Sad too see the news like this ! as not every one choose this way !
but by this every one is getting blamed....
just go through my friends. it was published in 08/06/2008
Hindusthan Times.
On May 16, a 27-year-old named G. Murali was arrested in Tamil Nadu by a special investigation team from Delhi. The charge against him was of sending another person to write the Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) exam in his place. Murali had completed a medical course in 2005 from Russia
and needed to clear the FMG to start his practice here. He was not the only one charged: some 14 arrests have been made in the past few months. An investigating officer assures there would be more in the coming months.
Last year was a watershed of sorts in India’s medical education. For the first time, the number of private medical colleges in the country overtook the number of government ones. When you consider that a seat in one of the private colleges could cost Rs 50 lakh to 60 lakh — comparable to Rs 850-8,000 charged at most of the government ones — you sense how difficult it is for a middle-class family to translate its dream of having ‘a doctor in the family’ into reality.
People have been looking out for ways to skirt this and other hurdles in the way of medical education. One of the most favoured ways is to study abroad, as Murali did. But then, on the way back, clearing the FMG and getting a licence to practise is easier than done. Ergo, those who do not want to take illicit routes, such as the one Murali tried, use their degrees abroad. And the shortage of some 6 lakh doctors in the country continues to stare us in the face.
Shortage breeds ignoble gains
Ironically, it’s this shortage itself that goes some way in making the ‘noble’ profession so lucrative. Consider this: there are only six doctors per 10,000 people in India at present. Of the 31,000-odd doctors passing out of the 270 medical colleges in India, many are not available for service here — either because they fail to clear the FMG, or because they search out greener pastures elsewhere.
The American Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates says that Indian doctors, on an average, garner a quarter of all the 10,000-plus licences given out annually in the US. A few more are lost to other developed nations and a few others to administrative services (there were seven doctors among the IAS
top 20 list this year).
In this vacuum is entering the private sector. Not only has the segment got 136 colleges (as against the government’s 134) across India, but they are also cornering the healthcare system. A recent Planning Commission report recognises the private sector as the main provider of ‘in-patient’ healthcare.
Forget private players; even foreign governments have sensed a sizeable business opportunity in this demand-supply mismatch. Countries such as Russia
, Kazakhstan and Ukraine have been attracting Indian students for more than a decade now. Since 2004 China has emerged as a favourite. Now, it’s the turn of our poorer neighbour, Nepal. And the Philippines is close on its heels. According to the Medical Council of India (MCI), that conducts the FMG test and also issues eligibility certificates to those who want to go abroad, those going out of the country in 2006 and 2007 numbered around 5,100 and 7,000, respectively.
What’s up over there, doc?
Among those going out, there is a curious affinity according to region. If Russia
is a favourite with Gujaratis, students from Andhra
are queuing up for China, while Nepal is seemingly attracting students from all over India.
There are reasons for the newfound attraction for Nepal. At Rs 3 lakh to 28 lakh, the course fee is far cheaper than at the Indian private medical colleges. Also, the threshold for qualification is just 50 per cent (in the physics, chemistry and biology stream), as opposed to 70 per cent needed for most Chinese colleges.
Ajay Patel, who is in his fourth year at the Tver State Medical Academy, 150 km outside Moscow, says, “I had made up my mind in the 10th standard that I would study in Russia
. I was paying a fee of Rs 75,000 in school; so the Rs 1.25-lakh course fee for MBBS was not all that much.” Why not try a private college in India? “They charge four or five times more than the Russian colleges,” replies the 23-year-old.
With countries such as Russia
focused on making good from foreign students, some of the rules are being changed too. After all, some 900 students from India alone go over every year to get medical degrees from the country. Many colleges there have started teaching in English, separate from the local students. Patel says, “It’s been eight years since our college started teaching in English. Now even the faculty members have picked up the language quite well. We have an Indian mess and we celebrate all Indian festivals. In fact, there are 18 cricket teams in my college alone!” China, where there are an estimated 1,500 Indian medical students at present, has brought out a list of 30 colleges where foreign students (read Indians) would be taught in English. One plus for those crossing over to Nepal is that they don’t need a visa.
Those on the way back
What’s happening to those who are going abroad? What quality of education are they getting? Expectedly, the answer to either is not a straightforward yes or no. Education in Russia
has gone through a turmoil since the disintegration of the USSR.
Sanjeev Kumar, vice-president of Saraswationline, a company that sends students abroad, says, “Even a tenth-pass student could get a medical certificate from there a decade or so earlier.” The quality of those coming back began to slide. An alarmed MCI stepped in and made it mandatory, since 2002, for all foreign medical graduates to clear the FMG exam, which is conducted by the National Board of Examinations twice a year.
According to S Roy Biswas, deputy director of NBE, only one in 10 students used to pass the exam each year. For a reason, Roy Biswas says, “Most of these foreign institutions pass the students, or their reputation will take a beating. They have to constantly attract students.” Last September, out of the 1,830 who appeared for the exam, only 193 cleared it.
But alarm bells went off earlier this year when the FMG pass percentage suddenly shot up. Out of the 1,851 students who took the exam this March, an unprecedented 1,087 passed it. A special investigative team of the Crime Branch started asking questions. Large-scale malpractices were unearthed. Murali was one of the students caught.
Surgery on the system
Can the situation at home be bettered? RK Srivastava, director-general of health services, says, “We are looking at relaxing the norms to set up medical colleges.” And private players are slowly assuming the major role in preparing our doctors.
There is a problem of distribution, too. Some 60 per cent of the colleges are currently in only in five states: Andhra
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra
. Delampady Narayana, health sector expert at the Centre for Development Studies, says, “The private colleges are coming up in the South mostly, where there are enough colleges already.”
A senior official at the health ministry throws up his hands at this uneven growth. “What can we do? Health is a state subject, and the other states have to take the lead,” he says.
There is the question of quality of education at these private colleges too. Narayana claims, “These private medical colleges are no different from those abroad. The exam is an eyewash.”
Srivastava says that among the solutions being “explored” are public-private partnerships, inter-country programmes, and intra-country programmes. Whichever the choice in the years to come, one thing is for sure: private education would be the way forward for our wannabe docs.
Licence to kill: Cheating to serve the Make A Style Statement
ALSO READ
Operation MBBSJune 08, 2008Praveen Donthi, Hindustan Times
Email Author
June 08, 2008
First Published: 01:46 IST(8/6/2008)
Last Updated: 01:53 IST(8/6/2008)
They don’t go abroad to study, but to get degrees,” says an investigating officer of the Crime Branch. That the officer is talking about aspiring doctors whose knowledge could be responsible for the health and well-being of some of us in the years to come explains the gravity of the situation.
This March, the Crime Branch got a tip-off that there might have been rampant impersonation in the Foreign Medical Graduate exam. On investigation, it was found to be true, and seven people were arrested. Six of them were doctors and one (Ravinder Kumar) is just 12th pass. Mukesh Kumar, who had passed out from Kazakhstan considered Ravinder more knowledgeable than himself. Ravinder had met Mukesh at a coaching institute in Delhi where they studied together for the medical entrance.
Seven more arrests were made after that. “The investigation is still on and more arrests are expected. How could the pass percentage go beyond 50 when it has been 10 all this while?” asks the officer. Two of the candidates graduated from Nepal colleges but most of them got their medical degrees from Russia
and Ukraine. Seven of them are residents of Bihar
. Most are sons of doctors, though one is the son of a farmer.
Impersonators, who are mostly doctors and medical students, earn anything between
Rs 50,000 to Rs two lakh for sitting for the exam. “The racket is spread across the country in places like Lucknow, Patna, Nalanda, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad and Delhi,” says the officer. The gangs work closely with many doctors and they are aware of who has passed out from where and who would want help. One of the conduits caught was a doctor from Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi. The gangs choose to stay in locations close to medical colleges — like Delhi’s Gautam Nagar, which is close to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and the Safdarjung Hospital. The proxy candidates don’t even meet the real candidates, as members of the gangs deal with them.
To prevent malpractice, many measures have been introduced, like biometric tests, fingerprints, passport verification etc. But will these measures be effective? “Impersonation will be very tough, but I guess they will find some other way,” the officer says.
Concerns regarding quality have forced the Medical Council of India (MCI) to introduce a few rules. The MCI issues eligibility certificates to students wanting to study abroad only if they have only a minimum of 50 per cent in physics, chemistry and biology.
“This is an MCI requirement. Colleges in Russia
don’t ask for it,” says Patel Ajay, a medical student in Russia
’s Tver State Medical Academy. Internships in Indian hospitals for a year have also been made compulsory for all students trained abroad.
its gud that u came across such a article and presented it ....ny wy my opinion is that it was better for that doctor who took a wrong way to appear for the screening test a few times more instead of making it worse for his family and also destroyed the name of the FMGS !!!
Due to few FMGS all the FMGS have to suffer crticisim and disrespect ..............i dont know what the hell these FMGS are doing when they r studying abroad ........i think just enjoying till infinity ......i dont know why these people want to be medical doctors if they cant study at right time ........for medicine its a exponential way .......that u need to study to sustain in this profession .....................nd shame to those universities where these fellows have studied and got there graduation .............i am sure MCI will make it tougher day by day to pass this exam . i just want to ask that fellow has he ever thought what
will happen to the image and status of his parents in the society who have spend so much on them to become medical doctors ......will he
ever be able to convince his consciousness how he became a licensate
medical doctor in india .....shame on these fellows .......they r stigma
on the names of FMGS .....may god almighty show them the right pathway !!!
my frnds----its true thr is shortage in india of med docs!!no doubt but to increase the private colleges,increase the retirement age of professors,, is surely the wrong approach!
why cant the medical offcials see the point????????
Ist identify the cause??why thr is shortage of docs---only 77000 sat cpmt this time ,next time it will be even more less!!!YET OUR ESTEEMED OFFCIALS THINK ,THE PROBLEM IS SMALL NUMBER OF PRIVATE COLLEGE!!!
Future docs r randomly selectin other lines as fast as possible,BECAUSE OF BETTER PAY AND CONDITIONS!!!!GOOD SALARY IS VERY IMP!!!!!!
they go for US,and other foreign countries just for this target!!!result --LACK OF DOCS
Fmg s on other hand do need to give mci,"belive me some studs didnt even know norm level of glucose in blood"SO ITS MUST but then---DONT KEEP THEM WAITIN FOR 2 MONTHS OR KILL THEIR TIME ,
INSTEAD OF 1 YR INTERN-----MAKE IT 6 MONTHS ,TRAIN US IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE---AND IMPLEMENT US IN THE WORKFORCE!!!
SO I REALLY HOPE AND PRAY FOR THE INDIAN MED SYSTEM !!!
OPENIN PRIVATE COLLEGES IS ONLY GOING TO FILL THE POCKETS OF MED EDU PROVIDERS ,,NOT SOLVIN THE PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Docs taking exam for others held in Delhi
1 Apr 2008, 0126 hrs IST,TNN
NEW DELHI: Here is another instance of doctors hitting the headlines, for the wrong reasons. The crime branch of Delhi Police has arrested seven people, including four doctors, for appearing for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE
) under false identities.
The examination is held for candidates who get degrees from foreign universities and need clearance from the National Board of Examination (NBE) to practice in India. Without clearing the FMGE
they cannot Register with the Medical Council of India (MCI) for professional practice in the country.
Those arrested have been identified as Dr Amit Kumar Vindhya (29), Kumar Vishal (25), Dr Amit Kumar (27), Dr Anupam Anand (29), Dr Gaurav Kumar (25), Nagender (27) and Ravinder Kumar (24).
The modus operandi was simple. Vishal and Nagender used to approach doctors appearing for FMGE
and strike deals with them for amounts ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. They would then look for doctors who could do the job and pay them between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh. They took great care to match the identities as closely as possible to avoid detection. But the crime branch of Delhi Police proved to be smarter.
"We received information that a few impostors would be appearing for the FMGE
in Delhi on March 30. The examination was being held at Kendriya Vidyalaya near the JNU campus," recalled DCP (crime and railways) Anil Shukla. "The police reached the site and with the help of NBE officials apprehended the seven."
A case was then registered on the basis of the complaint of S Roy Biswas, deputy director, NBE. The accused were arrested after checking at the exam centre — they failed to produce supporting identity proof.
Initial investigations revealed that the seven arrested were part of an organised racket. The gang also provided proxy candidates for the postgraduate Diplomate of National Board (DNB
) examination.
"The gang members would arrange the logistics for the proxy candidates. The examinee's photograph would be replaced by that of the proxy candidate who would then appear for the examination, said the police.
The crime branch has sought five-day remand for all the accused. The cops said they would have to be taken to Bihar
, Rajasthan
and Gujarat
, where similar rackets exist. The accused have allegedly revealed names of three more doctors and a mediator — Dr Baghel Hridyendra Singh, Dr Mukesh Sharma, Divyesh Jayantilal Gajera and middleman Sanjay Kumar. Police said among those who have been arrested, Vindhya was contacted by Vishal in Patna where the practice is alleged to be rampant.
Vishal allegedly promised Vindhya Rs 60,000 to appear on behalf of Dr Gajera. The other Dr Amit Kumar was caught impersonating for Dr Anupam Anand. Anand, who too has been arrested, had completed his MBBS from Nepal Medical College and is currently unemployed. The two came in touch with Nagender in Patna. Accused Ravindra Kumar was found impersonating for Dr Mukesh Sharma while Dr Gaurav Kumar was impersonating for Dr Baghel Hridyendra Singh.
FMGE
is mandatory for doctors who have procured medical degrees from foreign universities and want to practice in India.
Medical degrees from Russia
, China, Nepal and Germany are much sought after by aspiring doctors from India. About 800 to 900 students head to Russia
every year to pursue medical courses. The Russian education system offers a six-year course after which an MD certificate is awarded to the students. This is considered an equivalent of an MBBS degree in India.
8 comments on this story. Read them and post your own.
K M Mathew,Dubai,says:It is not new and it happens in association with the examiners. We have to blame our Government for it, since the right for education is denaied to the eligible candidates by restricting the number of Colleges under the Government and allow private sector to establish a number of collages on commercial basis without any control. These students after their education will take any measure to make money since they know that the punishment will be so sober.
[1 Apr, 2008 1635hrs IST]
Koleth,London,says:These 'physicians' should lose their licence. Exemplary punishment should be meted out to such shameless scoundrels. But...
[1 Apr, 2008 1427hrs IST]
parag,kiev,says:mr.editor, the foreign medical graduate exam is a farce.for last few years only a handful of student appearing passed and suddenly this year more than 70 percent passed out of nowhere. The National board of examinations has got policy of passing only a selected few candidates every year.they themselves are involved are in this racket.The criteria of 50% and above score passing is rarely followed. Please sir if you can pressurise the NBE for rechecking the paper and give new results it would help a lot of students who were not cleared due to boards policy.
[1 Apr, 2008 1339hrs IST]
Dr. Gautam Chatterjee,M.S,Burdwan,W.B,says:AIPGMEE exams revealed imposters and DOCUPEN scandals only a short time back.The racket and modus was unearthed to the horrors of all. We still do not know what exemplary punishment the offenders got.A delayed justice(or punishment)may have created new coteries with its poison roots spreading deeper now into basic graduation level and at the level of licence seekers who would save(!or kill)the ailing peaple. All hard working honest and brilliant doctors who have sweated their way to the top have thus been defamed by generalisasion in the eye of the innocent public by these criminals.
[1 Apr, 2008 1220hrs IST]
tsultim,delhi,says:It is because of such people who get fake degrees, manage to go and work abroad, spoils the image of all Indians. Very strict action should be taken with fake doctors as they are meant to save lives and not to kill. Their degrees should be cancelled and given a job of 'D' category only. After all why we all Indians should suffer because of heinous acts of few people?
[1 Apr, 2008 1014hrs IST]
krishna,singapore,says:why do they have to do this, This is India, its very easy to pass here without even appearing in exams..
[1 Apr, 2008 0654hrs IST]
bala srinivasan,saginaw.mich.usa.,says:as an indian american physician i am ashamed to read the news of faking of identities by indian physicians for the sake of few dollars in the process bring down the standing of medical proffession in general and the indian physicians in particular.we are regarded atleast in north america in very high esteem,all it takes is the stupidity and narrow mindedness of few to tarnish it for ever.
[1 Apr, 2008 0459hrs IST]
NS Murali,Orangeburg, SC,says:I hope those punished with loss of licence and their degree included at least the imposters.. In India,due to the tremendous political and monetary factors, it will be hard to bring the unqualified docs to justice. It will cause political uproar and loss of jobs in the police/ CID department if an MLAs son or daughter is arrested!
[1 Apr, 2008 0322hrs IST]
its a article which was earlier published and tarred badly the image of medical doctors specially FMGS ........
its better to leave this issue to law who will punish the fake doctors themselves and the FMGS invloved , instead i will suggest the NATIONAL BOARD should modify some of there rules for all the FMGS ........
- they should allow rechecking of the pappers of those FMGS who failed .
- they should conduct exam more than 3 times to all the FMGS to appear in the screening test every year as per supreme court ruling so , that more students pass every year .
- they should also make such a question papper as to stress on such subjects which are taught in different universities abroad sometimes we have to study some stupid subjects like PSM
which we hardly study abroad and have to answer some stupid questions like the year when national leprosy policy was made and what is the role of filariasis in the epidemology .....what the hell we had to with such subjects ......... what we have to do with Forensic
sciences ........why such questions are included ........so they should make a exam oriented and to level of FMGS
but unfortunately i dont think they take these consideartion , they mess
up everything and make it hard for FMGS .
- i urge that all indian medical graduates should also pass a exam like FMGE
before starting graduation i bet not more than 30% will pass this
exam because this a PG LEVEL exam and they pass there PGS when they study for years and less than 10% pass it in 1ST chance .
its really painful that we have to go through it but its all mistake of NATBOARD people and MCI who think that FMGS dont know anything
and lets make there life tough , so, i urge all my friends , juniors and all new comers to start studying from university days .
Ya Brahmin Ur right its their fault ! first stupid thing they had made a law of exam on 2002 and the implimented that students who has 50% of 10+2 Knowledge can go for medical studies, this is the initial mistake... what is 50% ! and then all these mess.....
well not only this ! the whole system has to be changed... Which never happens. only we can do is geton with it...
hi frnds,before commenting on NAT board's policies i wanna comment on all those students who r bringing in shame for all FMG''s!it is realy a pity that even after studyin for so long,some people get scared even wid d thought of givin d FMGE
exam!but from my experience that would make upto that makes up2 60-70%of students who does nothin during university days n brings immense shame 2the rest40% of fmg's!
BUT FRNDS WAKE UP N THINK..DOES IT HAPPEN ONLY WID FMG'S?WELL,,I BET IT IS A UNIVERSAL PHENOMENON,,N NOWHERE IN D WORLD THERE WILL BE ANY UNI/ANY FIELD WHERE PEOPLE GIVE THEIR 100!
SO Y DIS DISCRIMINATION AGANIST FMG'S?
WELL,,I WOULD NOW LIKE2 ASK,IF THERE EXISTS SUCH A DISCRIMINATION!FROM MY EXPERIENCE,N FROM MY SENIORS WHO R WORKIN IN VARIOUS HOSP..I CAN SAY THAT PEOPLE GO4UR TALENTS,NOT FROM WHR U GOT UR DEGREE..YES,DEFENITELY THEY DO ASK U FROM WHR U STUDIED,N THAT MAY GIVE THEM A WRONG IMPRESSION INTIALLY,BUT THE MINUTE THEY START INTERACTING WID U,N IF THEY FIND U SMART ENUFF,NO1 DARES2COME N TAUNT U ABOUT UR COUNTRY OF GRADUATION!
SO THE REAL TASK OF FMG'S IS 2PASS THE FMGE
EXAM!
HERE I'D LIKE2 ASK IF THE EXAM IS BEIN CONDUCTED IN A PROPER WAY!
EVEN D HUGELY POPULAR AIPGE
GIVES THE %RESULTS OF THE CANDIDATES..SO Y CANT NAT BORD PUBLISH D %SCORES OF EACH CANDIDATE SO THAT HE/SHE CAN MAKE A MUCH BETTER ATTEMPT RATHER THAN D BLIND MAN AIMING A MANGO KIND OF SITUATION AT PRESENT!
THE MCI AND NAT BOARD SHOULD APPRECIATE THIS FACT THAT AN FMG,EVEN AFTER GOIN THROUGH SO MUCH OF HURDLES STICK ON TO THEIR PATH DUE TO SHEER DEVOTION2D MEDICAL FIELD..ATLEAST THERE'LL BE ABOUT 30%WHO FEELS THIS WAY!N THEY SHOULD DO WATEVER THAY CAN TO PROTECT D LIKES OF SUCH STUDENTS!
AS BRAHMIN SAID,D KIND OF Q'S ASKED!YEA,I BET NO1 S SO GOOD IN REMEMEBERING SUCH CRAP,SO Y DO THEY EXPECT IT FROM US!
RATHER,THEY R PUTTING US THROUGH 1MORE CHALLENGE!N THEIR IS NOWAY OUT THAN2 OBLIGE TO SUCH STUPIDITIES!
UNLESS A STANDARD SYSTEM COMES LIKE D USMLE
OR ATLEAST LIKE AIPGE
,I DON THINK WE CAN EXPECT ANY DIFFERENCE!
BUT STILL V SHOULD'NT LOSE ANY HOPE!
IF GOD ALMIGHTY CAN TAKE US THROUGH DIS HERCULAIN TASK OF STUDYIN IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY FOR 6YRS,,N IF WE HAD D COURAGE TO CLING ON THEN,,I'M SURE ALL THOSE WHO WORKED HARD WILL DEF'LY GET THEIR REWARD!
AS THEY SAY.."LUCK ALWAYS GOES WID HARD WORK"!!!
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