Bad luck seems to be doggedly pursuing the Indian medical students from foreign countries, including those from the war-torn Ukraine. Of the 24,269 medical students who appeared for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), only 2,474 (a mere 10.6%) passed, stated a report in The New Indian Express.
The foreign medical students attribute their poor performance to a "concerted move to fail" them. The exam which is a screening test for Indian students who hold medical degrees from international universities has been conducted in violation of the prescribed guidelines, they allege.
The FMGE is held twice a year. The first exams in 2023 were conducted on July 30, 2023, and results were announced on Wednesday, August 23.
Coming up with a strategy
"These students need to clear the examination to be able to apply for internship, and later to practice medicine in India," says Silvi Sunil of the All-Kerala Ukraine Medical Students and Parents Association (AKUMSPA). The association is holding talks among its members to formulate a strategy to avoid the recurrence of the incident in future.
The very manner in which the examination was conducted shows that the National Medical Commission (NMC) and some vested interests in the medical community don't want these students to clear the test, she adds.
"Have you seen an examination in India where a student can't seek revaluation?... Do they want to show that these students are lesser than those doing MBBS at the medical colleges in the country? However, it should be noted that if MBBS students studying in India are asked to write this examination, they will fail too. The reason? The lack of adherence to the guidelines that were set at the onset of the examination," Silvi says.
Understanding FMGE
Dr Sajeev Mukkadan, Joint Secretary of the Association of Foreign Graduated Physicians (AFGP-Kerala), says the FMGE was introduced to provide a screening for students coming from foreign medical universities. "However, it no longer has the structure of a screening test since the questions today are being set on the PG level," he adds.
According to him, until the FMGE was introduced in 2002, there were no such examinations. Those who did internships in India used to get a license and could practice in the country. It was after 2002 that the MCI Act came into force. However, the Act clearly mentions the norms and criteria on how to conduct the FMGE screening test. It clearly describes the mark proportion, 100 marks for preclinical subjects and 200 marks for clinical subjects, he says.
"The guidelines stipulate that the portions for the test should be from the UG syllabus, that is from the first year MBBS to the final year. Also, it is said that the questions and answers should be published besides providing a revaluation facility and so on," Sajeev says. "Immediately after the results of the first FMGE exam was published, protests broke out as the pass percentage was too low. Students even approached the Supreme Court. Between 2003 to 2005 the pass percentage was between 25% and 30%," he says.
Following SC intervention, a regulatory body, comprising representatives of the Medical Council of India (MCI), the National Board of Examinations (NBE), and students, was formed. "The court also strictly directed that since this is an undergraduate examination it has to be conducted at that level, and should not have PG-level questions. The next year saw a pass percentage of more than 75. But it then gradually declined," he says.
This action of the NMC raises serious doubts, says Silvi. "PG level questions are asked to assess the knowledge of UG students. This action of the NMC raises serious doubts," says Silvi.
Costly affair
The FMGE exam fee is Rs 7,080, which is very high compared to similar exams. No previous questions and answers or answer key of any year published, and no reevaluation. "Despite many requests to NMC and the National Board of Examination (NBE), there is no transparency in this exam," says Dr Sajeev. The only way is to take the legal route, he adds.
