Philippines MD degree not compliant with NMC FMGL regulations- Students allege violations, seek NMC, Govt intervention

New Delhi: Alleging that the medical education programme in the Philippines does not comply with the three major Foreign Medical Graduates Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations 2021, a group of students has sought intervention from the Union Health Ministry and the National Medical Commission (NMC).

The appeal has been addressed to the Union Health Minister, External Affairs Minister, Home Minister, officials of the National Medical Commission (NMC), state medical councils, and the Embassy of India in Manila. It has also been sent to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) officials in the Philippines, including its Legal and International Affairs Directors.

The students have alleged that according to the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) order and the Philippines medical curriculum, MD programme in the Philippines (degree considered equivalent to MBBS in India) is 48 months (4 years), instead of the minimum 54 months mandated by the NMC's FMGL rules.

In addition, the Indian students who graduated from the Philippines' medical colleges are not permitted to do a 12-month internship in any accredited Hospitals throughout the Philippines, alleged the students, while referring to the advisory issued by the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges (APMC) on August 13, 2025.

Further, the students have alleged that the Philippines Medical Law allows only citizens of the country and does not permit foreign nationals, including Indian medical graduates from the Philippines, to appear for the Philippines Licensure Exam (PLE)- as per the Philippines Medical Act of 1959 and the APMC Advisory.

What do the NMC's FMGL regulations say?

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that regarding the matter of granting permanent registration to Foreign Medical Graduates, FMGL 2021 regulations stated the following:

No foreign medical graduate 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 the Schedule-I;

(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 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.

The students' appeal:

In view of the above NMC regulations, the students have appealed that thousands of Indian students who enrolled after the FMGL rules were issued in November 2021 risk losing their future despite investing lakhs of rupees. This is because the majority of medical colleges in the Philippines offer a composite program with a first two-year BS course and thereafter a 4-year MD course (Graduate /Primary Medical Course being equivalent to MBBS). Since neither course was of 4.5 years duration, they became invalid after the implementation of the FMGL 2021 regulations.

Now, writing to the authorities, a group of students has claimed otherwise. For this, they primarily relied on an Advisory issued by the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges, Inc. on 13.08.2025.

Addressing the issue of application of Foreign Medical Graduates to participate in the National Internship Matching Program, APMC Inc had informed the Deans of Medical Schools and Directors of APMC Accredited Hospitals participating in the National Internship Program, that under the Philippine Laws (The Medical Act of 1959, as amended), only citizens of the Philippines are allowed to take the Physician Licensure Examinations (PLE), and completion of a one-year rotating internship is a requirement to be eligible to take the PLE.

The Advisory referred to the Medical Act of 1959, as amended, which specifies the candidates for the PLE as follows: "SEC. 9. Candidates for board examinations—Candidates for Board examinations shall have the following qualifications:

1. He shall be a citizen of the Philippines or a citizen of any foreign country who has submitted competent and conclusive documentary evidence, confirmed by the Department of Foreign Affairs, showing that his country's existing laws permit citizens of the Philippines to practice medicine under the same rules and regulations governing citizens thereof."

"APMC conducts the National Internship Program with the authority provided by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). APMC does not have the authority to accept foreign medical graduates to participate in the National Internship Matching Program, likewise, participating accredited hospitals do not have the authority to accept foreign medical graduates for the internship training program," APMC further clarified in the advisory.

Referring to this, the students have alleged that the Indian students who graduated from the Philippines' medical colleges are not permitted to do a 12-month Internship in any accredited Hospitals throughout the Philippines. They also argued that APMC Inc. does not have the authority to accept foreign graduates to participate in the National Internship Matching Program, and similarly, the accredited hospitals do not have the authority to accept foreign medical graduates for the Internship Training Program.

They also claimed that the duration of the medical course is only 48 months and not 54 months, as required by NMC. Apart from this, the students also alleged that the Philippines Medical Law do not permit Indian medical graduates from the Philippines medical institutes to appear for the Licensure Exam, without which, they cannot practice medicine in that country.

Addressing the Indian Government authorities, NMC, and Embassy of India Manila Officials, the students alleged that thousands of students who went to study medical course in the Philippines after the Publication of the NMC Gazette of November 18, 2021 FMGL are going to be in big trouble, as "they are going to spoil their precious future and wasting lakhs of rupees as the agents every time of recruitment publish some unauthorized fake letters from the Philippines by bribing the authorities and recruit 1000s of students and they cheat the students deliberately."

"The Republic Act No. 2382, The Philippines Medical Act of 1959 never changed, only the Indian agents manipulate, bribe and draft letters as suitable for recruitment and get it signed outside of the official procedure and norms from the Congressman and officials of the CHED as we all see many letters issued directly to the Indian agents, and these agents bribe the social media, educational news channel and Journals here in India and publish as an approved news and letters from the Philippines Government," alleged the students.

According to the students, the Policies, Guidelines and Standards for Doctor of Medicine (M D) Program including the Curriculum Duration of 4 years has never changed but the colleges in the Philippines like DMSF of Davao City and GCM of Cebu Islan, Falsely publish that they will extend 6 months only for the Indian students without any official curriculum and subjects but only the extension of the clinical rotation (of 4th year at present) to show the students stay in the Philippines as 4 years and 6 months.

Calling the BS course as the "most cheated course", the students alleged that "in method of conducting the course and in collection of fees as 50000 to 75000 total fees is actual in the Philippines, but the Indian agents collect almost 1000000.00 lakhs for which the course duration is 1 year and 6 months or only one as conducted by the Transworld/Kings and which issues FAKE certificate in the name of Greenheart medical University of Guyana in India."

Describing in detail how Indian agents allegedly dupe Indian and Philippines Government, the students appealed to the NMC and Embassy officials to take note of the evidence and proof provided along with the email and put a stop to Indian students being cheated with money and their future. They have also appealed to the Director of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Legal and other authorities in this regard.

Also Read: NMC refuses to recognise BS Course from Philippines