Shiksha View: 📢 NMC Releases New Draft Regulations For Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs), Invites Comments

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has released draft regulations on Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs). The foreign medical graduates will have to qualify a National Exit Test (NExT) within two years of completing the MBBS from abroad.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has released draft regulations on Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) on dated 23 Apirl 2021. The commission has also invited comments on the draft regulations. The foreign medical graduates will have to qualify a National Exit Test (NExT) within two years of completing the MBBS from abroad.

The draft regulations mention the eligibility criteria for licensing those 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 have to qualify the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) until the National Exit Test (NExT) becomes operational.

National Exit Test (NExT)

The National Exit Test (NExT) examination will be merged with FMGE and, as per the NMC draft regulations, NExT will consist of NExT Step 1 and NExT Step 2.

For FMGs, the first step will include an additional paper to assess the knowledge of pre and para-clinical subjects. Foreign Medical Graduates are required to qualify the screening test 1 in India (FMGE/NExT) within two years of completing the MBBS abroad.

Eligibility Criteria To Practice Medicine In India

According to the draft guidelines, the eligibility criteria have been divided into two parts.

1. The first part is for students who have completed their senior secondary education in India and are pursuing MBBS abroad

2. The second part is for those who have completed their senior secondary education and MBBS abroad.

For the ones pursuing MBBS abroad but have done their Class 12 from India must have passed the Class 12 board exam from any recognised board in India with the minimum eligible marks. They must have had Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology as their core subjects. These candidates must have also qualified the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) UG exam to seek admission abroad.

However, for the ones completing their Class 12 and MBBS abroad, must have completed a minimum of 12 years of schooling with Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology and English as their core subjects. They must have also completed at least the first year of graduation in Science with subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology (in case such an exam was held).

The candidates must have also completed at least 54 months of undergraduate medical training along with 12 months of internship in the same country where the medical qualification was awarded. The MBBS degree must have been done in English medium.

The entire UG medical education must have been done in the same institution and in the same country outside India. Even the internship must have been done in the same country

The license to practise medicine shall be valid for at least 10 years.