Foreign medical graduates must take the licensing examination within a decade of finishing their course.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has established a timeframe for participation in the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) for practicing in India. According to the NMC, foreign medical graduates must take the licensing exam within ten years of finishing their course. In an official notice, the NMC specified, “The duration within which candidates can take the FMG Examination/NExT is limited to ten years from the conclusion of their training/course in a Foreign Medical Institution.”
The NMC defines the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination as a screening test for Indian citizens or overseas citizens of India with a primary medical qualification from a foreign medical institution. This test is required for those seeking provisional or permanent registration with the National Medical Commission or any State Medical Council.
The government plans to introduce the National Exit Test (NExT), replacing NEET PG and FMGE exams for postgraduate course admissions. This test will serve as a common qualification for both Foreign Medical Graduates and Indian Medical Graduates applying to postgraduate programs.
The decision to impose a time limit for the FMGE exam comes following a notification from the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board and Ethics and Medical Registration Board of the National Medical Commission. This notification addresses various concerns raised by medical graduates, particularly those from Ukraine and the Philippines, who have faced difficulties.
