HYDERABAD: A year after they were required to cease their course and suddenly flee from Ukraine amid a raving war, about 70 medical trainees from India got their Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) degrees at an event in Hyderabad, on Monday.
The trainees were at the butt of their six-year degree at Zaporizhzhia State Medical University (ZSMU), when war struck.
They were airlifted in unique flights operated by the Indian federal government.
Instead of studying to conserve lives, we needed to run from the country to save our lives, recollected Salugu Shailaja from Warangal, throughout the graduation ceremony organised at AIG Hospitals, Gachibowli.
She shared how they resided in worry during the last leg as their college inquired to stay put considering the batch had just 2 months left to finish the course.
The war started on February 24, and while other trainees got home almost immediately after that, I returned to India just on March 7.
We had to remain in bunkers for four to five days.
On February 28, we were asked to leave, stated Shailaja, including how she had no clue whether she d have the ability to finish the course, when back home.Unfortunately though, she handled to finish it online - much like many other trainees that TOI spoke with on the sidelines of the graduation ceremony - and also clear the FMGE test.
Now, these trainees are waiting to dive into their internships and get on for additional education or work.
I am thankful that the uncertainty we were enduring last year is lastly behind us.
I am now looking forward to doing an internship after clearing the screening test, said Richi Samuel from Chhattisgarh sharing the experience of living in bunkers, with restricted food, water and cash.
There were no mobile signals ...
There were attacks on Indian trainees ...
We were scared for our lives, he said.
Vijayawada kid, Majeti Manoj, endured a similar time and is thankful to have survived it.
After getting a bronze medal at Mondays occasion he said that he wishes to pursue a post-graduation in General Medicine, post his internship.Dr Divya Raj Reddy, director, Neo Institute of Medical Sciences (CEO), a consultancy that helped students in protecting admission in Ukraine and likewise in going back to India, stated that 70% of the students - 72 out of over 110 - clearing FMGE in the first effort is a fantastic achievement.