Germany

Legal qualification as a doctor in Germany,

from 1988 to 2004, required that students serve
as “Arzt im Praktikum” (physician in internship)
for 18 months. In 2004, Germany repealed this
regulation. Since then doctors of medicine, who
successfully finish their medical studies
received legal qualification and the status of
assistant doctor immediately when taking up a
medical occupation. However, they cannot enter
private practice or work unsupervised until they
receive a Facharzt (full board certification) in
their chosen specialty.

Ghana
The housemanship (internship period) is a two-
year period after graduating from medical
school during which newly qualified doctors,
practice under supervision in designated
hospitals in the country. This involves six month
rotations each in medicine, surgery, obstetrics
and gynecology and pediatrics, in no particular
order. Alternatively, a houseman may opt to do
a rotation in anesthesia or psychiatry in place of
one of the traditional four rotation areas. During
this period the houseman (intern) holds
provisional registration status with the Ghana
Medical and Dental Council. After the student
successfully completes the housemanship, they
receive full registration status and the rank of
Medical Officer (M.O.).

India
Main article: Compulsory Rotatory Residential
Internship
After four-and-a-half years of medical school
(MBBS degree) every doctor in India must
complete a one-year compulsory rotatory
internship in various specialities to get
permanent registration from the Medical
Council of India (MCI) as a physician. After
permanent registration with MCI, a person is
licensed to practice medicine as a primary care
doctor throughout India.
Indonesia
Every medical graduate from an Indonesian
public or private university, or from an
overseas-approved institution, after an
adaptation process, must apply for internship
registration to the Indonesian Medical Council
(Konsil Kedokteran Indonesia (KKI)[2]. After
the council approves their application, an intern
must apply to the Ministry of Health (MoH) for
an internship position. After the MoH accepts
the application,[3], the intern serves supervised
rotations, eight month in a hospital and four
months in primary healthcare. After completing
the internship, they receive an Internship
Completion Certificate (Surat Tanda Selesai
Internsip, STSI) from the MoH—which is the
requirement for full registration in the KKI. A
full registered doctor can practice as a general
practitioner or pursue postgraduate education
for a specialty and sub-specialty.

Iran
In Iran, a seven-year medical education ends
with an 18-month internship in a university
hospital. On completing the internship, a person
may work independently as a Medical Doctor
(MD) or take the National Comprehensive
Residency Exam and continue studies in a
specialty. If they decide to work as a General
Practitioner, they must first complete
compulsory service in areas the Iranian Ministry
of Health has designated as under-served. The
internship rotates through all major and minor
specialties, including emergency medicine,
internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology,
pediatrics, surgery, dermatology,
ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, infectious
diseases, and psychiatry.

Iraq
In Iraq, graduates of a six-year medical program
start a two-year internship in a hospital. The
first year is divided into three months in
specialties: internal medicine, obstetrics and
gynecology, surgery, and pediatrics. In the
second year, students must finish various-length
courses in sub-specialties (radiology,
ophthalmology, psychiatry, etc.). After the two-
year internship, doctors may practice
independently. At that point, they must practice
in under-served areas for one year—after which
they may apply to study a specialty. (This
information is in accordance with the
Graduation Law for Medical Professionals of
the Iraqi Ministry of Health for 2019)

Ireland
To register fully with the Irish Medical Council
as a doctor, graduates must complete twelve
months of training in an approved public
hospital. Internship comprises at least one
surgical and one medical rotation. Interns must
spend at least two months and not more than
three months in another speciality, including
emergency medicine, general practice, obstetrics
and gynaecology, paediatrics, psychiatry,
anaesthesia, and radiology.
After completing the internship, doctors obtain a
certificate of satisfactory service. On receipt of
the certificate, the Medical Council permits the
provisionally registered doctor to apply for full
registration in the General Register of Medical
Practitioners.[4]

Israel
In Israel, medical graduates must complete a
one year internship in an accredited hospital
before they receive full registration. [5] After
completing the intern year, the graduate can go
into a specialty program or practice general
medicine. There are