The Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) under the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a warning to Indian students, advising them not to enrol in undergraduate medical courses at four MBBS Abroad Universities in Belize and Uzbekistan.
4 MBBS Abroad Universities
Universities incleded in the advisory are:
- Central American Health and Sciences University, Belize
- Columbus Central University, Belize
- Washington University of Health and Sciences, Belize
- Chirchik Branch of Tashkent State Medical University, Uzbekistan
NMC Warns Students
The Indian Embassy in Mexico and the Eurasia Division of the Ministry of External Affairs raised the issues of non copliance of FMGL Regulation 2021 and many other discipencies. The NMC acting on concern highlighted several red flags:
| NEET UG Counselling Guide 2025 | |
|---|---|
| State-wise MBBS/BDS Counselling Guide eBook 2025 | 📥 Download |
| MCC NEET UG Counselling Guide eBook 2025 | 📥 Download |
| AACCC AYUSH NEET Counselling Guide eBook 2025 | 📥 Download |
- Non-compliance with Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021
- Substandard or inadequate campus infrastructure
- Poor clinical training and academic quality
- Reports of harassment of Indian students
- Excessive tuition fees and no-fee-refund policies on withdrawal
Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021
The Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021 were issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) to set minimum standards and eligibility criteria for Indian students who obtain their MBBS degrees from foreign medical universities and wish to practice in India.
Highlights:
- Minimum 54 months (4.5 years) of academic course.
- Entire course must be taught in English.
- Both academic study and internship must be completed entirely in same country.
- The foreign medical college must be recognized by the medical authority of that country and listed in WDOMS (World Directory of Medical Schools).
- Students must be licensed to practice medicine in the country where the degree was awarded.
- Graduates must pass the FMGE to obtain registration in India.
- After FMGE, candidates must also complete a 12-month internship in an NMC-approved Indian hospital.
Purpose:
To ensure that Indian students graduating from foreign medical colleges are trained at par with Indian MBBS standards, ensuring patient safety, clinical competence, and professional integrity.
Join NEET News 2025 Students who graduate from such universities may be denied medical registration in India, regardless of clearing FMGE or the upcoming NExT exam.
These are not first-time warnings: the NMC issued similar alerts on August 8, 2023, and November 22, 2024, emphasising Indian students must ensure foreign colleges meet standards for course duration, medium of instruction, syllabus, clinical training, and internship provisions.
Despite repeated advisories, Indian students still apply to non-compliant institutions, placing their medical careers at risk.
NMC urges all prospective students and parents to:
- Review the advisory dated May 19, 2025, posted on the official NMC website
- Validate the eligibility status of foreign medical colleges
- Obtain up-to-date verification from Indian embassies abroad before enrolling
- Act immediately if already enrolled in blacklisted universities
In a statement responding to the advisory, the Chirchik branch of Tashkent State Medical University called the allegations “unfounded”.
“They claim full compliance with academic standards set by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health and WFME/FAIMER guidelines, offering programs in English with globally recognised infrastructure”.
The university said that is open for inspections and verification by Indian authorities
Important Instructions
Before enrolling in any foreign medical college:
- Always check for official NMC eligibility status on their website
- Confirm compliance with FMGL Regulations, 2021
- Seek information from the Indian Embassy in the respective country
- If already enrolled in one of the flagged institutions, re-evaluate options promptly
