Online Petition
Share it!
Tell A friend OR
Inform Your Friends by: Importing Your Address Book from Email Or Community Site.
CANCEL SCREENING EXAM FOR FMGE
To/Against/For: Ministry Human Resource/ Health Minister/ MCI
Sir,
Sub: Concern for the Foreign Medical Graduates (FMG’s)
We write to you with deep concern for the development and progress of a country, now in the hands of the apt and eminent people. Before we can shower some light on the issues we want to raise to you, we would like to inform you about certain mandates that were laid not very long back. Every year a handful of students, about 3000, after having passed senior secondary education apply for higher education in the field of medicine to foreign countries like Russia, Ukraine, Nepal, China, Phillipines, South Africa, Romania, Bulgaria and many more. This was a way by which the country was getting a continuous inflow of medical graduates to meet its requirements, certainly because India as compared to developed countries lacks medical professionals. Until in March 2002, there was the rule established by the MCI (Medical Council Of India), that all such students pursuing medical studies abroad must pass a screening exam to be conducted by the National Board of Examinations (NBE), held twice a year. However it must be noted that such a screening procedure was established only for medical graduates and no other field, where India is currently in need of over 6 lakh medical proffessionals. After however passing this exam, a student must undergo one year of honorary internship at any of the govt. medical colleges, following which he/she shall be eligible for obtaining a permanent registration number allotted by the MCI. This exam however by no means is of a standard of that of a screening exam but very closely resembles the standards of Post Graduate level competitive exams. This could be verified by setting up a confidential panel of unbiased and neutral experienced doctors, who could pass a remark on the standard of the screening procedure being harsh and completely ruthless on students who are yet to even undergo internship.
Over this issue we would like to enlighten a few points.
- This exam is conducted only twice a year, in March and September respectively, which makes a student practically useless to the country’s resource as the student devotes his entire time to prepare for this exam which is a set of multiple choice questions. This exam however by no means is of a standard of that of a screening exam but very closely resembles the standards of Post Graduate level competitive exams. There are other Post Graduate level exams in the country such as COMEDK. CET Karnataka, MAHE, Belgaum etc are some of the PG entrances which are far more easier than our screening test. Our exam however is of the toughest standard PG entrances which is by no means a screening procedure.
The exam again boasts of a passing percentage of 70% at one time and again a passing percentage of 15%, which only goes to show some fault with the examining body and not the student.
- Our marks however are never disclosed to us for betterment of our future results so that a student can assess himself. However we very staunchly ask for a declaration of the correct answers of the questions that appear for the exam, which is a normal and fairly justified demand. The questions appearing are fairly debatable and thus a student should be informed about the correct answers to these questions, which will enable him to be well equipped for future exams and also make the exam a little more transparent. Most of the other PG entrances also leave a copy of the answer (OMR) sheet with the student and thus the student can actually himself see to his mistakes committed.
- We are made to go through an honorary internship (where many colleges even demand money for a student to do internship),even after 6 years of graduation and most of them fairly over 25 years of age, and thus an exam before the internship is a fairly unjust burden on the young graduates. If a student is to pass through such screening it should be only for a PG level exam. A much better method of reassessing the whole scenario is by passing these graduates through an intensive training program, which will expose them to the Indian scenario, and also allow the country to let its youth remain within the country and serve it better. These young graduates can spend 6 months of voluntary service at the primary health levels, at the lowest level where doctors are not even available. The country is currently having a lack of doctors and at such a time these graduates will only help add to the country’s asset.
- Another aspect of the exam is the number of times it is conducted. Considering the number of years a student has already dedicated for his study this exam should be fairly conducted every quarterly. This exam is not about allowing a student a seat in a college which could have limitations. On the contrary it is about exposing a young Indian graduate to this work field, and he / she contributes voluntary service to the country for at least a year without any pay.
Such exams are conducted by developed countries like the USA and UK for every student including their own graduates and conducted over the internet every month. Other Asian countries too have been conducting such screening procedures for students who would register themselves as doctors in their country, and this exam is mandatory even for the those who passed out from medical colleges within the confines of that country from recognized colleges. Why then in a democratic country like India should this brunt be only on those who want to return to their country, for good?
Most of these students are from the middle class families, and smaller towns who have felt the need of requirement of medical professionals in India. They acquired bank loans of such huge amounts to complete a degree in medicine and return to serve the country and its needs. the current scenario does not allow a student to repay his loan, nor get a registration to start working, and receive notices from the bank only to add to his/her burdens. And because we fall into the category of so called educated people and our code of conduct does not entitle us to take to the streets and scream against the decision makers. We have full faith in your judgment and thus we approach in the most civilized way possible. One must realize that a prolonged exposure to such strain can only lead to a destructive mind.
We are students who have passed from renowned (most even recognized) colleges, and are denied a chance to work in our Indian scenario. Unqualified quacks are allowed a registration after 6 months of training procedure and the qualified youth is being driven away. Such a situation is only going to drive away these graduates away to other countries with less hostile conditions.
Why should students and the country suffer, just because of some wrong decisions taken by some adamant people? This is only driving the qualified youth away from its own country which the country can only be ashamed of.
With these being only some of the thoughts that we could propose, we would request you to kindly enquire about the matter and look into the deepest aspects, as it will not only help the country to grow in a broader way but also preserve its brains from draining away to undesirable places.
With a hope of a prompt and appropriate response we would conclude, and with due respect expect a positive reply from your side. We would want to discuss the matter with you personally and request an appointment at an early date as because the issue in only for the benefit of the country.
Thanking you
Yours faithfully
FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES
Recent Comments
| Name | Comment | |
| rajeev ragav | i too support ur petition. | |
| arul livingstan | cancel the exam ,dont spoil our future | |
| wasif | i second the cancellation of the biased FMGE examination which is actually a big time mockery and a deliberate attempt to harass the students. The test is not a real analysis of the medical knowledge and it should be reviewed. The standard is nowhere near the level of MBBS but deliberately made tougher and ridiculous. If the policy makers feel that only India imparts proper medical education in the world, they needs to rethink, and subject the indian medical college graduates to the same test and verify the facts. | |
| Raghavender | yes its correct |
Sign the above petition