reforms in NMC regulations  Strict adherence to Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulation 2021 is mandatory. Any noncompliance in the duration, medium of teaching, syllabus, clinical training, internship in an overseas university curriculum would lead to disqualification to practice in India.   The International Medical degree course time duration should be at least 54 months time-period. And the internship should not be within these 54 months.  As per the NMC guidelines the student must complete MBBS course within the tenure of 10 years. Foreign Medical Graduates (FMG) must be registered with the respective professional regulatory body or otherwise get a license to practice in the country they have completed their Medical degree. Additional internship for a minimum of 12 months after returning to India is required. All International Medical Students should mandatorily clear the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) to validate the degree acquired from abroad.  FMG also needs to appear for NEXT – National Exit Test. It is a screening test conducted by NMC to assess International Medical student’s Knowledge. “These conditions are mandatory for registration to practice allopathy in India,’’  — NMC Implications NMC decisions have affected many Indian students studying abroad. And also those who plan to pursue a Medical degree outside India.  It immediately Nullifies internships carried-out in many Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Medicine six-year programmes such as Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Georgia. These universities include internships within the course.  Also, the NMC’s rule that requires Students’ to get a practice license from the country where the student is completing the MBBS is conditional to many factors. One of the primary concerns is the country’s Visa regulations which can vary significantly from one country to another. This is also dependent on the demand for Foreign medical practitioners of the country.  Another factor that is bothering Indian students is the completion of MBBS courses within a 10-year time period. It will be difficult for them to fulfil, mainly because of the specialised residency programme attached to these International MBBS courses. Which will increase the overall duration of medical education.  They fear it may lead to their disqualification to practice in India and will close the doors for them to come back to their own country.  Conclusion It is necessary for students desirous to study medicine abroad to thoroughly research and understand the specific requirements and regulations of the country. As any non-adherence to the NMC’s norms can Disqualify their Medical degree registration in India. Procure guidance from educational advisors or directly from the relevant authorities like NMC. It will help them frame an overall picture of their Aspiration, Destination and Reality.