Indian students in Nepal get licence to practice

Indian students in Nepal get licence to practice 

Ayushi.Gupta1@timesofindia.com 19.11.2024

After several weeks of tussle, the Nepal Medical Council (NMC) issued an official notification declaring that all international medical students in the country are now eligible to obtain a licence to practice in local hospitals. The announcement comes as welcome news to Indian students planning to pursue medical education in Nepal. 

In April 2023, the NMC had scrapped the licence to practice in Nepal for international students after the completion of MBBS course in the medical colleges. Following this, several Indian medical students had decided against studying in Nepalese medical colleges due to the lack of compliance with India’s Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021. With the recent NMC notification, students are relieved and are moving forward with their admissions.

The deadline to submit the course fees and complete the admission process is November 14, 2024. The official notification states, “The Nepal Medical Council (NMC) recognizes undergraduate degrees, including MBBS/BDS and equ ivalent courses with a minimum academic duration of 5.5 years, which includes a mandatory one-year internship. All foreign nationals are eligible to take the licensing examinations according to NMC Regulations. Upon passing the licensing examinations, foreign candidates can obtain a license equivalent to that of Nepalese citizens. This licensing procedure does not require a good standing certificate from the candidate’s home country council.” The notice also mentioned that NMC grants provisional registration to all MBBS/BDS students in Nepal during their internship period. 

According to NMC internship guidelines, students must complete their internship in hospitals affiliated to their respective medical colleges. This provisional registration is at par with that of Nepalese citizens, allowing both Nepali and international students equal opportunities to practise medicine. The Global Medical Society (GMS), an association representing Indian MBBS students in Nepal, expressed appreciation for the recent NMC notice, which has provided reassurance to students from previous MBBS and BDS batches in Nepal.