Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in Bihar are finally experiencing relief after a prolonged wait for internship allotments, with the state government releasing the official list on June 4, bringing an end to their protest at the Bihar Council for Medical Registrations (BCMR) office in Patna.
The FMGs had been staging demonstrations since June 3, demanding immediate allotment of internships for their Compulsory Rotating Medical Internships (CRMI). The medical graduates have been waiting for at least five months, ever since they cleared the FMG Exam in January, without receiving any updates on when they would be able to begin their crucial internships.
Government response brings relief
The Bihar Department of Health issued an official notice dated June 4, 2025, announcing the allocation. According to the notice, 551 applications were received from Foreign Medical Graduates seeking internships.
After thorough verification, the medical colleges have been allotted to doctors for their one-year Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI), with assignments listed in Column-4 against each candidate's name.
Students express mixed relief...and concerns
Speaking to EdexLive, an FMG from Bihar, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed his happiness about the successful conclusion of their protest. "If you work tirelessly for anything and your demands are accepted, it feels really good, and we are relieved that our protest ended successfully with the list being released," he said.
The graduate extended gratitude to various supporting organisations: "We are very thankful to the Bihar Medical Association and BSMR and all the associations and students involved in the protest, which led to its successful end."
He noted that students have now left the protest site and are either going home or visiting their allotted colleges to seek clarification on internship start dates. "The next steps now depend on the colleges, and we are optimistic that since the protest successfully ended, the next steps will be smooth as well," he added, extending warm thanks to all supporters.
Timeline concerns persist
However, another FMG highlighted critical timing concerns that could affect their career trajectory. While expressing relief at the list's release, he pointed out a crucial deadline: "It is the next process that will determine the timeline of our internship, as we can only appear for NEET PG 2026 if the internship ends by July 31, and for that to happen, it needs to begin as soon as possible."
The student expressed concerns based on historical patterns: "Past trends suggest that colleges often delay the process and start the internships by August, and some even deny providing the internships based on the list released, saying they are not obliged to follow everything. They often refuse to pay the stipends and even charge high fees for hostel allotment and mess charges."
Despite these concerns, he remained cautiously optimistic: "Even now many things are not finalised, but we are happy that our protest was successful and we hope the college authorities conduct timely registrations and understand the seriousness of this issue, because even a month's delay can lead to our one year going to waste as we need to finish the internship before July 31 in order to appear for NEET PG."
What's next?
The success of the protest marks a significant victory for the FMGs, but challenges remain ahead.
The graduates now face the crucial task of ensuring the timely commencement of their internships to meet the July 31, 2026, deadline for NEET PG eligibility.
The protest's resolution demonstrates the effectiveness of organised student activism in addressing bureaucratic delays in medical education. However, the graduates' concerns about potential delays and additional costs from individual colleges highlight ongoing systemic issues that may require continued vigilance from the medical community.
