Hundreds of Indian nationals who have already completed their MBBS course and then internships in teaching hospitals abroad like China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Philippines etc do not mandatorily require yet another same training of one year in India.
As per the existing system, a foreign medical graduate after completing his or her undergraduate medical course in these countries undergoes an internship of 12 months and sits in a token exam in India before getting him registered permanently in the country under Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.
The Medical Council of India (MCI), has recently issued an advisory saying, “…..this office receives frequent communications from foreign medical graduates regarding the acceptance of their internships undergone in foreign medical institutes.”
According to a public notice issued by the health ministry, internship training completed by an Indian national during his or her course in China was/is acceptable for grant of permanent registration under Section 13(3) of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.
Such students don’t need to do 12 months of internship training in India, the notice stated. Citing the notice MCI directed all medical education wings across the country to take note of the health ministry’s public notice while processing applications for foreign medical graduates.
Every year, around 400 candidates from Bengal go to different countries to study MBBS courses in different medical colleges there.
After completing the course abroad they come back and undergo the internship training for one year in different medical colleges in the state and outside across the country. West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) conducts the process of internship training for these candidates.
“I don’t know whether the internship course in foreign medical colleges is as good as in our country. Vital disciplines like medicine, gynaecology, surgery, community medicine are given importance during the internship training in our colleges so that young doctors get some sound ideas during orientations. It is good if the internship done in foreign teaching hospitals focus on these disciplines,” said Dr S N Banerjee, former director of medical education.