Indian medical students who studied in Bangladesh doing better back home

Indian medical students who have studied in Bangladesh are doing better back home than many of their peers who studied in some other countries.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 27 Oct 2019, 03:41 PM
Updated : 27 Oct 2019, 03:41 PM

But less than 15 percent of the all students tapping medical colleges overseas clear the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE), the mandatory test to obtain a licence to practice in India.

Of those successful, according to the National Board of Examinations that conducts the FMGE, chances are most of them are either from Bangladesh or Mauritius — not among the most favoured destinations.

The board tracked the 61,708 Indian students who graduated from foreign medical institutions between 2015 and 2018, the Indian Express says.

Only 14.2 percent (8,764) cleared the test and the pass rates were dismal for students from colleges in China, Russia and Ukraine.

Of the total number of students that appeared for the test, 87.6 percent (54,055) were from colleges in seven countries: China, Russia, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

The data shows that 52 percent (81 of 154) students from Mauritius cleared the test, 27.11 percent (343 of 1,265) from Bangladesh passed the barrier and 17.68 percent from Nepal (1,042 of 5,894) succeeded.

The success rate for students from colleges in China was 11.67 percent (2,370 of 20,314), Russia 12.89 per cent and Ukraine 15 percent (see chart).

The students who pursued courses in Bangladesh and cleared FMGE include 83.33 percent (10 of 12) from University of Rajshahi, 64.29 percent (9 of 14) from Sir Saimullah Medical College and 56.14 percent (32 of 57) from Dhaka University.

They also include 42.11 percent (8 of 19) from Rajshahi Medical College, 37.50 percent (33 of 88) from Jahurol Islam Medical College, 34.69 percent (34 of 98) from Medical College for Women and Hospital, Dhaka, 33.33 percent (18 of 54) from Dhaka National Medical College and 30.49 percent (25 of 82) from Kumudini Women’s Medical College and Hospital.

Prof AKM Ahsan Habib, director, medical education of the Directorate General of Health Services, is happy to hear the news.

He told bdnews24.com that foreign students study in Bangladesh in two ways – under SAARC and non-SAARC quota in government medical and dental colleges.

And private medical and dental colleges can enrol foreign students up to 50 percent of their total seats, he said, adding that currently 99 Indian students are studying in 36 government medical colleges.

The number at private medical colleges could not be known immediately.