FMGs required to clear FMGE, complete CRMI to ensure parity with Indian medical graduates: MoS Health
MBBS in Phillipines
New Delhi: The Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) and the mandatory internship are required for the medical graduates from abroad to bring parity with the Indian Medical Graduates, the Union Minister of State for Health, Smt Anupriya Patel, stated.
Minister Patel provided this clarification while responding to the queries raised by Parliament member Smt. Renuka Chowdhury, who sought to know about the detailed procedure prescribed for Indian students who pursue medical education in foreign countries and subsequently return to India to practice medicine, the manner in which the compulsory internship is regulated for FMGs before granting them a licence to practice.
Further, Smt. Chowdhury also sought to know whether the current regulatory provisions are sufficient to ensure that Indian medical graduates and FMGs are at par once they complete their internship and begin service, and whether there is any proposal to modify the licensing requirements for FMGs, such as increasing the duration of the mandatory rural internship.
In response, the Minister referred to the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021 dated 18.11.2021, which mentioned that no Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) shall be granted permanent registration, unless he has-
(a) (i) Undergone a course leading to foreign medical degree with minimum duration of fifty-four months;
(ii) Undergone an internship for a minimum duration of twelve months in the same foreign medical institution;
(iii) Received a foreign medical degree with medium of instructions in English; and
(iv) Studied the mandatory subjects specified in Schedule-I of Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulation, 2021.
(b) 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 the citizen of that country;
(c) undergone supervised internship in India for a minimum term of twelve months, after applying for the same to the Commission; and
(d) has cleared the National Exit Test or such other mandated test or tests conducted by the Commission.
Clarifying that the CRMI training programme and the FMGE screening test are required to bring parity between the medical graduates from abroad and the Indian medical graduates.
"The current regulatory provisions are aimed for parity by requiring Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) to undergo a Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) in India after successfully clearing FMG Examination conducted by National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), at par with Indian Medical Graduates (IMGs), including equal stipends and facilities ensuring similar practical training before full licensure," he said.
