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Health
Foreign Doctors Face Backlash Over Use of 'MD Physician' Title in India
✍️ TOI India
🗓 14 Nov 2026, 06:20 AM
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A controversy has erupted after foreign-trained doctors began using the title 'MD Physician' in India, prompting criticism from medical associations and questions about regulatory compliance.
Foreign-trained doctors who have completed medical education abroad have begun using the title 'MD Physician' in their professional credentials and marketing materials in India.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Medical Council of India (MCI) have issued statements condemning the practice, arguing that the title is reserved for graduates of Indian medical colleges who have earned an MD degree.
According to the MCI, foreign doctors must register with the Indian Medical Council and obtain a license to practice, but they are not entitled to use the MD designation unless they complete a postgraduate MD programme in India.
The controversy has sparked a debate over the regulation of foreign medical practitioners and the need for clearer guidelines to protect patients and maintain professional standards.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Medical Council of India (MCI) have issued statements condemning the practice, arguing that the title is reserved for graduates of Indian medical colleges who have earned an MD degree.
According to the MCI, foreign doctors must register with the Indian Medical Council and obtain a license to practice, but they are not entitled to use the MD designation unless they complete a postgraduate MD programme in India.
The controversy has sparked a debate over the regulation of foreign medical practitioners and the need for clearer guidelines to protect patients and maintain professional standards.