Fixing medical education in India

The news that the government plans to recognise postgraduate medical degrees from even Russia and China will come as a huge relief to doctors who go to these countries for their higher education. At present, only postgraduate and undergraduate degrees of only the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are recognised in India, enabling them to practise on their return without having to go through the screening test. But like the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination test for doctors with undergraduate degrees from abroad, a stiff test should be made mandatory for postgraduates too.

It is well known that the quality of medical graduates from countries such as Russia, China, Ukraine and Nepal is abysmal. As per data available with the government, only 10-15 per cent of those with degrees from abroad are able clear the FMGE. The reasons for this may be myriad but one of the major concerns is the quality of students who go to such countries for their medical education. According to reports, a majority of the students who go to these countries for their MBBS degree are those who have scored only 40-50 per cent in Class XII. Their performance in Classes X and XI was also found to be average. Keeping this in mind the government rightly introduced the screening test in 2002.

With very few seats available in government or government-aided medical colleges, the competition for an MBBS degree is extremely stiff. The problem is compounded by the exorbitant fees charged by private medical institutions. On an average, private colleges charge up to `30-40 lakh for a four-and-a-half year course. For most students such a high fee structure is beyond their reach. With colleges in countries such as China and Nepal charging only about `20 lakh for a degree, going abroad is a cheaper option. This is the reason why such students flock to these countries in order to become doctors. As long as this problem exists in India, the trend of students going to foreign countries to earn their degrees will not end.