The National medical Council, NMC has stated in a release that the bachelor’s of science (BS) course in the Philippines is not equal to the MBBS course in India as it teaches subjects of biology that are similar to the ones taught in India in classes 11 and 12. The commission has also stated that medical courses in the foreign countries is not by any means equivalent to the MBBS courses and practitioners with the BS degree from Philippines are not eligible to practice medicine in India.
National medical Commission has issued a public notice where they have considered students who seeked a special dispensation or exemption prior to the issuance of Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations 2021. The NMC of India has clearly stated that the BS and MD are two separate degrees in the Philippines.
“The BS course cannot be equated/included with the MBBS course. Therefore, after the publication of the gazette notification dated 18.11.2021 i.e. NMC’s FMGL Regulations 2021, the students who have already taken admission for any foreign medical qualification/course which is not equivalent to the MBBS course in India, cannot be treated as eligible qualifications for registration to practice medicine in India,” the commission stated.
Students enrolled in their MD courses prior to the publication of FMGL Regulations 2021 can still be considered, if they fulfil the prevailing eligibility criterion in the country the notice stated. The NMC of India clarified, that BS was a ‘bridging course’ for students wanting to join the research and development sector in the Philippines. It is a preliminary course that students have to study before joining the MD courses which are of 4 years duration after clearing the NMAT examinations in the foreign country.
The National Medical Commission of India elaborated that Graduate Medical Education Regulations 1997 stipulates that students have to qualify the NEET-UG exams to get a seat in a medical college for the perusal of the MBBS degree, and to be eligible for NEET-UG degree, one must have studied Physics, Chemistry and Biology in the plus 2 level. Hence students having studied science in the plus 2 level in India have nothing to gain by pursuing the B.S course in the Philippines, which is again a mandatory course for the students of the Philippines to take before enrolling for the MD courses there.
“The pattern is BS course followed by MD course, however, in the said BS course, the candidates are not being taught pre-clinical subjects like anatomy, biochemistry, biophysics, microbiology etc., rather they are being taught subjects like biology, psychology etc. which is equivalent to class 12th in India. Hence, BS course is a basic degree course prior to the starting of graduate/primary medical course in reference with Indian education”. “The same does not even qualify a candidate to be eligible for admission in MBBS course in India,” stated the National Medical Commission of India.
“The National Medical Commission, being the regulatory authority always endeavours to improve the quality of medical education and health care system in India and provides an equal and fair opportunity for individuals who aspire to study medicine and thereafter practice medicine in India. However, practising medicine involves the risk of human life, hence the Commission cannot compromise with the high standard and quality of medical education in India,” it stated.
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