Indian medical students with a foreign MBBS degree will be now be able to work in India without writing any tests according to the proposal sent by the Union health ministry to the Medical Council of India. This measure is being taken to combat the acute shortage of 6 lakh doctors in the country. At present, the lack of medical colleges in the country leads to many students opting for foreign countries like China, Russia, Nepal, South East Asian and Eastern European countries to get MBBS Degrees. These students are required to write and clear the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination by Medical Council of India – MCI to be eligible to practice in the country. If the proposal is accepted by MCI, these students would be ale to practice in India without writing the examinations, in effect recognizing most of the Medical Degrees offered by universities abroad.
The examination was seen as a deterrent by many and statistics further support the same. As per report shared by the Medical Council of India, approximately 29,968 students have appeared for the foreign medical examination and only 3,610 have passed. Just about 19 percent of the students who appeared for the examination between 2012 and 2015 have managed to clear the examination. The variation in the syllabi and the teaching pedagogy could be one of the biggest reasons. Failure to get a license to practice in India forces these students to continue practicing in countries they have studied. This move is aimed at attracting these students to the country which is facing a major health management concern. ALSO READ: NEET UG 2017: Colleges that are not covered under NEET
The teaching standards abroad are different which are not on par with Indian standards. The  unequal division of seats in private medical colleges has forced many students to study abroad. Apparently  50 per cent of seats in private medical colleges are reserved for the government, 20 per cent is in the management quota and the remaining are paid seats which are very expensive. These seats cost allegedly Rs 1.5 core. That is one of the major reasons that many students opt for seats outside India. At present, several Indian doctors who got their degrees abroad and were rejected in India are practising in the countries they passed out from. ALSO READ: NEET UG 2017: Notification awaited for medical entrance exam NEET at aipmt.nic.in
While the motive of the Union Health Ministry is noble and provides a good solution, providing a free entry to all degrees abroad might raise concerns with the medical community in the country. Concerns can be raised regarding the level of these students and their preparedness for handling medical situations. It could also open up a larger competition in the urban areas while the rural population continues to fight for basic medical care.
From the point of view of the Medical Colleges, this could also hamper the already grim prospects of the many private medical colleges. While the admission to the private medical colleges have already taken a hit due to the introduction of National Eligibility cum Entrance Examination, this move would further hamper their fee structure. Many European Countries offer economical options for students inclined to the profession. Furthermore, the increasing requirement of doctors in the Eastern European Countries attracts students from India, which has the widest resource pool. This brain drain can be stemmed by attracting these students back to country.