The persistently low pass rate of the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) has sparked a heated debate within the medical community. The exam, which is mandatory for Indian students who have completed their medical degrees abroad to practice in India, has seen pass rates hovering around 10-20% over the years.
Dr. Deepak Aanjna, a practicing medical officer and YouTuber, has proposed a controversial solution: increasing the NEET-UG cut-off for students opting for MBBS abroad. He argues that this measure would elevate the academic calibre of aspiring foreign medical graduates, potentially leading to improved performance in the FMGE.
Dr. Aanjna highlights several challenges faced by FMGs, including a lack of clinical exposure during their foreign medical education and the absence of a standardized benchmark for global medical programs. These factors, coupled with the notoriously difficult FMGE, have resulted in a high failure rate, causing significant emotional and financial distress for students and their families.
By raising the NEET cut-off, Dr. Aanjna believes that India can ensure a higher standard of medical education among foreign-trained doctors, ultimately benefiting the healthcare system.