4 in 5 graduates with foreign medical degree fail Indian screening test

The dearth of MBBS seats in the State along with the high competition in the field is forcing an increasing number of medical aspirants to explore learning opportunities abroad. However, their prospects of a bright career remain bleak despite spending a huge amount of money on education and boarding, claim veterans in the field.

Central government data shows that China, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the Philippines, Georgia and Nepal are some of the favourite destinations for Indians who want to join a medical course abroad. But experts point out that the doctors with foreign degrees do not find exposure, scope or sufficient salaries after they return to the State to practise. The foreign medical institutions/universities admit students without properly assessing or screening their ability to cope up with the education. Keeping in view of the same, Section 13(4A) of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, prescribes that any Indian student who obtains medical qualification from a foreign country has to qualify a screening test, i.e. Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE), to be enrolled with the State Medical Council or the Medical Council of India (MCI). According to the data from National Board of Examinations (NBE), which conducts FMGE, around 61,708 candidates appeared for the test between 2015 and 2018, but only 8,764 have qualified. Only those who earn their MBBS and post-graduate degrees from the US, Australia, UK, Canada and New Zealand are exempted from this test.

Officials at the Tamil Nadu Medical Council said that the situation is no better in the State with only about 10-20 per cent of candidates clearing the exam. Only 4,032 passed the test among the 15,663 candidates who wrote the exam in December 2019, while 2,767 candidates passed among the 13,364 who appeared for the exam in June 2019.

“The poor pass percentage is because the quality of medical education in those foreign countries is not on a par with medical education in India. Moreover, these countries have a different form of medical service system and practices that are irrelevant to India. Thus, this leads to the poor performance of the students in FMGE,” said Dr RVS Surendran, vice president, Tamil Nadu Medical Council. He added that each candidate is allowed to appear for the exam three times.

A vast majority of aspiring medicos in the State choose China or Russia. However, despite securing foreign degrees, the medicos are unable to find employment in the State when they return due to lack of opportunities or for want of adequate skills.

“We do not usually recruit foreign degree doctors, especially those without specialisations. The maximum salary a medical graduate is offered is about Rs 20,000 and specialists get about Rs 40,000,” said M Sharmila, spokesperson of Billroth Hospitals.

A foreign degree doctor, on the condition of anonymity, said that FMGE curriculum is tougher than the curriculum in foreign countries. “The syllabus includes medical practices in those countries that are not practised in India. Even if we clear the exam, we cannot practice in the government sector and the salaries offered in the private hospitals is equal to what people receive in BPOs or even junior-level IT sector jobs,” he said.

The medicos added that the schedule for FMGE varies every year and MCI wanted to make few modifications after NEET came into being. However, a specific schedule has not been fixed yet.

The implementation of NEET and the continuing debate on the exemption in State is forcing more medicos to seek foreign degree as the medical education has become tougher in the State. However, the Centre is planning to make NEET mandatory for reign education, too. Officials are already corresponding with foreign universities in this regard.

In the FMGE held in December 2018, about 12,077 candidates appeared, while the numbers rose to 13,364 in June 2019, and 15,663 in December 2019. “There is an adequate number of medical seats in Tamil Nadu, but NEET has complicated the issue. Though the number of students going abroad will increase, the pass percentage will not improve,” said Dr G R Ravindranath, secretary, Doctors’ Association for Social Equality.

The officials of Directorate of Medical Services said that cases of quackery involving foreign degree doctors have risen. Foreign graduates, who are not approved by the Medical Council, are found practising privately and it is illegal. “Many such graduates work in the administrative sector of hospitals as it is difficult to pass FMGE. The scope is very narrow so they do not have an option or end up,” the official added.

The Centre is also considering a recommendation to allow the foreign degree doctors to register with the MCI without any test. With a low pass percentage of foreign degree medicos, the Health Department is considering to allow direct registration.

However, the State Health Department has only offered to recommend the temporary registration of these medicos in Tamil Nadu. Dr RVS Surendran, vice president, Tamil Nadu Medical Council, said that bridging courses need to be identified and a separate criterion has to be given to allow their practice in the State.