KOCHI : The ambitions of a vast majority of Indians studying medicine overseas have been dealt a huge blow by the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) yet again. Only 7,781 of the 38,535 students who appeared for the latest round of FMGE — held across the country in December 2023 — have cleared the screening test.
Though the pass percentage has risen by around 10% compared to the July results, the number of students failing to clear the examination remains worrying.
According to Silvi Sunil of the All-Kerala Ukraine Medical Students and Parents Association (AKUMSPA), the FMGE aspirants continue to face the same old issues.
“The situation is such that the students can’t openly come forward to take up the matter as they fear being targeted by vested interests in the health department at the national level and in the medical community,” Silvi said.
While the examination is supposed to be a screening test for students who have just passed their under graduate examination, the questions set are of a post-graduate level, said Dr Sanjay Mukundan, joint secretary of the Association of Foreign Graduated Physicians (AFGP-Kerala).
The examination involves questions for 200 marks in the clinical section and for 100 marks in the pre-clinical section, he pointed out.
“Similar issues had cropped up between 2003 to 2005. The students had then approached the supreme court, and thereafter, a regulatory body comprising representatives of the Medical Council of India (MCI), National Board of Examination (NBE) and students was formed,” Dr Sanjay said.
After the regulatory body drew up a set of guidelines, the pass percentage went up to 75%, he said.
“However, that was just for a year or two. The situation has gone from bad to worse,” he said.
His association has been sending representations to various bodies, seeking justice for the students who are being meted out a step-motherly treatment all because they went abroad to do MBBS.
“If the students who have done MBBS in India are asked to write the FMGE, there is no doubt that they too will give a shoddy performance. The students have failed by just one mark or two! And these are students who have done very well in their MBBS final examinations,” stressed Silvi.
Echoing that sentiment, Dr Sanjay said, “Even doctors working at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have agreed to the fact the question papers for the test are very tough. They say even they would fail to clear the paper!”
No revaluation
Silvi Sunil of AKUMSPA said no other exam in India lacks revaluation facility. “FMGE doesn’t have it. This shows the National Medical Commission wants students to fail,” says Silvi
Students say they are ready to write the proposed National Exit Test (NExT). Silvi said but that too doesn’t seem to be forthcoming as some vested interests in medical fraternity don’t want NExT to be implemented.
Marksheet
Pass 7,781
Fail 30,046
Absent 693
TOTAL - 38,535