FMGE Internship Rule 2024 - FMGs Protest Against New Internship Rules

In a major relief to the FMG candidates, the NMC on June 19 through its public notice has reduced the internship period to one year. Earlier, the NMC's new FMGE internship rule 2024 sparked a controversy among foreign medical graduates regarding the mandatory internship. The NMC has refused to accept the compensatory certificates obtained by FMGs from their parent institutes abroad for the online classes. Also, the NMC has declared a 2-year internship for FMGE, citing that it may be extended to even 3 years if required. Various FMGs and medical organisations have raised their voice against this new FMGE internship rule 2024.

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The FMGE internship is usually a 12-month program that must be finished within two years of passing the FMGE exam by foreign medical graduates who wish to practice medicine in India. After passing the FMGE, these graduates are required to undergo a compulsory internship in an Indian medical institution. Read the full article to know comprehensively about the FMGE internship rule 2024.

FMGE internship rule 2024 highlights

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has established the FMGE internship rules for 2024 to ensure that foreign medical graduates (FMGs) gain the necessary training and experience to practice medicine in India effectively. Some of the highlights of the FMGE internship rule 2024 are as follows -

• FMGs who have attended their classes online are maliciously obtaining compensatory certificates from their parent universities and hence will not be accepted.

• The FMGE internship will be of 2 to 3 years and must be finished within two years of passing the FMGE exam. However, through its public notice on June 19, the NMC has decided to reduce the internship time to 1 year

• FMGs must meet the eligibility criteria specified by the respective State Medical Council.

• State Medical Councils have been instructed by the NMC not to bar FMGs from interning at medical colleges based on their domicile. FMGs meeting the eligibility criteria can complete their internship at any medical college in any state or union territory.

• Medical institutes and colleges are prohibited from charging any fee for the FMGE internship

• FMGs serving as interns will receive a stipend equivalent to that of an Indian medical intern during their FMGE 2 year internship

• The NMC has announced a list of 673 hospitals where FMGs are eligible to complete their 2 years internship for FMGE.

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What is the new FMGE 2-year internship rule?

The National Medical Commission (NMC) through a public notice announced the revised FMGE internship rules for foreign medical graduates. As per the NMC FMGE internship rule 2024, the compensatory certificates obtained by FMGs from their parent institutes abroad for the online classes would not be accepted.

Also, as per the FMGE internship 2024 rule, all the foreign medical graduates, who were in their final year of medical school and had to return to India due to the COVID pandemic or the Russia-Ukraine war, need to go through a 2 or 3 years internship for FMGE. FMGs who obtained a completion certificate by June 30, 2023, are required to fulfil this FMGE 2 year internship.

Eligibility criteria as per FMGE internship rule 2024

The NMC is the responsible authority to set the FMGE internship eligibility criteria. This eligibility criteria is different from the FMGE exam criteria. Foreign Medical Graduates must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the FMGE internship -

• The Foreign Medical Graduates must have qualified for the FMGE exam by obtaining the FMGE passing percentage.

• The students must have completed graduation from a recognised foreign medical institution with an MBBS degree

• The FMGs must fulfil all the eligibility standards set by the respective State Medical Council for FMGE internship

Reason behind the FMGE internship Rule 2024

The National Medical Commission through its public notice stated its reason behind the new FMGE internship rule 2024. The NMC has cited that the FMGs who have attended their classes online are maliciously obtaining compensatory certificates from their parent universities. NMC stated that the medical profession deals with precious human life, and hence the lives of Indian citizens cannot be put at risk by poorly trained medical professionals who are obtaining their certificates maliciously. NMC added that FMGs need to qualify for the FMGE exam and undergo a compulsory rotating medical internship (CRMI) for a period of 2 to 3 years.

NMC internship hospital list FMGE

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has released a list of 673 hospitals, including non-teaching hospitals, where Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) will be permitted to fulfil their internship, including FMGE internship in military hospital.

NMC internship hospital list for FMGE students

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Row over FMGE internship rule 2024

A recent dispute has arisen regarding the internship regulations for Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) candidates in 2024. The NMC has laid down guidelines for foreign medical graduates (FMGs) to fulfil their internships in India. However, various concerns and objections have been raised by FMGs and medical organisations, sparking a controversy over the FMGE internship rule for 2024.

FMGs have stated that it was NMC which allowed to do online classes during the COVID pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war, but now NMC is doing a 180-degree turn to its own statement. FMGs are against the proposed three-year internship requirement, arguing that it will impose financial burdens on their families. FMGs have also cited that an MBBS degree completion takes 5.5 years and if 3 years of mandatory FMGE internship is implemented, it will alone take almost 9 years to complete an MBBS degree, which is a long time.