Its Official: NEET is Mandatory for pursuing MBBS from Abroad

NEW DELHI: The growing deterioration in the quality of Indian medical students returning to the country as qualified medical professionals from universities abroad has resulted in the government moving towards making a decision to make the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test(NEET) mandatory for them.

A Confirmation to this effect can be seen in the recent Information Bullitin on NEET 2018 issued by CBSE that clearly states

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India has decided for the Indian students who wish to pursue MBBS/BDS from a foreign Medical Institute need to qualify NEET (UG

The decision has been taken to ensure that students of some academic standard study medicine in foreign universities.

Students who return home with medical degrees from foreign universities are made to sit for 'Foreign Medical Graduate Examination' by the Medical Council of India before being registered as medical practitioners. However, the fact remains that the passing percentage of these foreign degree holders has been astonishingly poor.

"Only 10-15 percent of these graduate are able to clear the MCI licentiate examination every year which says a lot about the quality of students and standard of medical education they receive in other countries," an official in the health ministry told The New Indian Express.

Read Also : A mere 7 percent foreign medical degree holders clear the FMGE

An exodus of 6-7,000 students takes place yearly, to Russia and China to pursue medicine. Presently, however, all and sundry who have a minimum 50 percentile in their class XII boards from any board with an eligibility certificate from the MCI can cross the shores to fulfill their medical dreams.

"There are concerns about the quality of the students who can easily get a degree in medicine from abroad and the poor quality of education being imparted in the institutions they go to. By making NEET mandatory, we can at least address one of the main issues," the official added.

The new rule will uplift things as only those who are in the top 50% category of NEET will have the opportunity to study abroad.

A recently Indian Express report states that the Health Ministry in consultation with the Ministry of Education of the Chinese government has selected 45 medical colleges where these medical aspirants will now be sent pursuing their medical studies.

According to MCI sources at the time of admission students will be guided on the options available in the 45 selected recognized names in China, as the maximum number of medical students flock China.

Medial Dialogues had earlier reported that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2017 had for the first time revealed the Centre's intention to make the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) mandatory for students planning to study medicine abroad. Under this, a student who hasn't cleared the NEET will not be granted an Essentiality Certificate (EC) from the Medical Council of India, an essentiality for medical admission abroad. NEET, as is well-known, has already been made mandatory to study medicine in any government or private medical colleges in India

Read Also: Coming Soon: Mandatory NEET for studying MBBS abroad

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which conducts NEET for admission into MBBS, BDS and several other courses in the field of medicine, notified the examination dates for these students on Thursday, February 8. The test is to be held on 6^th May 2018.