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Studying medicine abroad and practising in India is a dream that many Indians nurture. Highly qualified teachers, exposure to great medical technology and infrastructure, learning that focuses on practice and a supportive and progressive environment are what make studying MBBS abroad for Indian students a worthwhile experience. The aspirants are spoiled with choices of countries and colleges to study medicine overseas in case they fail to secure a seat in Indian medical colleges owing to the highly competitive environment in government colleges and massive fee structures in private medical institutions.
Practising medicine in India for Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) requires students to appear for Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE). Once they qualify for the examination, they will get a license to practice in India. The FMGE screening test is conducted by the National Board of Examination. Doctors with foreign degrees are highly revered in India. The fact cannot be overlooked that an international medical degree is as valued as a domestic degree. This article will provide you with detailed guidance about practising in India after completing MBBS abroad.
As mentioned earlier, there are thousands of MBBS colleges abroad, where one can pursue quality education in medicine. Some countries may be cheaper, while others can burn your entire pocket. Nonetheless, to practice in India after studying medicine abroad, there are steps that each aspirant must complete to be legally allowed to become a doctor.
In India, the National Medical Commission (NMC) is responsible for ensuring the safe and legal practice of medicine in India. In other words, the NMC looks over the different aspects of medical education and practice, ensuring that the citizens of India have access to a medically and legally safe healthcare system.
If you are looking to practice medicine in India and are not sure what the necessities are, it’s simple – you require a license. Every doctor in the country is required to possess a license issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC). The license offers you the freedom to practice medicine anywhere in the country.
With an international degree in your hand, looking to legally practice medicine in India, acquiring a license is the final cog in the steps to build a career in medicine. However, acquiring a license may not be as easy as it seems.
To acquire the license to practice medicine in India, all aspirants must clear a screening test which is currently organised by the National Board of Examination (NBE), under the guidelines of the NMC.
The screening test, also known as the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination or popularly known as the FMGE Screening Test, is a compulsory examination for all aspiring practising doctors. Over the past few years, FMGE has been known to be one of the more difficult examinations to crack in India. Recent records have shown that less 20% of the applicants can clear the examination and practice medicine.
The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination is a screening test that Indian students with a foreign MBBS degree have to qualify for to get a license to practice in India. The examination is conducted by the National Board of Examination twice a year mostly in June and December of a given year. The screening test is designed in a way to qualify and provide a valid license to practice medicine anywhere legally in the country. The screening test is something that all UG and PG medical graduates are required to clear to practice in India.
The FMGE application forms will be released for the June session in February 2023 after which students must start filling up the form as soon as possible within the deadline. The admit cards will be available on the website in due course and the examination is tentatively scheduled for June 2023. Here are the key dates for FMGE June 2023:
| EVENT | DATE |
|---|---|
|
FMGE June 2023 Online Application Form Release Date
|
February 9, 2023
|
|
FMGE June 2023 Application Deadline
|
March 8, 2023
|
|
Issuance of FMGE June 2023 Admit Card |
May 2023
|
|
Food Cost
|
$600
|
|
FMGE June 2023 Exam Date |
June 2023
|
| EVENT | DATE |
|---|---|
|
Announcement of FMGE June 2023 Results
|
June 2023
|
The application forms for the FMGE exam 2023 December will be out sometime during October post which students can start enrolling themselves for the exam. Check out the important dates for the FGME December 2023 dates in the table below:
| EVENT | DATE |
|---|---|
|
FMGE December 2023 Application Form Release
|
2nd Week of October 2023
|
|
FMGE December 2023 Application Deadline
|
Last Week of October 2023
|
|
Issuance FMGE December 2023 Admit Card
|
2nd Week of December 2023
|
|
FMGE December 2023 Exam Date
|
December 2023
|
|
FMGE December 2023 Result Date
|
3rd Week of January 2024
|
As is the case with most examinations, there are certain criteria that each candidate is required to participate in the examination. An Indian citizen who has obtained medical qualification overseas and is desirous to get provisional or permanent registration with the National Medical Commission or any other State Medical Council shall have to appear for a screening test for that purpose. The minimum eligibility criteria to appear for FMGE in India is as follows:
Candidates must possess a current, recognised MBBS degree and must present the required documentation to substantiate their eligibility for the corresponding MBBS degrees. Before the deadlines for the FGME, all candidates must submit their primary medical certifications or credentials.
All applicants must be residents of India or another country and hold a current medical licence, which should be verified by the Indian Embassy.
Students must have acquired an “Eligibility Certificate” from the National Medical Commission according to the ‘Eligibility Requirement for taking admission in an undergraduate medical course in a Foreign Medical Institution Regulations, 2002”.
It is a mandatory requirement to qualify for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for Admission to the MBBS course abroad. Furthermore, the NEET results will be valid for three years after its declaration.
Students who have attained the MBBS degree from a few countries are exempted from appearing for the FMGE examination. Among these countries, students who received their respective MBBS degrees from the USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are exempted from appearing for FMGE.
Here’s how FMGE candidates should apply for the exam if they wish to practice medicine in India after acquiring an MBBS degree abroad, this year:
Step 1: Visit the official site of NBE – nbe.edu.in
Step 2: Click on the ‘FMGE 2023’ tab on the homepage.
Step 3: It will redirect you to a new website. Click on “new registration”.
Step 4: Enter all the required details.
Step 5: Click on “Applicant Login” and fill out the application form.
Step 6: Pay the application fee and submit the form.
The National Medical Commission is working on replacing the FMGE exam with the National Exit Test, which all medical graduates must clear in order to receive their medical license to practice medicine in India legally.
The candidates who have appeared for the national level examination, i.e. FMGE, will be able to participate in the selection process. Under this type of examination, the candidates will be selected or deemed qualified based on their performance in the examination.
As per the guidelines of the National Board of Examination (NBE), the candidates will be considered selected or qualified for Provisional or Permanent Registration with the Medical Council of India, which has now been replaced by the National Medical Commission (NMC). For this, candidates must have secured a minimum score of 150 out of the total 300 in FMGE.
Qualifying for the screening test is the only way to practice medicine in India after gaining basic graduate medical education in any one of the different MBBS colleges abroad. Therefore if you wish to build a stable medical career path in India, then you must register yourself with the NMC and gain a license. As mentioned above, a few countries are exempted from the FMGE exam, however, attaining a license for the same is necessary.
An MBBS degree abroad can open doors for practice in both foreign countries and India. Those who want to serve their nation, generally return with their medical degree and appear for the FMGE which allows them to get the license. The NMC is also planning to enhance and change the guidelines regarding practising medicine in India and decided to replace FMGE with the National Exit Test (NExT). Aspiring candidates are advised to keep track of the latest guidelines related to practising medicine in India.