Placement medicine for Ukraine-returned

India's Ukraine-returned medical students have moved the Supreme Court asking that they be allowed to complete their education in this country. It's a legitimate request. But to avoid a potential legal quagmire, the National Medical Commission (NMC) should devise a solution that minimises disruptions and is fair to the needs of all medical students.

The students are in two categories - final/internship year students and those in years 1-4. NMC has permitted final-year students to complete their internship in India after passing the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE), which all foreign graduates are required to take to practise here. NMC can require internships be completed in rural district medical centres or hospitals. The second group is the one that poses a challenge. These students could be required to take an exam to determine their level of competence. This score, together with their National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) result, can help determine at which level the returning student should seek admission. Since 2016, all Indian students applying to study medicine abroad are required to take NEET. Given that the FMGE pass rate for Ukraine-educated medical graduates is about 20%, an equivalence or competence test is a must. To minimise disruption, they should be treated as foreign students.

Given the exceptional circumstances, GoI could consider asking institutions to charge these students no more than the fee charged by the Ukrainian institution. NMC could create an exception to the rule disallowing transfers. This could help Indian students to seek admission in other countries. NMC must think creatively and quickly to ensure a fair and just response that does not put too much pressure on the existing system.