New FMG regulations 2021 for MBBS abroad

Putting an end to all the speculations surrounding foreign medical education as well as sealing the fate of its course, the National Medical Commission has recently notified the National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations 2021.

The regulations that take effect from the date of Official Gazette notification that is 18th November 2021, would be applicable to all the admissions after the said date. The regulations could not be applicable to foreign medical graduates who have acquired a foreign medical degree for primary qualification prior to the coming into force of these regulations or to those candidates who are pursuing their education in foreign institutions prior to the coming into force of these regulations or to those who are specifically exempted by the Commission or the Central government. For those who are currently pursuing their foreign medical education would be governed by ertwhile regulations, the NMC has clearly stated.

However, for those who are planning to study MBBS abroad, these regulations spell ouYatesy changes, which are going to make foreign education in many countries and institutions less lucrative. The regulations spell out that the exam FMGs in future will have to clear the NEXT exam and also undergo additional internship in India, apart from pursuing internship in their own institutions at foreign country where they have studied.

The new regulations clearly spell out that for recognition in India candidate has complete to foreign medical graduation course within 10 years from the date of joining the course.

On the issue of grant of permanent registration to foreign medical graduate the regulations state that no foreign medical graduates shall be granted permanent registration, unless he has

A)

• Undergone a course leading to foreign medical degree with minimum duration of 54 months.
• Undergone an internship for a minimum duration of 12 months in the same foreign medical institution.
• Received a foreign medical degree with minimum of instructions in English and
• Studied the mandatory subjects specified in the schedule 1.

B) Registered with the specific professional regulatory body or otherwise competent to grant licensed to practice medicine in their respective jurisdiction of the country in which the medical degree is awarded and at par with the license to practice medicine given to the citizen of that country.

C) Undergone supervised internship in India for a minimum term of 12 months after applying for the same to the Commission.

D) Has cleared the national exit test or such other mandated test or tests conducted by the Commission.

The move will spell out doom for many foreign institutions and countries where the course duration is less than 54 months or 4 and a half years As well as many off the foreign medical colleges that have teaching facilities but not training facilities.

The regulations also clearly spell out the criteria to recognise foreign medical graduates applying for license and permanent registration to practice in India. These include:

• The guiding principle for licensing of foreign medical graduate to practice in India is to ensure that the foreign medical graduate fulfills the requirement of education and training equivalent or commensurate with that of an Indian medical graduate.
• Eligibility for primary medical qualification in a country outside India:
  1. Duration of course and training in subjects leading to primary medical qualification:
     1. Any person who pursued the foreign medical degree should have undergone a course of theory, practical and clinical training equivalent to bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery MBBS Of India.
     2. ShouIn thehave completed internship of 12 months in addition to such courses referred to in clause a),  With the same foreign institution where the primary medical qualification has been obtained, along with hands on training in clinical subjects including but not limited to community Madison, general medicine, general surgery, anaesthesia, gynecology, psychiatry, Orthopedics, dermatology, emergency or casuality services.
  2. Content of course for training leading to primary medical qualification
     1. The course and internship or Clinical clerkship shall commensurate with  MBBS course in India in accordance with the regulations on graduate medical education, 1997 And subsequent amendments thereto and shall include the subjects Mentioned therein as our daily recognised by the Commission under subsection 2 of section 61 of the act
     2. The course curriculum shall be made available for review by appropriate authorities and if necessary in the website of institution or university where the courses being pursued at the time of joining the course.
  3. Location of Medical College or institution add administration of the course or training:

The entire course, training add internship or clerkship shall we done outside India in the same foreign medical institution throughout the course of study and no part of medical training and internship shall be done in India or in any country other than country from where the primary medical qualification is obtained.

                4.Duration of course:

The total duration of the foreign medical graduation course shall be completed within ten years from the date of joining the course. With these regulations, several countries and foreign institutions where the course duration is less than 4.5 years on where the training was disjointed from the teaching institution, the degree would not be recognised. There were many institutions that were coming up with hybrid training set up, such as mixture of training in the country or degree as well as India, again who would not be able to do so.

Additionally, the regulations clearly spell out the additional training that FMGs  will have to do in India apart from there foreign country apart from the NEXT exam that they will have to give. Experts presume that with these regulations, The average time of gaining MBBS Abroad is going to go up and win all for act as a debt rent in pursuing substandard education in many foreign countries. It is also important that parents and students currently planning to MBBS  abroad in several countries harder start the implications of these regulations vis-à-vis their prospective Institutions to come at an informed choice regarding MBBS abroad.