The

Medical Council of India The Medical Council of India (MCI) was a statutory body for establishing uniform and high standards of medical education in India until its dissolution on 25 September 2020 when it was replaced by National Medical Commission. The Council gran ...

Screening Test, also known as the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE), is a licensure examination conducted by the

National Board of Examinations National Board of Examinations (NBE) is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (India), Government of India, and established in 1975 at New Delhi as a Society under Delhi Society registration act, to standardizing po ...

(NBE) in

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

. The test is one of the mandatory requirements for an Indian citizen who has a medical degree from a college outside India to practice medicine in the country. (

teaching hospital A teaching hospital is a hospital or medical centre that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals. Teaching hospitals are almost always affiliated with one or more universities and are often co-locate ...

). The screening test was introduced in 2002 as a qualifying examination for Indian students obtaining their medical degrees from countries other than India, such as countries belonging to the former

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

, Eastern European countries, China, Nepal, Philippines, and Caribbean countries. Indian doctors holding basic medical degrees from the above countries have to take the MCI screening test. The Medical School should have been listed in the WHO international directory of Medical Schools (Now The ''World Directory of Medical Schools''). Candidates who qualify the Screening Test may apply to the

National Medical Commission National Medical Commission (NMC) is an Indian regulatory body of 33 members which regulates medical education and medical professionals. It replaced the Medical Council of India on 25 September 2020. The Commission grants recognition of medic ...

of India or to any Indian State Medical Council for provisional registration or permanent registration. The legality of the test was challenged in the Indian courts and was upheld by the

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India (IAST: ) is the supreme judicial authority of India and is the highest court of the Republic of India under the constitution. It is the most senior constitutional court, has the final decision in all legal matters ...

in 2009. This test has generated controversy with accusations that it is unfair and lacks transparency—for example, not allowing examinees to retain their question paper after examination, or not showing the exact marks or answer sheet upon appeal for failure. An appeal petition filed under RTI India to reveal the marks of an appealing student was not granted. This examination is held twice in year in June and December on the third Monday and Tuesday of the month. The

(which replaced the Medical Council of India in 2020) released draft regulations in 2021 on foreign medical graduates (FMGs) that amends the requirement for the Screening Test. Starting in 2022, overseas graduates will be required to qualify the new National Exit Test (NExT) in place of the Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE). Candidates intending to practice in India will have to clear NExT, within two years of completing their medical studies abroad. The draft regulation is expected to become official when published in the next gazette.

References

External links

The ''World Directory of Medical Schools''The National Board of Examinations
{{DEFAULTSORT:Medical Council Of India Screening Test Medical education in India Standardised tests in India 2002 establishments in India

See also

References

External links