Medical PG Degree From Russia, China Could Soon Be Valid In India, But Holders Must Clear DNB Exam

Post-graduation (PG) degrees earned by MBBS doctors from abroad are set to be recognised by the Medical Council of India, reports Indian Express.

At present, PG degrees from only five English-speaking countries — the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada — are recognised in India, and doctors with post-graduate degrees from countries like China and Russia are not treated on a par with their Indian counterparts.

The MCI has reportedly decided to let PG doctors from any country get recognised and employed in hospitals and medical colleges, provided they clear the DNB (Diplomate of National Board) exam.

In India, there are two ways for doctors to earn PG degrees — either through the PG Board, under the medical education regulator, that awards MD/MS (Doctor in Medicine, Doctor in Science) degrees, or through the NBE, under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, that awards DNB.

Currently, even MBBS students who get their degrees from institutes abroad have to clear the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination conducted by the MCI (now MCI-BOG) before they can legally practise as doctors in the country. Their pass percentage, however, has been abysmally poor.