‘Withdraw NMC notice’, demand FMGs; protest against 3-year internship rule

NEW DELHI: Several foreign medical graduates opposed the new NMC notice denying acceptance of compensation certificates for online classes and mandating a three-year internship. Students gathered in front of the National Medical Commission’s office today demanding to withdraw the notice.

In a recent notification, the commission reasoned that students are ‘maliciously’ obtaining the certificates from their parent universities and announced that the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) has decided not to accept FMG certificates compensating offline training with online classes. NMC also iterated that FMGs who have attended online classes during their course are required to qualify FMGE and complete an internship of two to three years to be eligible for practising medicine in India.

Disappointed over the decision, the FMGE students urged the commission to reconsider it citing that the extended period will delay the process and strain them financially and emotionally.

Online FMG classes during Covid, war

"I completed my MBBS from Ukraine but had to come back during war (which was not our fault), some people had to come back during Covid, now they want us to do 2-3 years of internship instead of 12 months which is usually done by MBBS students after their course. This is total injustice to us, we were not the only ones who did online lessons during Covid and war. MBBS is usually of 5.5 years and for FMGs it’ll be 9 years, due to NMC policies," Dr Dollar Soni from Ukraine’s Sumy State University, who completed his MBBS in June 2022, told Careers360. He said that he cleared the FMG exam in the first attempt with the score of 196 out of 300 but is still hustling with the process of getting registered in India.

Also read Big relief for FMGs, NMC extends internship completion deadline to May 2026

The All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) wrote to NMC requesting it to take the notice back. The national president of AIMSA, Jitendra Singh took to social media and said that as the students have already cleared the FMGE with one year of internship, the three-year rule will ‘hamper FMGs not only mentally but economically too!’

A doctor wrote in a post, “How in the world is it fair for anyone to spend almost 10 yrs of their youth to complete MBBS(a graduation degree)!! What makes it so hard for some officials to understand this simple fact.”

The All India Dental Students’ Association (AIDSA) posted, “Why is NMC targeting FMGs? Frequent notices, refusal to compensate online classes, and mandatory 2-3 year internships are unfair. Why was this notice posted a year late? Online classes were compensated in India, Questioning FMG degrees.”

“With one order of yours, the decision taken by NMC for us FMGs will change, so it's a humble request that please give your support in saving our future,” a candidate urged prime minister Narendra Modi.

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