Students Advised to Verify Philippine Medical Eligibility Rules

• CHED’s MD eligibility claim lacks clarity under India’s FMGL 2021.
• Health Ministry warns students to verify NMC guidelines.
• Philippine Medical Act amendments may impact Indian aspirants.

In the recent announcement circulating online, purportedly from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) of the Philippines, indicating that its Doctor of Medicine (MD) program meets the eligibility requirements set by the National Medical Commission (NMC) in India, per the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021, there has been a significant surge in interest among prospective students.

The health department has cautioned students to pay attention to the official announcement before applying to medical schools in the Philippines.

Some academic consultants are proposing the Philippines as an NMC-recognized location for medical education, but many are hiding full information and giving deceitful assurances about FMGE or NExT eligibility in India. However, it is important to understand against the backdrop of current regulation under the Philippine Medical Act of 1959, the validity of CHED's announcement of July 15, 2025 remains uncertain and does not explain its eligibility in India.

Speaking to Education Times on the condition of anonymity, an official from the Union Health Ministry says, “Any student who completes their medical graduation from a country that fully complies with the FMGL Regulations, 2021, will automatically be eligible to appear for the Indian medical licensing exam. There is no need for the NMC to issue a separate notification in such cases. However, students are strongly advised to carefully review the regulatory requirements before choosing to study medicine abroad.”

The announcement from CHED on July 15, 2025 led to confusion among aspiring medical students. The announcement came from a request by the Sarmiento Delson and Dacanay Law Offices based in Quezon City in the Philippines to clarify that there would be no CHED-accredited medical schools that would be compliant with Indian regulations. However, no such announcement was found on the official CHED website.

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According to the Philippine Medical Act of 1959 and the connected reciprocity, a foreigner can practice medicine in the Philippines and not be required to take the Physician's Licensure Exam (PLE), if the foreigner's home country allows Filipino citizens to practice medicine without the PLE under the same conditions.

The Philippine Medical Act remains under examination for conclusive revisions. In December 2024, the Philippines Senate approved the suggested amendments in the initial reading. When these amendments are implemented, Indian students who finish their MD degree at a CHED-approved institution in the Philippines and complete a 12-month internship will qualify to take the PLE

The notice available online states, “All holders of an MD degree from the Philippines, regardless of nationality or citizenship, may obtain a valid license to practice in countries such as the USA, UK, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, and others, without needing to appear for the PLE in the Philippines, subject to passing appropriate examinations and meeting other requirements in those respective countries.”