Avoid three US-based universities: NMC to Indian students
The Statesman | 25 July 2025
The National Medical Commission (NMC), sole body monitoring medical education across states and Union Territories (UTs) in India, has advised Indian students seeking admission to foreign medical institutes/ universities to strictly avoid admission in undergraduate medical courses in three US-based and one Uzbekistan-based institutes.
According to the NMC, the four medical institutes in question are: Central American Health and Sciences University, Columbus Central University, Washington University of Health and Sciences and Chirchik Branch of Tashkent State Medical University.
The commission in its advisory for aspirant Indian students seeking admission to any foreign medical institutes was prompted to issue such an alert the Indian Embassy in Mexico and the Eurasia Division of the Ministry of External Affairs raised serious concerns that these institutions were not meeting the required Indian standards in medical education.
Failure to adhere to the advisory will result in ineligibility for medical registration in India, the NMC stated.
The advisory issued by Sukh Lal Meena, director, Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) on 21 July contains critical information regarding recognised institutions, eligibility criteria, and other important guidelines.
“It is also advised that, before seeking admission to any foreign medical institute or university, prospective students and their parents carefully read the alert/advisory uploaded on the National Medical Commission (NMC) website dated 19th May 2025,” the NMC advisory states.
The NMC had previously issued similar public alerts in August, 2023, and November, 2024.
In those notices, the NMC advised Indian students aspiring to obtain medical qualifications from foreign institutions, and seeking registration to practice allopathy in India to ensure strict compliance with the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021.
These regulations were notified on 18 November in 2021.
“Students were specifically cautioned that any deviation in course duration, medium of instruction, syllabus and curriculum, clinical training and internship, or clerkship arrangements may result in disqualification from obtaining registration in India,” it adds.
“Despite these advisories, it has been observed that Indian students continue to seek admission to foreign medical institutions that do not meet the standards prescribed under the FMGL Regulations, 2021,” the alert said.
The Indian Embassy in Mexico and the Eurasia Division of the ministry of external affairs recently expressed serious concerns about these institutions.
They highlighted that these medical colleges did not comply with Indian medical education standards, lacked adequate or functioning campus infrastructure, provided poor quality educational and clinical training, and had instances of harassment of Indian students. Additionally, they reportedly charged excessive fees and refused refunds upon withdrawal from the course.
In light of these advisories, aspiring students are strictly advised to refrain from seeking admission to these institutions.
“Students need to immediately evaluate whether their current university complies with the FMGL Regulations, 2021. Stay updated via the NMC’s official website, consult the Indian Embassy in the respective country for information on recognition or blacklisting of institutions, and take corrective measures promptly, as FMGL Regulations are applied at the time of screening and registration,” the alert added.
Every year, hundreds of students get admitted to medical institutes in foreign countries starting from Nepal, China, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Germany, France, England, America and many others to become doctors in modern medicine.