Is it mandatory to do an Internship at the same MBBS foreign university?

Medical Internship Abroad

According to the National Medical Commission, students who enrol in foreign medical universities should complete an internship as part of coursework. This is necessary for all international students to learn medical practice in clinical settings. A medical course without an internship is considered invalid, as students need hands-on practice, which is not possible without an internship programme. Also, students need to learn how to interact with patients and deal with the clinical environment. This is associated with the 54 months of coursework in the entire programme.

Also read -

• 6 Key Requirements To Practice in India after MBBS in Abroad

• Latest NMC guidelines for MBBS abroad?

• What is the 54-month rule for MBBS abroad?

Why is the transfer not possible?

The National Medical Commission updated its guidelines (Notice - CG-DL-E-22112021-231275) on November 18, 2021, stating that students enrolling after this date are obliged to complete the internship at the same college where they study the entire course. International students who fail to comply with this guideline are not eligible to practice in India.

Also read - 5 Key Requirements You Must Know before Studying MBBS Abroad

Possible Reasons for the Latest NMC Guideline

A Complete Curriculum

The NMC always considers a foreign MBBS degree and internship programme as complete coursework. Nowhere in India do colleges or universities offer MBBS courses without an internship programme. This ensures that students do not miss medical practice subsequent to academic study.

Clinical practice

Many Indian students used to enrol in colleges that have no internship programme. Students of academic study should be able to practice the theory they are taught. For this reason, all candidates should be enrolled in an internship program, which is essential for clinical to obtain a licence.

Adapting to the Indian Clinical Environment

The clinical environment in India differs from other countries, as the country has unique clinical protocols, patient flows, and hospital procedures. In order to adapt to these clinical settings, candidates should practice medicine in accordance with the medical system of the degree-awarding institute.

Practice in the country of study

To register and obtain a license to practice in the country of study, students must complete the internship. Moreover, this practising license in the country of study enables Indian students to practice in India

MBBS Degree Accreditation

Many medical colleges and universities abroad offer stand-alone MBBS degrees, which do not provide practical clinical exposure. These medical degrees are of no use as they do not provide the clinical exposure required to obtain a licence. So, the NMC considers them invalid in order to prevent Indian students from enrolling in these degrees.

Conclusion

Students pursuing MBBS abroad ensure that an internship programme is included in the coursework of the same college or university. If students fail to comply with this requirement, they are marked as non-compliant during the document verification, permanently disqualifying to the FMGE licensing exam