For a long time, many misconceptions revolve around the transfer of Indian students from universities in Ukraine and other countries to Indian or foreign medical universities. The National Medical Commission has recently put all confusion or misinformation to rest by issuing an official notification on the subject. The Indian statutory body has clarified the doubts of all Indian medical students relating to the university transfer from Ukraine medical universities and other countries through a series of frequently asked questions.
Frequently Asked Questions on University Transfer of Indian Students
Q1: Who is covered under Screening Test Regulations, 2002 provisions?
The Indian Medical Students whose admissions were completed or classes began before the publication of the FMGL Regulations 2021 on 18 November 2021 will be covered under the provisions of Screening Test Regulations, 2002.
Q2: Who is covered under Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 provisions?
The Indian medical students whose admissions were completed or classes began after the publication of the FMGL Regulations 2021 on 18 November 2021 are covered under the provisions of FMGL Regulations 2021.
Note: The date of the offer letter/admission letter/invitation letter will not be the deciding factor to judge the applicability of FMGL Regulations 2021.
Q3: To who do NMC Public Notice No. NMC/20659 (Legal)/2022/UGMEB/ dated 28 July 2022 will apply?
The NMC Public Notice No. NMC/20659 (Legal)/2022/UGMEB/ dated 28 July 2022 will apply to the final year Indian students of undergraduate medicine course in a foreign university who have to leave their foreign medical institutes and return to India owing to COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, etc. Also, those students must have subsequently completed their studies and been awarded medical degrees by their medical institutes on or before 30th June 2022.
Q4: What is the duration of the Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship for foreign medical graduates successfully qualified for FMGE?
The duration of the Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship is two years for foreign medical graduates who have successfully qualified for FMGE. The tenure of the internship includes the one year of clinical training they could not attend physically due to the crisis during their undergraduate medicine course at a foreign university.
Q5: Is there any relaxation for foreign medical graduates who completed MBBS in July 2022?
No, there is no relaxation for Indian medical graduates who obtained their MBBS degree in July as NMC Public Notice No. NMC/20659 (Legal)/2022/UGMEB/ dated 28 July 2022 is only applicable to FMGs who completed their MBBS on or before 30th June 2022.
According to the order passed by the honorable Supreme Court of India vide SLP No. 2536-37 of 2022, the relaxation is provided to only those Indian medical graduates who were in the last year of their undergraduate medical course and returned to India owing to COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, etc. and continued their medical studies to obtain a medical degree from the foreign institute on or before 30th June.
Q6: Can Indian students seek university transfer from Ukraine to other colleges?
Any Indian medical student from a university of Ukraine whose classes started on or before 18th November 2021 is covered under the provisions of the Screening Test Regulation, 2002 and there are no restrictions imposed on such students relating to the transfer into any university as long as the other provisions of the Regulations are complied with.
However, Indian students who were admitted to Ukraine universities after 18th November 2021 are covered under FMGL Regulations 2021 and are required to verify their undergraduate courses as per Regulation 4 of the FMGL Regulations 2021. They are required to complete their entire medicine course, training, internship, and clerkship from the same medical institution and not from any other university. Therefore, the transfer is strictly prohibited.
Q7: Can Indian students transfer from a 6 years course to a 5 years MBBS course?
Any Indian student studying medicine in a foreign medical institution covered under Screening Test Regulations, 2002, may take a transfer from a foreign medical university offering a 6 year MBBS course to a university with a 5 year MBBS course.
Q8: Is NOC from NMC mandatory to transfer from one foreign medical university to another?
No, there is no need for an NOC from the National Medical Commission to take transfer from one foreign medical university to another as such international institutions are outside the ambit of NMC.
Q9: What things are to be kept in mind by Indian students before taking a transfer to foreign medical universities?
All Indian medical students whose classes started after 18th November 2021 will be governed by the provisions of FMGL Regulations 2021. They must complete the entire medical education, training, internship, and clerkship from the same foreign medical university/institute and no transfer can be taken to any other university of any other country whatsoever for the medical training or internship.
Q10: What are the provisions of FMGL Regulations, 2021, relating to new admission to foreign medical universities?
The provisions of FMGL Regulations, 2021, relating to new admission in foreign medical universities for Indian students after returning to India are:
- The minimum duration of undergraduate medical courses is 54 months i.e. 4.5 years.
- A medical internship for a minimum of 12 months in the same foreign medical university/institute is provided.
- The medium of teaching is English.
- Mandatory subjects mentioned in Schedule-1 of FMGL Regulations, 2021, are covered.
- The regulatory authority granting a license to practice medicine in a particular country in which the medical degree is awarded is at par with the license issued by the other country.
Q11: Does NMC approve the mobility program offered by Ukraine?
No, NMC does not approve the mobility program offered by Ukraine.
(We would like to Inform the students that there are some mobility programs being run in Georgia and Ukraine and NMC has clarified that no such Mobility Programs for MBBS are valid. So if you are a Ukraine return student please do not go for mobility programs in Georgia or Ukraine)
Q12: Can Ukraine returning Indian MBBS students be accommodated in Indian medical colleges?
Ukraine returned Indian MBBS students cannot be accommodated in Indian medical colleges.
Q13: Is there any list of foreign medical universities approved by NMC?
No, there is no such list issued by the NMC as it does not approve or recognize such medical institutes for the award of any medical qualification.
Q14: Which document is considered valid by NMC to allow Indian MBBS graduates from foreign universities to sit for NExT exam?
The draft relating to the NExT exam is under evaluation by the National Medical Commission and will be announced publicly after finalization.
Q15: Does NMC validate online classes for Ukraine returned Indian medical students?
Ukraine returned Indian medical students are allowed to take online classes of theory subjects only that must be compulsorily complemented by offline practical and clinical training in the medical university or hospitals affiliated with the university. A certificate issued by the medical university in Ukraine for practical and clinical training is required to be submitted by the Indian students.
The Final Takeaway
The latest NMC guidelines 2022 were an eye opener for many Indian MBBS students who returned to India with high hopes of completing their medical education. After going through these FAQs, it is quite clear that there is no scope or possibility for foreign returned Indian medical students to continue their MBBS in Indian medical colleges after their medical studies were disrupted due to the pandemic or war in a foreign country.
No matter whether the doors of Indian medical colleges are closed, there is no dearth of options for Indian medical students willing to complete their medical studies in a renowned and reputed medical university of the world. They can either give a fresh start to their medical career after taking a new admission to a foreign medical university or resume their remaining MBBS in Russia at renowned medical universities inviting Indian students seeking university transfers.
Rus Education is one of the leading overseas medical education facilitators that aims to help Indian MBBS students who returned to India from Ukraine and other foreign countries after their studies were abruptly affected due to covid-19, Ukraine war, etc. We help you resume your MBBS studies and seek MBBS admission in Russia at top medical universities of the country at affordable costs.
