The latest NMC Gazette is no less than a bombshell to say the least because it has come as a shocker for many, especially those pursuing MBBS in Philippines, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. I shall, however, try to clearly put forward what I think about it.

Important Points in the Document

Before getting into my views over it, it’s important to briefly understand the points regarding an MBBS degree abroad in this document.

• The medical degree needs to be at least 54 months (4.5 years)

• Internship needs to be separate and at least for 1 year

• Both of these need to be from the same college/university.

• Students getting a degree abroad need to compulsorily give the NEXT Exam to be eligible for education/practice in India.

• The entire programme needs to be English-medium.

Degrees and students failing on any of these parameters are invalid in India.

My Views

The views over the NMC Gazette 2021 depend on the country you’re considering and the implications of the notification on it. For instance, if I think of it keeping a destination like Russia in mind, the gazette doesn’t seem to matter in this case. 

The most it can do is reinforce the English language curriculums more or give an opportunity to Russian universities to be flexible regarding the course duration, type, etc, considering that MBBS courses in Russia are 6 years long with internship.

However, this NMC notification becomes a risky and potentially loss making decision as far as the future scope for many medical aspirants in India are concerned. Countries like The Philippines, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, etc have 4-5 year medical programmes including internships. Until and unless these countries don’t upgrade to fit the gazette criteria, these doors will remain closed, which reduces the MBBS abroad opportunities for students.

However, what I feel is that as Indian students majorly boost their economy, these countries will soon budge to the gazette. I feel that in the coming time, if things go our way, the world education system will be more unified and students will have lesser difficulty in adapting to the Indian system.