WB: 33 FMGs Awaiting Internship Since July, Urge Govt to Hold Counselling

New Delhi: Despite clearing the screening test i.e. the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) in July 2024, altogether 33 medical graduates from abroad, who are based in West Bengal, have still not been enrolled in the internship program, which is mandatory for the FMGs to get their medical registration to practice.

Even after two rounds of counselling, these FMGs could not secure a place to undergo internship. Meanwhile, the Swasthya Bhavan authorities have allegedly informed the students that the next counselling session for the leftover students would be held in June-July 2025.

Terming the decision "unfair", the Doctors Welfare Federation India (DWF) (FMG) wrote to the State General Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam recently and urged the authorities to consider allocating the additional internship seats for the remaining FMGs in West Bengal or facilitate a separate third round of counselling for them.

As per the letter addressed to the State General Secretary, these 33 FMGs from West Bengal successfully passed the FMGE exam on July 16, 2024. "Despite our qualifications, we are facing significant challenges in securing internship placements and have been waiting for our opportunities since July 2024," the letter by DWF, on behalf of the FMGs, mentioned.

The FMGE exam for these students was held on July 6, 2024 and the results were declared on July 16. Altogether 151 domicile doctors qualified the test. After a long wait, the first round of counselling was held on January 27, 2025, during which, only 40 students were admitted.

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Consequently, a second round of counselling was held on February 28, 2025, which admitted an additional 78 students. Unfortunately, 33 doctors did not receive internship placements.

Referring to this, the letter mentioned, "It is extremely worrying that we have been left without seats despite the capacity of our robust healthcare system to accommodate these leftover students."

Mentioning that the Swasthya Bhavan authorities have informed to hold the next counselling session for the leftover students in June-July 2025 along with the FMG batch of January 2025, the doctors called this decision unfair, adding that it would significantly delay their training and place them with the junior batch despite qualifying in July 2024.

Accordingly, they requested the authorities to arrange a third counselling session exclusively for the remaining 33 doctors at the earliest. "It is disappointing to see that every other state in India has successfully allotted internship seats to all FMG students of the July 2024 batch, leaving us as the only group still waiting. Many states conduct separate counselling for each batch and arrange additional rounds if required. We urge you to consider a similar approach in West Bengal as well to ensure fairness and timely placements for all deserving candidates," the letter mentioned.

"Internships are a crucial step in our medical education, providing the necessary practical experience before entering the profession. Delay in obtaining internships not only hinders our career progression but also affects our mental health and motivation. While we understand the high demand for internship seats, we strongly believe that with your support and intervention, a fair solution can be reached that accommodates all deserving candidates. We sincerely request your esteemed office to consider allocating additional internship seats for the remaining FMGs in West Bengal or facilitating a separate third round of counselling," it further added.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues regarding the issue, Medical Education Activist Dr. Vivek Pandey, who highlighted the issue, said, "33 foreign medical graduates in West Bengal who have been waiting for their internship seats since July 2024. Despite clearing all required examinations and meeting every eligibility criterion, they face prolonged delays and uncertainty. These young doctors deserve an immediate resolution to secure their futures and continue serving our communities."

Extending his support to the FMGs, Dr. Vaibhav Jain, President of DWF added, "I stand in solidarity with the 33 foreign medical graduates in West Bengal who have been denied their rightful internship opportunities since July 2024. These capable individuals have successfully completed all prerequisites, yet they remain in limbo. It is imperative that the relevant authorities take swift action to protect their careers and strengthen our healthcare system."

Dr. Aditya Gupta, DWF Vice President urged the authorities to take into account the plights of these 33 foreign medical graduates. He told Medical Dialogues, "Having fulfilled every requirement, they are unjustly held back from progressing in their profession. We urge those responsible to address this situation without further delay, for the benefit of both these aspiring doctors and the broader public they aim to serve."

Also Read: Internship, permanent registration issues! FMGs demand 'practical' solutions from govt after assurances