VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Medical Council (APMC) reiterated its adherence to National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines for granting Permanent Registration (PR) to Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) who completed part of their MBBS courses online during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
On Wednesday, the Assistant Registrar of APMC issued a statement addressing FMG protests held the previous day. APMC clarified that according to NMC guidelines issued on November 22, 2023, FMGs who completed their final year online must undergo two years of internship—one year of clinical clerkship and one year of internship.
Those who studied online during both the penultimate and final years must complete three years, including two years of clinical clerkship and one year of internship.
Despite these rules, some FMGs undergoing internships refused compliance, citing compensation letters from their universities. However, the NMC ruled these letters lacked sufficient clinical training details, prompting APMC to hold their PR applications.
FMGs had signed undertakings during counselling, agreeing to comply with future NMC guidelines. Meanwhile, 25 FMGs have filed a writ petition in the High Court, with the case still pending.
APMC said NMC guidelines dated November 19, 2024, mandate State Medical Councils to verify FMG degrees.