Foreign Degrees, Indian Dreams: FMGE Participation Triples Since 2019, But Pass Percentage Still at 26%
TL; DR
FMGE, India’s mandatory licensure test for foreign-trained doctors, saw record participation in 2024 with a 25.8% pass rate. Participation tripled since 2019, with China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine, and the Philippines dominating. It’s crucial for career entry, healthcare quality, and addressing India’s medical workforce needs.
Context
The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), conducted biannually by India’s National Board of Examinations (NBE), is a mandatory licensure test for Indian citizens or OCI cardholders with a medical degree from foreign institutions. It evaluates their eligibility to obtain provisional or permanent registration with the National Medical Commission. Introduced in 2002, FMGE ensures that foreign-trained doctors meet Indian medical standards before practising in the country.
Who compiles this data?
The data on the number of candidates registered, Country and Institution-wise number of candidates who appeared and passed is released by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS).
Where can I download clean & structured data related to FMGE?
Clean, structured, and ready-to-use datasets related to Country and Institution-wise numbers of candidateswho appeared and passed in FMGE can be downloaded from Dataful.
Key Insights
- In the 2024 FMGE, 82,644 candidates registered, with 79,000 appearing for the exam. Of these, 20,382 qualified, resulting in a pass rate of 25.8% – roughly one out of every four candidates.
- FMGE participation has surged, rising from about 28,574 candidates in 2019 to 79,000 in 2024, marking nearly a threefold increase.
- Since 2012, five countries, namely China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine, and the Philippines, have accounted for nearly three-fourths of all students appearing for the FMGE. China alone contributed almost 30% of the total number of candidates appearing for the test.
Why does it matter?
Participation in FMGE is of crucial importance at 3 levels:
- For individuals, it’s a gateway. Passing FMGE is often the only path to legal medical practice in India.
- For the public, it’s a quality safeguard, ensuring that doctors trained abroad meet Indian medical education and clinical standards.
- For policy, it reflects debates around medical workforce shortages, global migration of doctors, and standardisation of medical education.
In short, FMGE directly affects the ability of foreign-trained Indian doctors to practice in India, impacting both the careers of thousands of medical graduates and the country’s healthcare system.
Key numbers
Candidates Registered in FMGE
29542 (2019) -> 55572 (2022)-> 82644 (2024)
Candidates Appeared in FMGE
28597 (2019) -> 52030 (2022)-> 79000 (2024)
Candidates Passed in FMGE
7375 (2019) -> 12148 (2022)-> 20382 (2024)