Medicos from foreign colleges accuse TN of delaying eligibility certificate

CHENNAI: The foreign medical graduates (FMGs) from Tamil Nadu on Tuesday accused the Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) of causing undue delays in issuing provisional eligibility certificates, preventing them from joining as house surgeons in government and private medical institutions.

Addressing the media at the Chennai Press Club, the graduates said that although they had cleared the FMG Examination, which certifies their eligibility to practise medicine in India, they were unable to proceed with their mandatory internship because the TNMC had yet to issue the provisional eligibility certificate. They alleged that the document, which previously took around five months to receive, is now delayed by up to one to one-and-a-half years without clear justification.

The students said the delay was severely affecting their future. "Only after TNMC issues the provisional eligibility certificate can we apply for the no-objection certificate from the medical university, approach the Directorate of Medical Education for house surgeon postings, and obtain temporary registration. Everything is stalled without this certificate," they said.

The graduates accused the council of showing a dismissive attitude towards students who studied medicine abroad and said the prolonged delay had left thousands of eligible students unable to begin their clinical training. To draw attention to their demands, the FMGs announced a hunger strike for January 6, 2026, in Chennai.

They also urged the State to consider a set of additional demands, including allocating 20 per cent of Compulsory Medical Rotating Internship (CMRI) seats in medical colleges to graduates who completed their medical education abroad, and permitting FMGs to undergo CMRI training in district government hospitals.