PUDUCHERRY: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has said it does not recognize nor approve medical courses done only in online mode.
NMC secretary Sandhya Bhullar in a circular dated February 8 advised the students to refer to Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) regulations before applying or planning to seek admission in any institutions in foreign institutions including those in China. FMGE is a licensure examination conducted by the National Board of Examinations.
The test is one of the mandatory requirements for an Indian citizen who has a medical degree from a college outside India to practise medicine in the country. The circular was issued after a few universities in the People's Republic of China started issuing notices for admission to MBBS programmes for the current and upcoming academic years.
China has imposed strict travel restrictions in wake of Covid-19 and suspended all visas since November 2020. A large number of international students including Indians have not been able to return to China to continue their studies due to these restrictions.
Presently 20,000 to 23,000 students from India are studying MBBS in various universities in China. "Not only the universities in China, but all institutions in Russia, Ukraine and Philippines and other countries are conducting classes only through online mode," said Shamik Majumdar of Omkar Medicom, a consultancy for Indian students aspiring to study MBBS abroad.
