The Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) wishes to provide some information and clarify certain issues which have been discussed recently in the public realm regarding the special exam for Medical Graduates Qualified Abroad (Foreign Medical Graduates (FMG)). The exam is named the Examination to Practise Medicine in Sri Lanka (ERPM) held under the Medical Ordinance as amended by Act No. 16 of 1965.
About the ERPM
The examination is not a competitive exam but a Licensing Examination, at which any candidate who achieves the minimum pass mark, passes and receives the license to practice medicine in Sri Lanka. This is similar to the license to practice law in Sri Lanka. Even a person who has passed the Barrister’s examination in the UK cannot practice law in Sri Lanka unless they pass the examination of the Law College of Sri Lanka. Medical graduates from State medical school in Sri Lanka whose medical education is monitored by the SLMC and the Quality Assurance Council of the UGC do not have to sit the ERPM. The Medical Ordinance which has been passed by an Act of Parliament clearly states that a FMG can be registered by the SLMC if "he has passed the special examination prescribed in that behalf by the Medical Council". This position was upheld by the Attorney General in 1997 who stated that they must pass the examination before doing internship.
When the SLMC gives ‘recognition’ to certain medical schools overseas, it means that Sri Lankan citizens who obtain medical degrees from these medical schools, will be eligible to sit the ERPM. ‘Recognition’ does not imply that they receive automatic license to practise medicine in Sri Lanka.
Situation in other countries
Sri Lanka is not the only country in the world that holds a Licensing Exam. Most countries do, e.g. The UK, the USA, Australia, India, Nepal, Singapore, and Malaysia. In Malaysia, FMGs have to sit the final MBBS examination of a Malaysian State medical faculty, and if they fail the examination, do a compulsory training of 6 months in the medical school before sitting for the exam again. There is a similar system in the USA where candidates have to find and undergo similar attachments.
Objectives ERPM
The purpose or objective of this Licensing Examination (ERPM) is to determine whether the FMG is fit to internship and fit to practise medicine in Sri Lanka. It is important to assess his fitness to practise as a measure to protect the citizens of this country. It would be a serious injustice to the patients of this country to permit them to practise without first checking that they have the required knowledge, skills and abilities.
This is particularly so, given that ‘life and death’ decisions regarding situations of helpless patients would be professionally undertaken by those permitted to practise medicine.
Recent results at the ERPM
The results at the ERPM have been analysed and are on the SLMC web site (www.srilankamedicalcouncil.org – ERPM link). In June/July 2008, 34 percent of those who sat completed the ERPM. In November/December 2008, 46.5 percent and in May 2009 42 percent. From September 2009, on a Supreme Court order following a settlement (the case was not heard), the UGC was asked to conduct the ERPM. FMGs had to then sit the common MCQ papers that students from local medical schools sit. The pass rate in the written papers which was previously about 30 percent when the SLMC conducted the ERPM fell to 6.1 percent. In December 2009 – 10.3 percent passed the common MCQ papers, and in April 2010 – 9.3 percent. It is relevant to point out that licensing examinations the world over are not easy to pass. e.g. In the UK about 15 percent pass the licensing examination called the PLAB Part 1 and 50 percent of them pass the PLAB Part 2, i.e. 7.5 percent of those who sit.
Although the SLMC instruction booklet mentioned that FMGs are allowed five years to complete the ERPM, this has never been implemented and no FMG has ever been debarred from sitting the ERPM.
Since 1999, 2,264 have obtained approval of their degrees to sit the ERPM. Of those registered to sit the ERPM between 1999 and 2005, about 234 have not sat the ERPM. Of those registered between 2005 and 2009, 219 have not sat the ERPM. Thus 1811 (2264 – (234 + 219)) of those registered, sat the ERPM. 1,385 (76 percent) have completed the ERPM. At recent examinations about 350-400 candidates including those who have returned in 2010, sit the ERPM. We are aware that of those who have not sat the ERPM, some have gone overseas and others are employed without SLMC registration. There are a few (about 25) candidates sitting at present who have sat the examination since 1999. There are similar situations in local medical schools where some students cannot pass their examinations. In local medical schools, they have to leave if the medical course has not been completed in 10 years after commencement.
Knowledge and skills
There is a wide variation in the knowledge and skills of those returning with foreign medical degrees. Those who have qualified from certain medical schools overseas pass the ERPM easily (our analysis of ERPM results according to Foreign Medical Schools is on our web site). Others are weak in their knowledge base, problem solving skills and even more so in their clinical skills. In many medical schools overseas they do not receive the hands on clinical experience that they should receive, particularly in subjects such as Obstetrics and Gynaecology (management of pregnant women and other diseases of women) and in Paediatrics (care of children). These are serious deficiencies. Some of them have no labour room experience whatsoever. These deficiencies have to be corrected after they return. The SLMC is in the process of reviewing the medical training given by Foreign Medical Schools which are on the approval list.
Opportunities for FMGs
There are opportunities available for FMGs to correct these deficiencies. On the request of the SLMC, the Health Ministry issued a circular in September 2008, permitting FMGs to do attachments in non-teaching hospitals. Every FMG who submits papers to the SLMC for recognition of his foreign degree receives a copy of this circular. The SLMC has sent this circular to all Directors of non teaching hospitals. At a meeting that the SLMC organized with FMGs in October 2009, they were informed about this and lists passed round for them to register to do attachments at hospitals of their choice. The SLMC provides letters to FMGs who wish to do such attachments. Only very few FMGs avail themselves of this opportunity. The feedback received from those who did so, is that the clinicians in these hospitals had been very helpful and had given them a good training.
Various private individuals, Professional College (e.g. the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, College of Surgeons, College of Community Physicians, College of Forensic Pathologists) and the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) conduct classes for FMGs which will help them to pass the written examination. The SLMA organized a very good course at the request of the SLMC. Only about 25 FMGs registered for the first course. The second course has been recently advertised.
The perceived problem of FMGs
It is regrettable that many FMGs, without attempting to bring up their standard of patient care as required for proper and responsible practise of medicine in Sri Lanka, attempt to get into service by providing misinformation to politicians, hoping to pressurize the SLMC thereby.
Is it an acceptable position that simply because the FMGs spent large sums of money on their medical education, they should, without a proper screening of their standard, be foisted on Sri Lankan patients? Who will be held accountable if a medial misadventure occurs? Who will be held accountable if a child or mother dies due to the incompetence of a doctor? These are very serious considerations and the objective of a licensing examination is to prevent and minimize such misadventures in addition to ensuring good and competent medical practice.
The SLMC has been mandated by Parliament, through the Medical Ordinance to ensure that standards of medical education and medical practice are maintained in Sri Lanka and this is what the SLMC makes every attempt to do.
We sympathise with the FMGs who fail the ERPM repeatedly but wish to emphasize that as described above, there are opportunities to take remedial action to correct their deficiencies of training. The SLMC cannot agree to register them without passing the Licensing Examination and compromise the integrity and quality of health care delivery to about 20 million people in this country.
Selection of students
There is unequivocal evidence that the academic achievements of those entering a course in medicine is a predictor of performance in the medical course and their ability to learn on the medical course.
Therefore, requesting high achievement at GCE A-Level examinations is a sound approach to select medical students. Some foreign medical schools do this. Others do not and appear to see medical education as a lucrative industry and sacrifice standards to amass money.
It may be of interest for the public to know, that although the minimum A-level criterion set by the UGC for entry to medical courses is three passes at the A-levels, in actual fact, all students entering local medical faculties have earned higher grades. The SLMC looked at the A-level results of the last 10 students in order of Z-scores who entered local Faculties of Medicine.
In the year 2007 and 2008 none of them had a simple pass in any subject. They all had C-grades, B-grades, or A-grades. In 2009 two students from the underprivileged areas of Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi entered with S-grades in two subjects.
bull shit….SLMC life suckers!..put our srilankan docs into miserable life!
Reference is made to an article appeared in the daily news on the 22nd September 2010 under the captioned subject ‘SLMA UNDERLINES NEED FOR QUALITY HEALTH CARE’ by the Srilankan medical association.
I also read the article appeared on the 1st September 2010 on the similar subject.
On perusal of both these articles it appears, that the views expressed as a sequel to a decision taken by concerned government MPs to assist the unfortunate foreign medical graduates. Who are languishing for years after having completed more than 6 years in foreign countries for their medical degree besides spending more than 1 million in Srilankan Rupees.
It may be appropriate after having read these articles to make the following salient points to the public and also to the relevant authorities:
1).The so called foreign medical graduates (FMG) are not ‘ALIENS’ but citizens of Srilanka.
They were compelled to seek admission to medical colleges in foreign countries (duly approved by the medical council) for reasons such as lack of few marks standardisation etc.
Parents sent their sons and daughters to foreign Countries with the ambition to fulfil the aspirations and desires of their children
The cost was high so were the risk of obtaining higher studies in a foreign soil. For six long years these children were under severe hardship both financially and mentally.
In some countries they were subject to assault and mugging by ‘RACISTS’ and still the present students who are studying abroad are exposed to harassment, intimidation and death threats.
About few years back an African and an Asian student were severely attacked in an eastern European country and later succumbed to injury.
Even today in UK, Australia, Malaysia and few other countries adopt intimidation tactics towards foreign students, yet these students continue to proceed to these countries for higher education with the sole intention of becoming a medical Doctor.
2).The course fees incurred by the FMG are very high and many parents of the FMG have borrowed money from various sources such as Banks, financial companies, some have mortgaged their property, some have sold valuables, properties and lands for their children’s education. Why are these parents committed to such sacrifices and debts.
It is all because that one day their sons and daughters would be prosperous, content, happy and through them they may be able to settle their commitments.
Many of these children after having completed their studies are still unemployed. Debts of their parents still unsettled and very many of the FMG are desperate, unhappy and sad.
The stumbling block of their future, being the ERPM under the Ac t.16 of the Medical Council.
3) With due respect to the relevant authorities one is mystified whether this exam is conducted in a orderly accessible (easy to understand) transparent manner.
The exam is now conducted by the University Grants Commissions (UGC) and the percentage of pass is less than 10% whereas when the SLMC were conducting, the pass was around 30%. The restriction of 10% (UGC) according to the SLMA seems that the bench mark for ‘QUALITY HEALTH CARE’.
Many of the FMG are of the opinion the ERPM exam and results seems to cater certain interested parties and there is an element of distrust, when FMG find to the utter surprise average students who were colleagues pass the exam while some of the bright students continuously fail which creates a certain trepidation among the FMG
Besides these facts, details of names and addresses of the FMG are obtained from the SLMC by several Intuitions who are conducting ERPM preparation course for a short period at a enormous fees (over 40,000 Rupees)
The exam fees IS Rs.5000 per candidate and over 700 FMG sit for the exam conducted by UGC/SLMC, the relevant exam is held thrice in a year.
It appears that the ERPM has become a source of income for UGC/SLMC and other private Intuitions conducting ERPM/Act.16 courses. It is rather strange that the SLMC claims that ERPM as a regulatory system for ‘QUALITY HEALTH CARE’
4). In the African countries and in some Asian and Middle East countries the FMG of the aforesaid Countries soon after completing their course from the recognized medical universities have to register them selves at their respective Medical Councils. As and when vacancy arise FMG are selected according to the order of registration to follow Internship.
This system not only encourage parents of these countries to send their children abroad for higher education, but also the education Ministry envisages as a pipeline for students who are unable to enter the local Universities for their higher studies.
5).It is a fact that countries such as UK, Australia, USA, Canada conduct exams but the question remains for whom this exam is held?.
The exams are held for International medical Graduates (Indians, Srilankans, Chineese, Middle-East etc) and NOT for their own Citizens. It is pertinent to mention that our own FMG have been successful in these International Exams and are permitted to work in these Countries. Where as the same FMGs who sat ERPM have not been successful in Srilanka, thus preventing such medical Doctors the opportunity of practicing medicine here and there by creating a ‘Brain Drain’
6).The students of Srilanka Medical College have the privilege and advantage of being tutored by Lecturers and from the very first year they are quite acquainted with the final exam prior to the Internship. The pass mark for them too is subject to variation, where as the so called FMG has to obtain more than 50%
7).On several occasions these FMG have been called for meetings by the SLMC and several suggestions were made by the FMG for their consideration, with no avail, many of these FMG are more than 30 years of age.
All these facts prompted the FMG to seek the assistance of the MPs.
They were very sympathetic towards them and after carefully considering their grievances have assured to help these unfortunate FMGs.
But it is sad and unethical to read such articles that appeared in many of the news papers.
It would be a great help for your esteemed news paper to publish this article to enlightened the general public and the relevant authorities such as Ministry of Health and Higher Education perhaps are not aware of the reality and suffering faced by the Foreign Medical Graduates whose pleas and voices are stifled by the UGC/SLMC.
Mr.R.Christy
Answer to Cristy :
You have mentioned this:
“5).It is a fact that countries such as UK, Australia, USA, Canada conduct exams but the question remains for whom this exam is held?.
The exams are held for International medical Graduates (Indians, Srilankans, Chineese, Middle-East etc) and NOT for their own Citizens. It is pertinent to mention that our own FMG have been successful in these International Exams and are permitted to work in these Countries. Where as the same FMGs who sat ERPM have not been successful in Srilanka, thus preventing such medical Doctors the opportunity of practicing medicine here and there by creating a ‘Brain Drain’”
This is a big big lie. I live in Canada and even canadian graduates do license exam. Same in USA despite they being graduating from their own country universities. What are USMLE and LMCC exams then?
However long the letter one should not believe in your fabricated facts.
Medical councils are to maintain standards of medical practice. In Sri lank medical council evaluate university courses and they know whether proper education is given.
I personally know the standards of some of foreign country graduates. I have seen their answer papers and they are much more below the minimum standards expected in Sri lankan medical schools.
I know one of my friends who went to Russia after getting 4 simple passes at A/L in his 3rd attempt. How can they study medicine and pass medical exams is not understandable.
If they are competent why fear to do the Act 16 exam. Sri Lankan university professors who are attending this exams do not expect at least minimum standards they expect for a simple pass in a local graduate to pass. but the problem is most of these do not have that much of competence.
I by my self has seen Act 16 students history notes. they even can not write down a medical term correctly. Even now I remember few of those funny words that they had used.
it is not unethical to conduct as it protects life of poor Sri lankan citizens. After all it is patient who matter most not a bunch of fools who have got a degree merely due to money.
I am a Canadian citizen and yes I too have to write the Canadian exams specified for foreign medical graduates.
With that said, it may sound unfair but this is the reality…u shud ONLY go to the medical school where u want to practice…
I learned the hard way…so ur facts are WRONG!
If they are comparing with UK,USA..etc
Why don’t they ask for IELTS exam aswel to sit for ERPM ?
What is the Standard they talk ? everybody Knows How the A/L exams are conducted these days.
because of cut out marks the rural area students are enrolled in Universities after passing out as Doctors still they find difficult in speaking English where FMGs speak very good.
Doctors here even can’t speak in English in front of Media where is the standard ?
why can’t we give FMG Internship and let them work for our 20 million people.
Even the local Doctors say without Internship they are not good enough, ERPM not doing any miracles only after Internship all of the Doctors get into a position to practice.
The more we delay by not giving the chance to FMGs the more we are cursed,the people who are against these FMGs will face some difficulties in their lives. all because of the curse of FMGs.
Answer to Jayaratne
I believe you have clearly mixed up the points. I do agree FMGs should give an opportunity, provided it ensures propoer standard.
I do not understand, what is the co-relation between ability of speaking to media in English and treating a patient?
Pl study how Korean Doctors/japanese doctors or vietnamese doctors are treating patients. They are not good English speakers but good medical doctors. If the doctor can “correctly” diagnose and provide proper patient management, and communicate with patients and relevant professionals is important than language ability of English.
Your comments shows your knowladge on medical scelence. If Sri LAnka needs only good english speakers for medical feild
god bless for the nation
If the Gov need some screening process let the Gov do it before students enter Foreign Medical Universities… then in case if they are not eligible to follow medicine they will make their mind and get in to some other tract. Instead of wasting five long years with more than 5 millions…
And even if the SLMC/ UGC need to have a quality health care and want IMG’s to sit for the exams they should also conduct proper training courses with lectures… and if they are comparing with AMC ( AUSTRALIAN EXAMINATION FOR IMG’s ) , PLAB ( UK ) they do have guide line books, past papers, modules and bridging courses for the IMG’s and are conducted by the body ( AMC, BMC ) itself in order to sit for the particular exams.. instead in SL there is no proper schedule, training classes by the SLMC etc ( THEY KEEP ON CHANGING THE SYSTEM EVERY YEAR OR SO )…. for an example how will a foreign graduate know how many months a pregnant mother will be on PAY LEAVE AND NO PAY LEAVE DURING HER FIRST DELIVERY ( past com. preventive med question ) if they are not taught… The IMG’s were not given opportunities to do their pre-intern / internships in SL.
So my point of view if they want good standards, why cant the government place IMG’s in any of the Gov.Hospital in SL anywhere in the Island and train the IMG’s for at least 6 months/ 1 year ( WITH NO REMUNERATION) to ensure the quality and train them the SL systems.. in that case it will be beneficial for the country in future and also IMG’s will be benefited with sufficient knowledge and they will be ready to face any exams following their training.
And if SL has enough and more doctors why should the SLMC recognizing universities all over the world… if they want to restrict the no of IMG’s they can give recognition only to selected best universities so that qualified IMG’s will be in good standards and they can limit the future IMG’s… and only whoever can afford to study will go… now the situation is parents without knowing the proper situation/ lack of knowledge thinking that their child will be doctors after 5 years they send their child to these mushroom recognized( by SLMC ) universities spending their all hard earned money/ by lending loans/ selling properties… due to poor standards of these mushroom universities they lack their knowledge to get through the ERPM/ ACT 16 exams back home and they struggle… so the future of the child and the parents will be dark and sad…
And regarding the negative marks system ( ONLY PRACTICED IN SL – not anywhere in the world ) , how come if you know something 100% and if you don’t know something… that does not mean that u don’t know anything… SAY FOR ONE STEM YOU MARK – T( TRUE – T ) AND ITS CORRECT… AND THE OTHER STEM YOU DON’T KNOW AND YOUR MARKING – F ( BUT ITS A TRUE STATEMENT ) IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WHAT YOU MARKED BEFORE IS WRONG… so this system is not a practical system assess the real knowledge of a student….
Same thing when it comes to part 2.. say for an example you are well thorough in your medical knowledge and you passed it with good grades, unluckily you are not so good in your surgery subject.. and your failing it… so why do you have to resit all the subjects again????? you got good grades in your medicine… since you failed surgery that does not mean your medical knowledge should be retested… its a big burden for anyone to study all 4 major subjects… so why don’t they let the IMG’s pass subject by subjecy without stressing them up….
Can talk about it for days but won’t be helpful unless some big shot’s son or daughter wants to sit for ERPM/ACT 16
( BECAUSE IMG’S SHOULD REMEMBER OUR MOTHER LAND IS SRI-LANKA – AND THAT’S THE WAY THEY DO IT )
Hope something good will happen to IMG’s in near future..
Having read the complete article by the SLMC and the outrageous comments some have published, I thought of highlighting a few more points to convince others to think of the lives of innocent sri lankan patients rather than their petty interests in money and pride for their FMGs.
Though FMGs are not “Aliens” and are citizens of Sri Lanka, it is not a reason to compromise the healthcare of the 20 million citizens of SL. FMGs have every right to practice medicine in SL AFTER PASSING A STANDARDIZATION EXAM WHICH GUARANTEES THEIR COMPETENCE and not out of sympathy for them. For them, it may be the biggest burden of how to pay their parents’ debt, salvaging their prestige etc. etc. but for Sri lankans it is about who will care for you when you get ill and is admitted to a government hospital. If the FMGs cannot take care of pregnant mothers, women in labour, children, etc. etc. there is no point in giving them license to practice.
Furthermore, the mere fact that parents of FMGs have spent a huge amount of money for their education does not give them the right to meddle with the lives of patients. Medicine is where no errors can occur, for an error may mean the life of a human. No where in the world will a country give license to practice on their soil, just because the individual has spent a huge amount of money. The day that money can bring back a dead man’s life, it may be possible!!
The fabricated facts that SLMC/UGC/Gov is of the view that only 10-30% of FMGs sitting ACT 16 shall pass is false and I pity those of that view. The exam is conducted to test if the FMG has obtained a minimum level of competency to practice medicine in SL and if he has, there is no restriction on him to practice. But unfortunately, those who go abroad to study medicine to every other “college” around there (2nd, 3rd, or even 4th tier institutes of which the respective locals do not even attend) have sometimes zero competency in the art of healing that nowhere in the world will a gov. trust them with the lives of its patients. And its a pity that the examples given to contrast are from AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN NATIONS!!!.
Also the saying that US, Can, UK, Aus medical graduates do not sit for an exam in their respective countries is a joke. Respective citizens sit for a common exam to graduate (Eg; USMLE) IMGs sit for another exam as US, Can, UK, Aus etc. students DON’T GO ABROAD TO STUDY MEDICINE WHEN THERE ARE AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO STUDY MEDICINE IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY!!! What a joke!
The comparison of students of local medical colleges and FMGs is noteworthy. Because FMGs are not accustomed to the SL healthcare environment must the ACT 16 be held. FMGs may have learned more about the situations in their respective countries of studying, but what is the purpose of them having that knowledge if they don’t practice in that country. As every Dr. will tell you, you need specific knowledge and skills to work as a Dr. in SL. In SL, the facilities are not that advanced and we have various infrastructure, cultural, religious, medico-legal issues unique to our motherland, alien to other countries which a medical doctor must know prior to practicing medicine in SL. Students of local medical colleges do clinicals in this setting and are accustomed to it whilst the FMGs are probably not, but SHOULD get accustomed and it is not an easy task for the local students also. They are tested annually and must pass each exam obtaining atleast 50% marks within specific attempts (4 attempts) for them to obtain their degrees also. Hence sympathizing the FMGs on THEIR INABILITY and asking for leniency should also be forwarded to the local students also whose task is no less difficult and demanding than the FMGs. If so, then we won’t be producing well standardized doctors, but a bunch of crybabies who are incompetent to take care of the lives of patients.
Furthermore, the negative marking system is prevalent to emphasize that knowledge of medicine must be precise. You must either know it or don’t know it. There is no inbetween. If you know it, you can treat it. If you don’t know it you cant. That is a golden rule and should be respected. This is the same principle of life of mother nature. You either die or live. You can’t die partially!
AND PLEASE REMEMBER, LETTING FMGs EXPERIMENTING WITH SRI LANKAN PATIENTS IS NOT AN OPTION. THEY SHOULD PROVE THEY ARE COMPETENT TO CARE FOR A PATIENT BEFORE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO CLINICALLY MANAGE HIM. The millions of money they have spent is worth not a penny compared with the life of even a poor innocent sri lankan beggar with no one to care for.
So I urge the parents, FMGs, all concerned; Please don’t see the ACT 16 as a killer monster out against you and your interested parties. Identify your weaknesses and shed them. Strengthen your strengths. Don’t pressurize the SLMC/UGC/Gov to ease the exam for it will be the general public who will be at a disadvantage. Identify this as your own weakness and remedy it and I’m sure all FMGs will make good doctors one day!
I need a job in sri lankan
@ Rajiv, common you sound like a person from the SLMC itself, you mention that SLMC is concerned about the health of the 20 million people in SL, that is utter crap, I myself is a FMG who has sat for the exam on numerous occasions (I do not blame the exam for my inability to pass) and I have come across student from my university who were not that good (comparatively to others) getting through the exam in the 1st or 2nd attempt and according to you these people are knowledgeable enough to practice in SL conditions since they got through the exam.
It amuses me how these people got through since they were struggling at the medical colleges they studied and here they become suddenly bright within 6 months or so and the best part is all these students happens to be children of doctors in SL (all though I personally think this is a coincident:))))
ACT 16 is a good thing, I agree with Rajiv doctors must be competent enough to practice, but when you see the people who get through the exam without a sweat we just question the transparency of the SLMC and not the KILLER MONSTER ACT 16 exam.
P.S – there are enough and more deaths caused by mistakes done by the so called well standardized doctors produced by SL, it’s just that our people are so uneducated and they consider doctors word as god’s word these things go un-noticed and also well covered by the doctors them selves
Since some of you question the transparency of the SLMC in conducting the ERPM it is a good thing now it is conducted by the UGC. And I would like to remind FMG s that they filed a case in supreme court against SLMC and as a result court directed the responsibility to UGC of whos integrity is never questioned by any one.
Since the pass rate dropped from 30% to 10% after UGC conducted the exam it appears that FMG s realised their mistake but can not do anything about it as court order was given on their request. then only they started licking the feet of some corrupt politicians to bypass ERPM altogether. I am a doctor with SLMC licence and I have helped many FMG s to pass ERPM by discussing patients etc. but we should not forget that it is the duty of the FMG s to improve their knowledge and skills rather than going behind politicians if they are to achieve anything meaningful as SLMC or the UGC would not and should not bend the rules due to political pressure.
Politicians come and they go. BUT THE SLMC WAS THERE AND WILL BE THERE EVER AFTER TO MAINTAIN THE STANDARDS OF MEDICAL CARE IN SRI LANKA. SLMC has to review the list of medical schools they approve according to the performance by their graduates at ERPM and reconsider removing some of the institutes which produce poor quality graduates consistently from the list. Especially some of the Russian medical schools.
Some of the Russian graduates I know had never touched a patient during their training and graduated with flying colours!!!!
@ suneth and others- i cant say that SLMC is better for the foreign graduates or not..but dont insult other countries specially for Russia.and u cant say that we are sri lankans and we are the best bcoz if u asked from russian person he will say the same thing..but blame those who went to study in russia and came as blank paper…and i saw some ppl say that Malaysians also need to sit to exam for befor work there but plz recheck that.bcoz those who are studied in kursk medical university they r straightly went there internship.if u want to confirm that check in there medical council web page..and some people said that russain graduates never go to clinicals ah if u never studied in russia so how come u know that we never attend that and other thing is dont speak things that u never experienced.we studied in different countries so we may have different methods and dif exams so bcoz of that u cant insult that sri lanka have great xam or grate doctors,,bcoz we never create western medicine in sri lanka this all the Knowledge came from other countries mostly from Europe.if u r ayuruwedic doc then we can proud as a sri lankan but dont confuse sri lanka is not situated in west.thank you i dont wont argue with u ppl just finish this xam and give a good service to my mother land
@ Christy
The comment
“It is a fact that countries such as UK, Australia, USA, Canada conduct exams but the exams are held for International medical Graduates (Indians, Srilankans, Chineese, Middle-East etc) and NOT for their own Citizens”
is totally wrong and misleading.
Every FMG even CITIZENS graduating from Forign institutions need to sit these qualifying exams(USMLE, AMC).
hi,
I am a FMG….more than everything what worries and the main difference between the EPRM and other exams like USMLE is that the EPRM has a quata basis and not a percentage pass basis….which means depending on the performance of the all persons sitting for the exam, the pass marks will be changing…which in one way is not fair…
I’m an FMG. First of all everyone must know few basics about our secondary education system and the root problems in this country especially when medical field is concerned. In our local A/L system 1st standardization of education was implemented in 1978 in which only 40% (not even 50%)of the students who passed on merit basis entered sri lankan local universities and the rest 60% of the students were/are denied and kicked out of the system or denied the field they deserve and desire to get into and are forced them into some other fields which are not their primary choice. This especially affects the students who wants to become doctors and does not get the opportunity to get into a medical college in sri lanka whereas a student who gets less results in A/L and get into local university and rubbishes FMGs. Now Again in year 2001 the 2nd standardization was implemented i.e the Z-Score system in Local A/L system (Many people don’t know deeply about this system) and the very first year itself 11 sdudents across the island who secured 3′A’ in Bioscience stream did not get Medicine as their first choice and they filed a case against this system and expected justice but they lost. some of them sat for the 2nd time and got into medical college and some did not get and did not do medicine at all..! apart from these 3A students how many students are ignored. Now someone tell me is it the part of creating a quality health care system..?
Now there is a hype has been created that local degree is way better than a foreign degree and a stigma on FMGs as if they dont know anything, treating them like 3rd class doctors and put lot of restrictions on them.
It is true that there should be a standard system to test medical knowledge but in the system here in Sri Lanka has many flaws. Always they keep changing the formats, brings something in and take something out and always FMGs have to go the high-court for the justice and a deadlock Ego has developed. When talking about the standardization the USMLE is the best standard exam in the world in which whether one is a US citizen or a foreign national, one must walk through the same door of all 3 steps to practice medicine.
Now here we have a bunch of people with local A/L, London A/L, IMGs and FMGs. Now my question is if standardization can be implemented twice with lot of criticism at the level of higher secondary education, why can’t our mighty officials cannot implement a standardized exam to all(Regardless of their medical degrees) of these people before they get their registration in SLMC..? then everyone can see the real picture rather than an FMG showing his constipated face to an IMG and an IMG showing his constipated face to an FMG.
All the Best to All those who are victimized..!!
what is the adavantage for FMG to waste there life in Srilanka?????
WHAT IS THE SALARY FOR A DR THERE??? he he a toilet cleaner can earn more than a SRILANKAN dr..in western countries……….he he he he he