6-year MD in Georgia: 'Junior doctor status alone may not satisfy FMGL'
New Delhi: With the recurring concerns regarding compliance with the National Medical Commission (NMC) Foreign Medical Graduates Licentiate (FMGL) 2021 Regulations, Indian students willing to pursue undergraduate medical courses in Georgia need to ascertain whether they will be permitted to practice in India after graduation.
While medical courses in Georgia are generally advertised as six-year programmes, documents from the Embassy of India in Yerevan, which also covers Georgia, indicate a distinction between completing the six-year medical programme and obtaining an independent licence to practise medicine.
What do the FMGL 2021 Regulations Say?
NMC, in the FMGL 2021 Regulations, published on 18.11.2021, specified the requirements that Foreign Medical Graduates need to fulfil to be granted permanent registration to practise medicine in India.
The rules say that the FMGs need to have undergone a medical course with a minimum duration of fifty-four months, undergone an internship for a minimum of twelve months in the same foreign medical institute, received a foreign medical degree with the medium of instruction in English, and studied the mandatory subjects specified in Schedule I.
Further, these regulations state that the FMGs need to be "registered with the respective professional regulatory body or otherwise, competent to grant license 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 citizens of that country."
Other requirements are undergoing supervised internship in India for a minimum term of twelve months, after applying for the same to the Commission and clearing the screening test, i.e., Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) or National Exit Test (NExT) when it is implemented, or such other mandated tests conducted by NMC.
Medical Education in Georgia:
According to an Education Times report, documents from the Embassy of India in Yerevan, which also covers Georgia, highlight a distinction between the graduates of the six-year medical programme and those having an independent licence to practice medicine. In a revised advisory issued on September 29, 2022, the embassy clarified that after undergoing the six-year MD programme, the graduates could work as 'junior doctors' in a supervised, non-independent role.
However, in order to obtain an independent licence to practise medicine, such graduates need to clear the relevant certification examination and complete residency/postgraduate training.
In response to an RTI application, the embassy in April 2024 further clarified that postgraduate education in a specialised field is mandatory to obtain a licence to practise medicine in Armenia and Georgia. The duration of such postgraduate courses range from one to four years.
Again, in June 2024, the Embassy said in a communication that Georgia grants a licence at par with citizens only after they complete a postgraduate programme and if they have knowledge of the Georgian language.
Junior Doctor Status after Six-year MD Course in Georgia:
Under the existing rules, after the six-year MD programme, a graduate may have junior-doctor status. For independent practice, they need to clear additional examinations and undergo postgraduate training.
In a notice issued in India in August 2024, the Georgian Embassy reportedly described such MD graduates as junior doctors who are authorised to perform their duties under a certified specialist. However, it claimed that such graduates were fully equivalent to MBBS graduates for that purpose.
Response from NMC:
Responding to a CPGRAMS grievance dated September 24, 2026, NMC has offered a clarification in this regard, stating that junior-doctor status would satisfy Clause 4(b) of the FMGL 2021 regulations only if it legally permits practice at the required level, reports Education Times. If the graduates are allowed to practice independently in Georgia only after completing postgraduate certification, the status of junior doctor alone would not satisfy the requirement. NMC also mentioned in the response that the determination depends on Georgian law and licensing requirements.
Also Read: FMGE October 2026: Medicos Seek One-Time FMGL Exemption for 2021-22 MBBS Abroad Batch
