Foreign medical graduates in Himachal Pradesh await internship allotment

Solan: Despite clearing the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) in July of this year, Foreign Medical Graduates in the state are facing delays in the internship allotment process.

The state has eight medical colleges located in Shimla, Tanda, Hamirpur, Nahan, Mandi, Chamba, Bilaspur, and Solan and the FMGs are eagerly waiting to join the mandatory internship programme which is a must for practising in India.

FMGs in the state are facing delays even though some states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Jharkhand have already initiated their counselling schedules, with the process expected to conclude by the end of the month.

Also read- More Than 400 FMGs In Tamil Nadu Waiting To Join Internship, Urge Health Ministry To Expedite Allotment Process

The graduates argue that since they have already passed the screening test, they have proven their worth and should be allowed to avail internship opportunities as soon as possible.

"As per the NMC existing policy, 7.5 per cent of seats are reserved for foreign medical graduates and as per the guidelines, they will be asked to apply when the internship starts in January," Dr Vinod Kashyap, Registrar of State Medical Council told The Tribune

Some states, such as Gujarat and Jharkhand, have released seat matrices and started the internship process for FMGs in November. However, FMGs in this particular state are still awaiting similar opportunities.

The FMGs in the state have not received any response from the State Medical Council, adding to the uncertainty and frustration among the graduates.

An FMG, Ajay Thakur, who recently met Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Shandil here last week, told the daily, “I received my scorecard and passing certificate last month and am awaiting internship allocation in the medical colleges of the state.”

The graduates further added, "Some states such as Delhi were implementing policies that exclude students from other states from availing internships there. This has left the students hailing from the state with limited options but to seek internships from the medical colleges in the state."

Recently, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has stated that Foreign Medical Graduates (FMG) who had a break in their final year and returned to India due to the Covid pandemic or the Russia-Ukraine war and have finished their coursework online, will be required to complete a mandatory one-year clinical clerkship. Afterwards, they will be eligible for the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) or clinical medical rotatory internship.

Medical Dialogues team recently reported that the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) has released several Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to various issues concerning Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs). 

Also read- NMC Releases FAQs Related To Issues Faced By Foreign Medical Graduates, Check Details