In a move aimed at increasing transparency and safeguarding the interests of foreign medical students, India’s top medical education regulator, the National Medical Commission (NMC), has issued a directive requiring all hospitals and medical colleges to publish comprehensive information about their fellowship programs for international students on their websites.
This action follows concerns regarding medical institutions failing to promptly provide essential details, violating NMC guidelines and causing delays in issuing temporary registrations to foreign students. The NMC’s initiative also seeks to curb potential exploitation of these students by certain institutions.
The NMC has specifically requested information such as the name of the fellowship program, its curriculum, duration, training facilities, teaching staff, infrastructure, and the fees charged to foreign students. The NMC’s emphasis on transparency underscores the importance of a standardized and readily accessible information source for prospective international students.
The Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine Regulations, 2023, stipulate that all practicing doctors in India must be registered with the NMC. As part of this process, the regulator meticulously verifies the details of foreign medical students before granting them temporary registration to practice medicine within India.
These temporary registrations, valid for a maximum of 12 months followed by a cooling-off period of one year, are limited to the medical colleges and hospitals sponsoring the program. The NMC’s thorough verification process ensures that only qualified and eligible candidates are granted temporary registration.
Dr. Vijaya Lakshmi Nag, Member of the Ethics & Medical Registration (EMRB) at the NMC, highlighted the importance of website transparency in a communication to all medical colleges and hospitals. She stated that despite clear instructions, some registered institutions had failed to upload the required information. This lapse resulted in unnecessary correspondence and delays in issuing temporary registrations to applicants.
Dr. Nag emphasized that the NMC’s initiative is designed to facilitate online verification, ensure timely grant of temporary registration for foreign medical practitioners, and eliminate middlemen who exploit students seeking fellowship programs. She also issued a stern warning that failure to comply with the NMC’s directive could lead to delays in processing applications for temporary registration or even outright rejection, with the responsibility for such outcomes falling squarely on the sponsoring institution. The NMC’s commitment to transparency and responsible practices aims to create a fair and equitable environment for all aspiring medical professionals, both domestic and international.
