Top-5 most popular countries for MBBS abroad

In 2020, about 15.94 lakh students have filled the NEET application form. They will be competing for about 70,000 MBBS and 30,000 BDS seats in India. Thus, it is a fact that more than 14.50 lakh students won’t get a seat in either of these two courses. For becoming a doctor in India, students face immense pressure, competition and require a huge amount of money. In 2019, I helped students with 560+ marks in NEET to get admission abroad. I even met students with 600+ marks studying abroad. There are many students who despite being academically brilliant, won’t get a seat in India either due to lack of funds or due to not getting a seat as there are many quotas in India. This is where the option of studying MBBS abroad is a boon for many students. These ambitious students will still be able to have a chance of fulfilling their dream of becoming a doctor.

Each year, more than 10,000 students choose to study MBBS abroad. There are many countries to choose from but some are preferred more than the others. We will be discussing the 5 most popular countries where Indian students go for studying MBBS abroad.

Why MBBS from abroad?

Below are some of the reasons why students choose to study abroad:

• Guaranteed seat for NEET qualified students
• The cost of studying MBBS abroad is very low with total fees as low as ₹11.50 lakh
• English-medium education for entire course duration
• International exposure and opportunity to settle abroad
• World-wide recognised medical degrees. You will be eligible to NEXT, USMLE, PLAB
• Indian food available at the colleges recommended by Global Medical Foundation
• A roadmap to success if you are hard-working and you are dedicated to studies

Who should study MBBS abroad?

You should choose to study MBBS abroad if:

• your score is less in NEET
• you don’t have the financial capability for affording a private medical seat in India
• your score is good but not enough for a government seat in India (many students with 560+ marks in NEET 19 went abroad)
• you are hardworking but you keep missing out on a seat in India
• you have already wasted many years giving NEET or AIPMT

Remember, you need to make a decision about your future. Taking a drop is not a good idea if you are not scoring at least 550+ marks in NEET or unless you have a quota. Many students choose to study MBB abroad as they are tired of the competition despite scoring well in NEET. If you work hard, you will definitely clear the screening test. Students with more than 250 marks in NEET should definitely think about MBBS abroad admission.

Eligibility for MBBS abroad

Following is the minimum eligibility criteria for Indian students. Every country and college might have their own set of criteria. However, anything less than this won’t get you seat abroad.

Top-5 countries for MBBS abroad

If you are hard-working and ambitious enough to become a doctor, either try to score 600+ marks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) or pursue your MBBS education abroad at low cost.

MBBS in foreign colleges is cheaper and a good option if you select the right country and university for yourself.

Check the list of the top-5 most popular countries for MBBS abroad for Indian students by Global Medical Foundation:

Ukraine:

As per the data by the National Board of Examination (NBE), more than 8,000 students appeared for FMGE between 2015-18. About 4,000 students go to study MBBS in Ukraine each year now. Some of the best performing universities at FMGE are from Ukraine. You will get admission in Europe and most of the universities are government owned. Getting admission and visa is easy. The tuition fee is low and the course duration is 5.8 years. MBBS degree in Ukraine is called MD Physician and it is equivalent to MBBS in India. You are eligible to sit for exams such as USMLE, PLAB, FMGE/NEXT as the degree is recognised worldwide. The top universities in Ukraine are:

• Bukovinian State Medical University
• Lviv National Medical University
• Vinnitsa National Medical University
• Kharkiv National Medical University
• Bogomolets National Medical University

Russia

With more than 50 MCI recognised medical universities in Russia, about 10,500 Indian students came back and appeared for FMGE between 2015-18. Russia and Ukraine are similar in many ways. The weather is same, duration is 5.8 years in Russia too and you will get admission in government medical universities with a low fee structure. The one thing to keep in mind while selecting a university in Russia is whether that university is teaching the full course in English medium or not. Many of the universities in Russia teach in bilingual pattern which means after few years, you will be taught in Russian language. Some of the best medical universities in Russia which teach the entire course in English medium are:

• Crimea State Medical University
• Mordovia State University
• Ulyanovsk State University

The Philippines

The Philippines is a very popular destination among Indian students as it is an English-speaking country and weather similar to that of Mumbai or Kolkata. Unlike Russia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Armenia and other European nations, the Philippines is a country without extreme weather conditions. The average monthly temperature will be about 25° C throughout the year. Students find it very easy to adjust here due to the warm weather and they are not required to learn any new language.

Philippines follows US pattern education system and its degree is called MD Physician which is equivalent to MBBS in India. If a student is planning to study medicine in the Philippines after class 12^th then that student must first enrol in the pre-medical course (BS course) which is of a duration of 1-2 years depending on the university. After completion of this BS course, you will get admission in the 4-year medical course. You are also required to clear NMAT by the time you complete the BS course. The top colleges for Indian students in the Philippines are:

• Our Lady of Fatima University
• University of Perpetual Help
• AMA School of Medicine
• Davao Medical School Foundation

Kyrgyzstan

Despite having very few MCI recognised medical colleges and a small population, more than 2,000 Indian students go to study MBBS from Kyrgyzstan each year. The main reason for such a high number of Indian students selecting Kyrgyzstan is that the duration is only 5 years and it is the cheapest option for MBBS abroad. The lowest tuition fee is only approx. ₹11.50 lakh for the entire course. Each university provides hostel and Indian mess facility to its students. With the help of MCI coaching which is being provided to the students in Kyrgyzstan, students can clear FMGE easily if they work hard. In case you have a low budget then I will suggest to check Kyrgyzstan as your possible destination for studying MBBS. The best colleges here are:

• Kyrgyz State Medical Academy
• International School of Medicine
• Asian Medical Institute

Bangladesh

Bangladesh has the most similar education pattern and syllabus to that of India. Indian students have performed well in the past after completing MBBS from Bangladesh. However, the eligibility criteria are a bit different here and the fee is high. Only those students who have passed 12^th in the current or previous year can apply. You cannot have any gap between 10^th-12^th class and your marks of class 10^th and 12^th will be taken into consideration while giving admission. Most the universities charge about 40-50% of the fees in the 1^st year itself. For admission in a college in Dhaka, your budget for the 1^st year should be more than ₹10 lakhs on an average. The best colleges in Bangladesh are:

• Dhaka National Medical College
• Jahurul Islam Medical College
• Green Life Medical College

Apart from these 5 countries, the other countries where more than 1,000 Indian students graduated appeared for FMGE between 2015-18 are:

• Armenia
• China
• Georgia
• Kazakhstan
• Nepal

You can thus get a decent idea that these are the 10 countries where the largest number of Indian students are studying MBBS. In 2020, less number of students are expected to go to China due to the spread of Coronavirus. I hope that you have a good understanding of the countries where Indian students go and study MBBS outside of India.

About the Author:

Shobhit Jayaswal is the owner of Global Medical Foundation and an MBBS abroad consultant who is working continuously to provide genuine and unbiased information to students who wish to study MBBS abroad.

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