In Nepal, 4.5 years of Medical study is accredited by Nepal Medical Council, (NMC) after that you can start internship for one year (altogether 5.5 years) and then when you get through the Nepal Medical Licensing Examination (NMLE), you become a complete doctor.
In the case of china, there is 4 years of MBBS study then you do internship and become a complete doctor (altogether 5 years).
Since the student from china lack 6 months of medical education, NMC has made compulsory rule that one has to go though the 4.5 years of study.
So, graduate from China come to Nepal (or they can do their internship in china) and do their pre-internship (though it is internship for them as Chinese graduate do internship after 4 years of education). Go back to their college and get the certificate of completion of MBBS and become a complete doctor for China.
But Nepal doesn't recognized them as a completed doctor as they lack 6 months of education, they go compulsory internship in Nepal again. According to NMC after doing Pre-Internship they have completed 4.5 years of Medical education in fact five years (six months more than NMC recognizes).
There are few things you need to understand:- Nepal doesn't recognize internship done in China and Russia so you have to do compulsory internship in Nepal.
- Internship is done after 4.5 years of education (in Nepal) as far as I know there is only one medical college in china providing 4.5 years of medical education i.e. Xin-Xiang. They don't have to go through the Pre-Internship hassle.
- Those medical college having 4 years of medical education has to complete their internship in china and become eligible for internship in Nepal. Because 4 year medical course is not recognized by NMC. In this case you spend six more months in the medical school.
Why Pre-Internship is preferred in Nepal:- After 4 years of education they could have done internship (for Nepal it is Pre-Internship) in China but language become a barrier and come to Nepal.
- You get acquainted in the Nepalese scenario, homely environment, own country etc.
Pre-internship is in fact internship for those medical graduate who have studied 4 years of medical education. But Nepal doesn't recognize it as internship so new term Pre-internship was coined. There was no such term before.
New policy regarding Pre-Internship in Nepal:
Initially, Pre-Internship used to be done in Government owned hospitals mostly in Kathmandu Vally e.g. Bir Hospital, Kanti Child Hospital, Maternity Hospital etc.
Pre-Internship was not related with NMC so they used to contact the above hospital directly and used to the their Pre-Internship for one year then they used to go back to their college and get the certification of completion. Subsequently they used to do internship after taking permission form NMC. That was the scenario.
But due to increasing numbers of Pre-Intern, Interns and over-crowding in the hospitals,
Government of Nepal has banned Pre-Internship. The reason behind this prohibition is Pre-Internship is taken as a part of medical study and it is the duty of his/her medical school to complete their MBBS course.
What is going on about Pre-Internship in Nepal
Government of Nepal has said NO to Pre-Internship but Pre-Interns and their parents are protesting for this new rule.
To avoid Pre-Internship:- Request your medical school to make 4.5 years of medical education then you can bypass the pre-internship hassle and start internship directly (in Nepal).
- If you have 4 years of medical education then you do internship and come back to Nepal.
Related links are given below
Parents protest ban on pre-internship
4.5 yr chinese medical colleges Pre-Internship seems to be troublesome for us - Lets discuss for the solution...
Pre-Internship Issues in Nepal
Pre-Internship in NEPAL
Can Pre-Internship be done in Private Hospitals?
N.B. Some of them are old discussion which may not be useful as there has been lots of changes since then in the rules and regulation.
Please note down the dates of discussion for recent developments.