FMGE blow to Indian medical students studying abroad: 7,781 out of 38.5k candidates pass
The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) has once again inflicted a severe blow to the aspirations of the great majority of Indians who want to pursue medical studies abroad. Out of the 38,535 students that took part in the most recent round of the FMGE, which was conducted nationwide in December 2023, only 7,781 passed the screening exam.
Even while the passing rate is now around 10% higher than it was in July, the amount of kids who do not pass the test is still concerning.
Silvi Sunil of the All-Kerala Ukraine Medical Students and Parents Association (AKUMSPA) said that the applicants for the FMGE are still dealing with the same problems.
Silvi said, “The students are afraid of being singled out by special interests in the national health department and in the medical community, so they are unable to openly come forward to take up the matter.”
The questions are postgraduate in nature, despite the examination’s intended purpose of serving as a screening test for students who have just completed their undergrad exam, according to Dr. Sanjay Mukundan, joint secretary of the Association of Foreign Graduated Physicians (AFGP-Kerala).
He said that there are questions for 200 points in the clinical segment of the test and 100 marks in the pre-clinical section.
Comparable problems have emerged in the years 2003–2005. After the students’ appeal to the Supreme Court, members of the National Board of Examination (NBE), the Medical Council of India (MCI), and the students themselves created a regulating body, according to Dr. Sanjay.
The pass rate increased to 75% when the regulatory authority created a set of criteria, he added.
But it was just for a few of years. The state of affairs has become worse,” he said.
His group has been submitting submissions to several authorities in an effort to bring justice to the students who are being treated like stepmothers only because they studied overseas for their MBBS.
“There is no doubt that the students who completed their MBBS in India would also fare poorly if compelled to write the FMGE. The pupils’ failure was just by one or two grades! Silvi emphasized, “And these are students who performed exceptionally well in their MBBS final exams.”
“Even doctors working at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have agreed to the fact the test question papers are very tough,” Dr. Sanjay remarked, echoing that attitude. They claim that not even they could pass the paper!
Not revalued
According to Silvi Sunil of AKUMSPA, revaluation is a feature that no other test in India lacks. “FMGE is devoid of it. This demonstrates the National Medical Commission’s desire for pupils to fail, claims Silvi
Pupils declare themselves prepared to take the National Exit Test (NExT). Silvi said, “But that too doesn’t seem to be forthcoming as some medical fraternity vested interests oppose the implementation of NExT.”
Grade sheet
Over 7,781
30,046 fail
Not 693
38,535 in total
