NEW DELHI: Some foreign medical graduates studying online will have to undergo mandatory practical clinical training before practicing in India, as the National Medical Council (NMC) tightens registration norms.In an announcement issued on March 18, the National Medical Center made it clear that online medical education cannot replace real-life clinical contact and must be compensated through physical training.Until then, there had been confusion among students and state medical councils over eligibility issues, especially for those who returned to India midway and completed their studies online, including those from conflict-affected areas like Ukraine. As per the revised norms, students taking online courses in their final or penultimate year will have to bridge the gap through clinical placement in India – a period of supervised practical training in a hospital where students work alongside doctors and treat patients. Duration will vary depending on the phase of online learning taking place, effectively linking the length of training to the extent of missed face-to-face education.In the meantime, the commission has also provided some relief measures. Students whose foreign universities demonstrate that online teaching has been compensated through additional brick-and-mortar courses, extended course time, or integrated internships may not need further training in India as long as appropriate documentation is submitted.
