MBBS Abroad: NMC warns students against 3 Uzbekistan medical colleges, TSMU offshore campus

Study MBBS Abroad: Citing sub-standard education quality and alleged malpractices by admission agents, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has cautioned Indian students about pursuing medical education in three Uzbekistan universities, as well as the Bengaluru offshore campus of one of these institutes.

The medical education regulator issued the advisory on Wednesday after the Indian Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan capital, flagged “serious” concerns about the institutes, including enrollment beyond the intake capacity, lack of hands-on training as the medium of instruction is not English and the violations of NMC regulations and rules.

The commission asked Indian citizens and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), considering studying MBBS in Uzbekistan and “similar destinations” to be “extremely” cautious, ensuring that their institutes are in compliance with the regulatory requirements.

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NMC alert against MBBS in Uzbekistan

The alert is similar to NMC’s previous advisories about foreign medical institutions, though different sets of institutes and countries were flagged in those communiques. The four institutes named by the commission are listed below:

• Bukhara State Medical Institute (BSMI);
• Samarkand State Medical University (SSMU);
• Tashkent State Medical University (TSMU); and
• T.I.T. Institute of Medical Sciences, Bengaluru, an offshore campus of TSMU Termez Branch

The commission, referring to a communication from the embassy, said that the admissions beyond the intake capacity are compromising medical education quality, while the institutes’ failure to use English as medium of instruction is proving to be challenging to Indian students, especially when it comes to the clinical training.

NMC advisory specifically mentioned receiving complaints of “serious” violations of the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2O22, by TSMU Termez Branch and T.I.T. Institute of Medical Sciences.

A different branch of TSMU was named in an earlier NMC letter as well. It also reported receiving from the Embassy testimonies of Indian students who were admitted to the Bukhara State University through a private contractor. The NMC memo, however, didn’t provide any details of these complaints and testimonies.

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The commission cautioned students against falling for fraudulent offers, such as guaranteeing admissions without qualifying NEET examination and relying on unauthorised agents or intermediaries. It also asked the candidates to verify the recognition status of foreign institutes and adherence to FMGL regulations before committing or paying fees.

Some of the requirements for foreign institutes listed in the FMGL Regulations are:

• Minimum 54 months of education in a single institution
• 12-month internship at the same institute
• Clinical practice can’t be done in parts or across different countries
• Medium of instruction should be English
• Registration with the respective professional regulatory body or competent to grant medical license

The commission finally warns the students that failure to follow the advisory may leave them ineligible for medical registration in lndia.