EXPLAINED | MBBS Abroad: Can Your Medical Degree Leave You Unable to Practise in India?

The university name may be the least revealing line on an overseas medical admission offer. The campus where you study, the hospital where you train and the institution that supervises your internship can all affect whether you qualify to practise in India.

On November 3, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India was continuing talks with Uzbekistan on issues affecting Indian students. He urged families to consult official advisories and warned against exploitation in both countries. The National Medical Commission (NMC), India’s medical education regulator, had already flagged concerns in April about admissions and clinical training at specific institutions.

Why is Uzbekistan in the news again?

Jaiswal’s remarks brought attention back to an April 1 NMC advisory. It flagged reports of colleges admitting more students than their permitted intake and of language barriers affecting practical training. It also warned families against misleading promises from admission agents. These are concerns raised in the advisory about particular institutions and arrangements.

A reporter asked Jaiswal about a reported drop in Indian enrolments from around 2,000 to 200. His response confirmed that talks were continuing with Uzbekistan. It gave no official enrolment count.

Can you finish medical school abroad and still be unable to register in India?

Yes. A university can award you a medical degree under its country’s rules. India applies its own requirements before granting permanent registration to practise medicine here. For students covered by the NMC’s 2021 foreign medical graduate regulations, those requirements include at least 54 months of medical study, a 12-month internship at the same foreign medical institution, instruction in English and training in the prescribed subjects. The regulations also require registration with the relevant professional regulator or other competent body in the country that awards the degree, with a licence to practise on par with that country’s citizens.

That last requirement is easy to overlook. Ask the university to explain in writing how an Indian graduate of your exact programme and campus can obtain local registration and a licence. Check the answer with the relevant regulator or the Indian Embassy. A claim that the university is recognised leaves the question about your programme and your route to local licensing open.

What should you look for in the offer letter?

Start with the campus address. Suppose an offer names a university in Uzbekistan but says you will spend part of the course at a teaching centre in India. That changes what you need to verify. The regulations require the course, clinical training and internship to be completed at the same foreign medical institution and restrict training in India or another country outside the one that awards the degree. The April advisory specifically flagged an arrangement involving the Termez branch of Tashkent State Medical University and the T.I.T. Institute of Medical Sciences in Bengaluru.

Then look beyond the words “English medium”. Ask which hospitals will take you for clinical rotations, who will supervise you and how you will take a patient’s history if the patient speaks a language you have yet to learn. A college can teach lectures in English while students still struggle to communicate on the ward. Speak to current students at the campus named in your offer about what they actually do during hospital postings.

Can you sort it out by passing an exam after you return?

Passing the applicable screening or licensing test is one step. The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is the screening test administered by India’s National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences. The NMC rules separately require graduates covered by the 2021 regulations to complete at least 12 months of supervised internship in India, in addition to the internship abroad. The test does not waive the requirements for your overseas training. Check the NMC’s current notices for the rules that apply to your intake.

What should families do before paying?

Ask the university directly for the campus address, course calendar, teaching hospitals, internship arrangements and route to local licensing. Get the fee and refund terms in writing. If the offer includes a campus transfer, split training or an internship that the agent says can be arranged later, put that exact proposal to the NMC or the Indian Embassy in Tashkent before committing money. Students already enrolled can use the same checks with their course records and raise any discrepancy with the university and embassy.