india

Updated: Sep 05, 2019 00:20 IST

The board of governors (BoG), regulating the medical education in the country, is considering a programme to upgrade skills of doctors, who graduate from foreign medical colleges to help them get the training needed to practise medicine in India.

An estimated 2,000-3,000 students go abroad to study medicine annually. About 10,000 take the biannual foreign medical graduate exam (FMGE) for licences to practise in India. Around 20% of foreign-trained doctors pass the test, according to government data.

“We need to see how best to make use of them and whether the government can provide support after they graduate to improve their skills and learning in the form of an orientation courses, simulation exercises, or even attaching them to busy private hospitals for hands-on experience,” said BoG chairman Dr VK Paul.

“It will at least prepare them to face the competition. The rest will be up to them to work hard and crack the necessary exams,” he added.

The Indian regulator recognises degrees only from five countries— the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Doctors, who graduate from other countries like Russia, China, Nepal, Bangladesh etc, need to take the screening test to practice.

The inability of graduates to crack the FMGE exam is largely attributed to the substandard education offered in some medical colleges abroad.

“It was to tell them which countries and colleges should be avoided. It gives a fair idea about the quality of education those colleges are offering as the graduates lack the knowledge to clear the screening test in their country. What is the point of getting a medical degree and not being able to practice medicine? We are only wasting human resources that can be made use of otherwise by giving them a push in the right direction,” said Dr Paul.

Six to eight lakh of the 12 to 14 lakh aspirants clear the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for admissions to undergraduate medical courses. Depending on ranks, they are allotted 80,000 MBBS seats or end up studying dentistry, Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) or go overseas to study.

Saarthak Dhawan, who is pursuing MD in the Philippines, said, “A course that emphasises practice, social and clinical skills will provide a sound platform for judging a doctor’s capabilities and result in a dedicated, proficient and skilled doctors.”