Only 21 Pct Students with Foreign Medical Degree Qualified To Practice in India

Azad was quoted by TNN "The existing policy entails that an Indian citizen possessing qualification from any medical institution outside India has to qualify the test for getting provisional or permanent registration with the MCI or any state medical council." He further said "The test is conducted by NBE and has proved to be effective in maintaining the standards. There is no proposal to review the existing system of screening tests."

Australia, Canada, the UK, the U.S. and New Zealand are the only five countries from which India recognizes post-graduate medical degrees. Doctors from these nations are free from taking the test and are allowed to practice in India.

It was also seen that screening test rules were revised last December, allowing exemption of a person seeking provisional and permanent registration if they hold an undergraduate medical degree from the U.S., Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK.

Currently India is also considering the idea of doing the same with students who have finished medical education from Germany, Japan, France and other European nations. A ministry official said "This move will see a large number of Indian doctors return to India for good. Many will come on sabbaticals for a short stint in teaching or even practice in public or private hospitals. India is facing an acute shortage of doctors and we are trying to remove all barriers for Indian doctors to return home," as reported by TNN.

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