If you display your profile as an MD doctor and you are a foreign medical graduate (FMG doctor), beware.
Gujarat Medical Council (GMC) has cracked the whip against MBBS graduates from abroad showing their degrees as MD.
The GMC has banned a foreign medical graduate from Ahmedabad for six months after receiving more than 40 complaints about degrees.
A large number of students go for medical education in countries like Russia, Ukraine, China and Philippines after not being able to get admission in MBBS in medical College Dr Nitin Vora said,“Students who studied medicine abroad are known as foreign medical graduates. Every year, a large number of students go to countries like China, Russia for medical education. Although they have been studying MBBS, they are given degrees marked as ‘MD’.”
“Such degrees are counted as MBBS, not MD in India, but foreign medical graduates equivalent to MBBS do practice and show their degree as ‘MD’, which is inappropriate and criminal. The reason why GMC is taking strict action against doctors who call themselves as MD doctors despite having an MBBS degree.”
According to Ahmedabad Medical Association sources, two FMG doctors affiliated with a well-known neurologist doctor’s hospital have presented themselves as ‘MD,’ and the AMA is planning to file a complaint with the GMC in this regard.
A doctor from Indian Medical Council (IMA) said, “In India, one has to study for five-and-a-half years for an MBBS degree and another three years for an MD degree. MD degree is awarded after the first five years of medical studies abroad. Hence, many foreign medical graduates practice as MD after returning here. GMC has also received complaints.”
Also, after eight years of study in India, it is natural for a postgraduate medical student to want a higher salary in any corporate hospital. In comparison, foreign medical graduate degrees described as MD, equivalent to MBBS, are recruited by private hospitals at a lower salary, but mentioned as MD doctors on the nameplate, which benefits the hospital but is a wrong practice.
GMC found a foreign medical graduate doctor in a well-known hospital in Ahmedabad showed himself as MD in the board despite having studied MBBS, so the GMC suspended him for a month.
Confirming this, Dr Mehul Shah, in-charge registrar and member of executive committee of GMC, said, “In one year, more than 500 foreign medical graduate doctors have registered in GMC, while in the same period we have received more than 40 complaints over the degree issue. We first serve notice asking FMG doctors to write MBBS at all places including name boards, cards or prescriptions. If any FMG doctor presents himself/herself as MD despite repeated instructions, his licence will also be revoked.”
“Such complaints have increased in the past two years. We are taking strict action against such doctors,”
It is mandatory for all FMG doctors to register with GMC to practice in state after acquiring medical education and a degree from abroad.