CHENNAI: Doctors who completed their MBBS abroad have urged the health department to reduce their fees for eligibility certificates to apply for post graduate medical courses in the state. The last date to apply for the PG medical courses is September 15. To apply for PG courses, they need an eligibility certificate from the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University.
The varsity charges Rs 30,000 from students who completed their MBBS in foreign countries but planning to practice in India. For those who completed their MBBS in India, the fees is only Rs 1,888. Many medical graduates cannot afford it, said Dr M Senthilkumar, the secretary of Tamil Nadu Medical Students Association-Foreign Medical Graduates (TNMSA-FMG) wing.
He said many graduates apply for PG medical courses to see if they get placed in better colleges and reapply if they don’t get a seat in their desired speciality or college.
He added that TNMSA-FMG recently submitted a representation to the health secretary and have received a positive response. “Many students with MBBS degrees from abroad haven’t applied for PG counselling yet, and are waiting for an update,” he said.
The medical graduates said even after doing internship and registering in the Tamil Nadu Medical Council, the government is treating them differently from Indian students.