The National Medical Commission (NMC) has clarified that a foreign medical graduate must hold a licence to practise medicine in the country where the degree was obtained to be eligible to appear for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) in India. The clarification means that merely working as a “junior doctor” under supervision, as in Georgia, will not by itself meet the requirement unless it legally allows practice at the required level.
The clarification came after a candidate, Bhawna, filed a grievance on the PM Grievance Portal seeking clarity on whether a six-year MBBS course in Georgia would make a student eligible to appear for the FMGE in India. The FMGE is a mandatory requirement for foreign medical graduates seeking registration to practise medicine in India.
MANDATORY LICENCE TO PRACTICE IN THE COUNTRY WHERE THE DEGREE WAS OBTAINED
In its response, the NMC referred to Regulation 4(b) of the National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021. Under this rule, after completing a medical degree in a foreign country, a candidate must be registered or licensed by that country’s medical regulatory authority to independently practise medicine in a manner equivalent to the licence granted to that country’s own medical graduates.
“As per Regulation 4(b) of the FMGL Regulations, 2021, a foreign medical graduate must possess licence to practise medicine in the country where the medical degree was obtained, at par with the licence granted to citizens of that country,” the NMC said in its response to Bhawna.
“Therefore, ‘Junior Doctor’ status would be sufficient only if it legally permits practice at the required level. If independent medical practice in Georgia is permitted only after completing postgraduate certification then the Junior Doctor status alone would not satisfy Regulation 4(b). The matter shall therefore be determined with reference to the applicable law and licensing requirements in Georgia,” it added.
Bhawna told PTI that education consultants, allegedly in collusion with several Georgian colleges, were misleading students by wrongly interpreting the rules on medical education in Georgia. “These consultants are saying that if you practise as a junior doctor while pursuing or completing your six-year MBBS course (called MD in Georgia), you are eligible to appear for the FMGE in India after completing the course. But the NMC’s response makes the position clear,” she said.
India’s Embassy in Yerevan, Armenia, which earlier handled India’s diplomatic representation for Georgia as well, had issued an advisory in September 2022 for Indian students seeking admission to Georgian medical colleges. The advisory said Indian students can work as junior doctors after completing their undergraduate medical studies. However, to practise as independent doctors, they must pass the National Post-Diploma Qualification Examination in the Georgian language, pursue postgraduate studies or residency in their chosen speciality, and obtain a licence to practise independently.
According to medical aspirants and consultants, students have faced difficulty since the introduction of Regulation 4(b) in identifying which countries grant a licence for independent medical practice after completion of the primary medical qualification. This has also led to confusion, with some consultants and colleges allegedly offering interpretations that may not reflect the actual licensing requirements.
An estimated 30,000 to 40,000 Indian students took admission to medical colleges in Georgia after the 2021 FMGE regulations came into effect, and many may not know that they will not be able to take the FMGE after returning on completion of only the six-year programme.
“They will learn the reality once they are back after the course. The NMC and the Indian Embassy should issue a proper advisory to save the future of thousands of students aspiring to do MBBS from Georgia,” a consultant said.
The NMC’s clarification has underlined that eligibility for the FMGE depends on whether the foreign degree also leads to a licence for independent medical practice in that country.
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