FMG Internship: Doctors Urge Health Minister for Permanent Registration of FMGs, point out discrepancies among states

New Delhi: Raising the concerns of Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in obtaining permanent registration from the State Medical Councils and also referring to the disparities among the States in this regard, the doctors under the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) recently wrote to the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

The doctors have also questioned the two-year internship rule implemented by the National Medical Commission (NMC) and also referred to the disparity among the States regarding the implementation of this rule. 

It is mandatory for the FMGs to clear the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) to obtain their permanent registrations. However, after the FMGs returned back to India during the COVID pandemic and pursued their medical course online, the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued a notice dated 28.07.2022 and made it mandatory for the medical graduates from abroad to undergo two years of mandatory internship, instead of one, for being allowed to appear in the FMGE test.

Referring to the NMC order in this regard, FORDA in its recent letter directed to the Health Minister mentioned, "The government, recognizing the unique circumstances faced by these students, found a solution through the notice dated 28th July, 2022 (NMC/20659legal/2022/UGMEB). It allowed them to appear in the FMGE 2000 with the condition of a 2 (two) year Internship. These students are extremely thankful to the government for providing them with this opportunity."

The association also pointed out how there are disparities among the States regarding the implementation of this order and mentioned, "However, despite the government's proactive measures, confusion has arisen among various state medical councils regarding the interpretation and implementation of this notice. While some state medical councils such as Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Assam, Odisha, West Bengal and Rajasthan have issued permanent registration to FMG graduates from the 2015 and 2018 batches who returned to India due to COVID-19 in 2020 and completed their classes online, other state medical councils such as Delhi, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir. Punjab. Tamil Nadu, and Kerala have withheld or denied permanent registration."

As a result of this, FMG graduates from the same universities and batches, who completed their classes online and achieved identical milestones in term of passing MBBS, clear FMGE, and completing their internship are facing disparities and this is resulting in "significant distress and confusion among the affected students," FORDA pointed out.

Also Read: NMC relief: Final year MBBS medicos hit by COVID, Ukraine war can attempt FMGE, practice after 2 year Internship

"We believe it is imperative to address this inconsistency in the issuance of permanent registration for foreign medical graduates across various states in India. The current situation is in direct contravention to the principle of equality and fairness," the association further mentioned in the letter.

FORDA has urged the Health Minister for allowing the FMGs, who have cleared the FMGE test before the issuance of the notice dated 28th July, 2022 to obtain their permanent state registration.

Further, it has urged the Minister for excluding the students who were already undergoing their internship or had already completed their internship from the purview of the concerned notice, as their hospital and provisional certificates were based on the previous guidelines. It has also demanded clarity and guidance to all the State Medical Councils in order to ensure consistent and fair treatment of FMG graduates across the country.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues in this regard, Dr. Sarvesh Pandey, the General Secretary of FORDA, said, "The FMG students belonging to 2015 and 2016 batch had to come back during COVID and they pursued their course online. At that time, there was no guideline that internship would be for two years for pursuing online course. Consequently, they got their degrees, cleared the FMGE in 2021 and joined the mandatory internship. NMC issued the notice in 2022 and implemented the 2-year internship rule."

Questioning this rule, he further added, "Our question is during this one year of extra internship, what new thing would these doctors learn? We talked to NMC and DMC in this regard and also pointed out that the private medical colleges in India were also holding online course at that time. So, our demand is to provide relaxation to these medical graduates from abroad. Another thing is the disparity in this regard. Most of the States are giving permanent registration on the basis of one-year internship. So, we have urged the Health Minister to provide clear cut guidelines in this regard."

NMC Clarification: 

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that putting an end to the objections made by FMGs who were opposing the 2-year internship rule, NMC had stated that they would have to complete the 2 year internship (schedule of 12 months to be repeated) in hospital attached to medical college. At the same time, NMC clarified that the provision of the two-year internship is only applicable to those medical graduates from abroad who had to leave their parent institutes and come back to India while undergoing the last year of their study.

The clarification has been issued by NMC in its recent circular dated May 9, 2023. Medical Dialogues had reported that issuing the circular, the President of UG Medical Education Board (UGMEB), Dr. Aruna V Vanikar addressed several issues including important provisions under CRMI Regulations 2021 for the FMGs, validation for Online study by Commission, applicability of NMC Public notice dated 28.07.2022 on FMGs, requirement of Domicile by FMGs for internship, completion of Internship by FMGs in parts at hospitals and medical colleges, issue concerning payment of stipend to FMGs, and one-time relaxation to Foreign Medical Graduates to complete internship.

"After successful completion of the medical qualification, such FMGs are required to qualify FMG Examination and subsequently undergo Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) for a period of two years (schedule of 12 months to be repeated) in hospital attached to medical college only," the recent circular issued by the Undergraduate medical education board (UGMEB) of NMC stated in the context of 2-year internship rule.

Thereafter, such FMGs are required to undergo Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) for a period of one year in accordance with CRMI Regulations 2021.

Also Read:NMC upholds 2 year internship for FMGs who returned from Ukraine, China