The New Rules for Indian Medical Students Studying Abroad

Recently, the National Medical Commission (NMC) announced the new rules for medical students who want to pursue their medical studies abroad and then return to India to practice medicine. These new rules do not affect those that are currently pursuing studying medicine abroad.

Here is a summary of the new medical rules for Indian students:

All returning MBBS students will be required to:

1. Take the NeXT examination
2. Pursue an additional one-year internship in India after completing their foreign MBBS degree

In addition, for the foreign medical graduate’s degree to be recognised by the medical council of India:

1. The student has to complete the degree within 10 years of commencing the course
2. The duration of the MBBS degree has to be greater than 54 months (4.5 years)
3. The student has to undergo an internship that lasts at least 12 months in the SAME medical institution
4. The medium of instruction has to be English

This has implications for students who planned to study in the Philippines, Georgia and Armenia, as their courses are less than 4.5 years. Universities that split the MBBS programme into different locations for the pre-clinical and clinical years, such as the Manipal University in Antigua and St. George’s University in Grenada, may no longer be viable for Indian students. Also, students planning to study in Ireland will also need to consider these new rules as not all international students are guaranteed an internship in Ireland.

Currently, UK medical students are free to select any Deanery to pursue their Foundation Years (Internship) after completing their MBBS. This flexibility may also be impacted by these new rules.

What has not been addressed and is still to be seen is the need to take the current requirement to sit the NEET examination prior to going abroad.

For more information about medical studies in the UK, book a session with one of our experts. For more information about studying medicine in other countries, book a session here. If you have already applied to a medical programme and require some help with the interviews, click here.