Missing Credentials Block Thousands of Indian MBBS Graduates from Foreign Medical Exams
Thousands of Indian medical graduates are unable to sit for foreign licensing examinations because their colleges have not obtained a required certification known as the ECFMG sponsor note. This note, listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools, confirms that a medical institution meets standards set by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), a credential evaluation agency used by many international medical boards.
The World Directory aims to list all medical schools recognised by their respective local governments. However, a listing does not automatically grant eligibility for ECFMG certification. Colleges must apply electronically for credential verification, a process that typically begins only after their first batch of graduates, or roughly five years after the first batch is admitted. Many institutions start this process when the first batch begins its 12-month compulsory rotating medical internship.
Problems arise when students discover after completing their MBBS that their colleges have not initiated the sponsor note process. This situation has affected graduates from several institutions, including Kalpana Chawla Medical College in Karnal, Haryana, which admitted its first batch in 2017. Some graduates of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have also reported lacking sponsor notes.
In response to a Right to Information (RTI) query, the National Medical Commission (NMC) stated that it provides information to ECFMG to update sponsor notes upon request, after due process and approval by the competent authority. An NMC response dated June 30 indicated that the submission of information to ECFMG for updating sponsor notes for several colleges was under process. However, the NMC and the Union health ministry did not respond to queries about whether it is mandatory for all Indian medical colleges to apply for ECFMG sponsor notes on time, or regarding students' complaints on the issue.
