Education in Georgia

Up to 3rd course, the students take fundamental and basic pre-clinical subjects, acquire clinical skills in Clinical Skills Centers. Starting from the 4th year of study, MD students start clinical rotations (internship). During 9-12th semesters (5th and 6th years of study) students have clerkships/internship in clinical settings (university hospitals, teaching hospitals, primary care settings that meet requirements stipulated by national regulations and Sector benchmarks in Medicine), the 6th year completely comprises studies in clinical environment. Clinical clerkships/internship during this period of study comprise 120 ECTS.

All medical schools in Georgia provide the same clinical settings (university hospitals, affiliated teaching hospitals, primary care settings) for all MD students for their clinical studies regardless their nationality and citizenship. Some of the Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) do have their own university clinics in Georgia, and those who do not own the clinic/hospital, usually sign the MoUs with several clinics.

Such agreements shall indicate the medical field to be served, number of students to enroll on traineeship, duration of internship, etc. Indian students and other foreign nationals have the same rights as Georgians to take these clinical courses following and fulfilling the general curriculum of the program. If they wish to undergo extra clinical activities/internships at other clinics, this can be facilitated in agreement with the HEI and clinics themselves and it always helps if the students know the local language in order to communicate with the patients

All medical schools/universities MD programs provide the Georgian language course for international students within their curricula to facilitate communication with patients.

All students in Georgia, regardless of their nationality, are allowed to perform physical examination and certain medical procedures, determined by the educational curriculum, on the patients under the supervision of their instructor and after obtaining informed consent from the patient (according to the Law of Georgia on Patients’ Rights).

Indian MD students as well as other MD students regardless their nationality who study in accredited and authorized medical schools/universities by accredited agency NCEQE (National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement), which is internationally recognized as accredited Agency by World Federation of Medical Education (WFME) are registered by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia. International accreditation implies that all MD diplomas of graduates from accredited by NCEQE MD programs in Georgia are recognized worldwide.

According to the Georgian legislation, Graduates of MD program have the right:

• 1 - to be employed as a junior doctor – position that may be occupied by a MD graduate from state-accredited higher medical institution who shall perform the duties of a doctor according to the instructions (Article 5 - Law of Georgia On Medical Practice),
• 2- to take the postgraduate residency course and after passing the Unified State Certification Exam get the right of independent medical practice (Article 17, Law of Georgia on Medical Practice),
• 3 - to continue doctoral studies (i.e., research career in biomedical sciences leading to PHD degree, comprising 3 years), engage in pedagogical and/or scientific activities (Article 17, Law of Georgia on Medical Practice).

After passing NPDQE graduates are allowed to continue with postgraduate studies/residency at the clinics/hospitals that are accredited by the Ministry of Health to provide such residency programs (in specialized fields of medicine). The national post-diploma qualification exam for MD graduates is administered by the Medical and Pharmaceutical Regulation Agency, operating under the guidance of the Ministry of Health of Georgia.

After completion residency license for independence medical practice is granted by the Ministry of Internally Displaced persons from the occupied territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia (abbr. Ministry of Health of Georgia) regardless nationality and citizenship of residency graduates.

Based on aforementioned, Indian (MD) students after graduation of undergraduate studies can work as junior doctors, or they can pass NPDQE, take the track of residency program on specialty they choose and get the license for running independent medical practice according the following regulations: A student of a higher medical educational institution, a medical resident, a physician job seeker, a junior doctor regardless of nationality, have rights to perform the duties of a doctor according to Law of Georgia on Medical Education (Article 14 - Law of Georgia on Medical Practice)