NMC refuses to recognise BS Course from Philippines

New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has once again refused to recognise the BS Course in the Philippines. Due to the de-recognition, the foreign medical graduates who were studying the BS Course or had been admitted to the course on or after the publication of the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations on 18.11.2021 are not allowed to appear in the licensing examination in India, the NMC has clarified.

The Commission mentioned this in the recently released notification, through which NMC addressed several issues relating to the Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) and provided clarity regarding the same.

Issuing a Public Notice on 22.11.2023, the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) and the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of NMC offered clarification regarding several issues faced by FMGs who returned from Ukraine and those who pursued their medical education in Philippines.

Also Read: FMGs have to Avail Academic Mobility Programme within 3 Months Deadline- NMC Issues Detailed Clarification for all FMGs

This comes after the Commission took note of various representations from various State Medical Councils and also considering grievances regarding various difficulties faced by foreign medical graduates, especially the students from Ukraine and the Phillippines.

Addressing the issue of FMGs from the Philippines, the Commission mentioned in the notification, "That with effect from 18.11.2021 i.e. with the publication of FMGL Regulation, 2021, NMC de-recognises BS Course in Philippines. Hence those FMGs who were studying BS Course or had taken admission in BS Course at the time of publication of FMGL Regulation are not allowed."

While the Commission has refused to grant relief to the students who were pursuing the BS course, it has offered relaxation to the medical students in Philippines who were admitted to the MD course on or before the publication of FMGL Regulations. The Commission has permitted them to complete their study and later apply for practicing licence in India.

In this regard, NMC mentioned in the notice, "However FMGs having taken admission in MD Course on or before 18.11.2021 are eligible to complete the course and subsequently write FMG Examination in India."

"After qualifying FMGE, these FMGs are required to undergo one year of internship in order to compensate the deficiency in their training from parent foreign medical college followed by CRMI after obtaining provisional registration. (Since their course is of 48 months only unlike 54 months MBBS course in India)," it further mentioned.

Explaining the reason for insisting on an additional year of clerkship, the Commission mentioned that this is because these students lack proper planned training and practical clinical exposure for a longer period, in the best interest of citizens of the country.

"In case of break as mentioned under Situation II & III of Point A above, then similar condition shall be applicable here," NMC mentioned while referring to the conditions that were laid down by it in respect of FMGs who completed their Medical Course in Foreign Medical Institutes as offline mode with or without one year of internship and returned to India, and FMGs who had a break in Final or Penultimate year of study (because of COVID pandemic or war) and completed the course online.

Also Read: Medical Students Studying in Philippines Seek Exemption from NMC FMG Licentiate Regulations, Parents protest at Jantar Mantar

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that with its official gazette notification that is 18th November 2021 on the issue of (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, the NMC had specified that henceforth the minimum duration of the MBBS curriculum outside the country has to be 54 months (4.5 years). This decision by the Commission was challenged before the Rajasthan High Court.

Besides this, NMC also received and considered the representations received from medical students who are pursuing BS Courses in Philippines, prior to publication of Gazette of India i.e. FMGL Regulations 2021, seeking exemption/ special dispensation.

The majority of medical colleges in the Philippines offer a composite program with first a two-year BS course and thereafter a 4 year MD course (Graduate /Primary Medical Course being equivalent to MBBS).

The bone of contention was that while the actual MD course ( Graduate /Primary Medical Course being equivalent to MBBS) was of 4 years that is lesser than the required duration but the students in Phillipines were also asked to go through the BS degree, a 2 year program, which when accounted would mean a total duration of 6 years which would be above the required norm of 54 months and hence recognizable. 

Issuing a Public notice on March 25, 2022, NMC analyzed the course structure in detail and gave its decision on the matter. NMC noted that BS and MD course are two separate degrees in Philippines. BS Course cannot be equated/included with MBBS course. Therefore, after the publication of Gazette Notification dated 18.11.2021 i.e. NMC's FMGL Regulations 2021, the students who have already taken admission for any foreign medical qualification/course which is not equivalent to the MBBS Course in India, cannot be treated as eligible qualification for registration to practice medicine in India. Whereas, the students who have taken admission in MD course in Philippines prior to FMGL Regulations 2021 can be considered subject to fulfilling other prevailing eligibility criteria for registration.

"Bridging BS Course is a course for Bachelor of Science for candidates seeking to join courses in field of Science & Research in Philippines. The said course comprises of subjects of Biology similar to Class 11th & 12th in India," NMC had mentioned in the Public Notice.

NMC's decision affected around 10,000 Indian medical students who were pursuing the BS course in Philippines. Even though the Indian Embassy in Milan in the Philippines wrote to the NMC seeking relief for those students enrolled in the BS course, NMC turned down the request of the Indian Embassy to accept the BS course as a part of their undergraduate medical education curriculum.

Also Read: State Medical Council seeks clarification from NMC on Permanent registration for MBBS graduates from Philippines