Medical Education Abroad
A while ago, I was at Cochin to speak at a seminar on Higher Education Abroad. There were several booths of education consultants in the foyer to the seminar hall. Some of them stopped me on my way. Most of them were promoting medical education opportunities abroad.
"Sir, is it your son or daughter who requires admission?"
To understand their tactics, I told the first person, "For my daughter."
"Sir, the Philippines is the best. The country offers freedom and safety to girls."
"But is it possible to practice in India after studying medicine abroad?"
"Such an inane question! Isn't human body the same all over? Of course, it is the same medicine that is taught there or here!"
This was then followed by an encomium of the Philippines.
I took the brochure, shared my contact number, and moved on. After a five-metre distance, the next person approached me.
"Sir, do you need admission for your son or daughter?"
"For my son"
"Sir, Georgia is the best. If he studies there, he can go directly to America."
"How is it possible to go to America after studying in Georgia?"
"Sir, the college has WHO recognition and so it is recognized all over the world."
I spoke to more than ten consultancies about medical education abroad. All of them gave me information to ship someone over to the country of their choice at the earliest possible - and most of it were half-truths.
The truth is that each country has stringent regulations on who can practice medicine there. A doctor trained in India cannot go and directly practice in the Gulf, Germany, or America and vice versa. Each country had a distinct set of rules and policies. Whether the human body is the same, medicines are the same or the college is enlisted by WHO has no bearing at all in this context. Going for medical education abroad without knowing these basics will bring difficulty to the future of students and also cause enormous financial liability to the family.
Why Other Countries?
Usually, many choose to go abroad for education in search for better quality in education and in the hope of greener pastures outside India in terms of career opportunities. But the reasons that drive students to pursue medicine abroad are different.
- Currently, according to the Medical Council of India, there are over seventy thousand MBBS seats, spread across 539 colleges, in India. Nearly 270 of them are government colleges and almost 260 are private medical colleges. However, disproportionately, nearly 15 lakhs students try to get entrance to these seats every year. The disparity between the number of available seats and those desirous of medical education is what compels many children to go abroad for the higher studies in medicine.
- The next category is those who cannot clear the entrance examination for medical studies. Before 2018, clearing NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) was not mandatory to study medicine abroad. Even now, many medical colleges overseas do not insist that clearing the Indian entrance tests is mandatory to pursue medical studies abroad and, thereafter, practice medicine overseas.
- The other scenario is when a prospective student has cleared the NEET exam, and cannot afford the fees of private medical colleges, but continue to have a passion for the profession. It takes anywhere between sixty lakhs to one crore for a student to complete their education in a private medical college. However, there are countries where you can complete your medical degree for under thirty lakhs.
Which Country to Choose?
Following are the countries that Indian students mostly choose for medical education:
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China, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
UAE, Philippines, Bangladesh, Nepal, Caribbean countries, Poland, Belarus
Internationally, medical education is cheapest and most sought out in China. At present, there are almost twenty-three thousand Indian students who are studying medicine in China. Nearly twenty thousand of them are MBBS students. Realizing the possibilities of this trend, the Ministry of Education (MOE) in China granted permission to forty five colleges for teaching MBBS courses in English. Now on, only these colleges can cater to overseas students. Russia and Ukraine also attract medical students internationally.
Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE)
As mentioned earlier, medicine is not a portable degree and therefore there are some regulations that you will need to comply with before you can work in India. Medical graduates with degrees from countries other than the US, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK are to mandatorily clear FMGE (Foreign Medical Graduate Examination). Clearing the FMGE in a necessary but not sufficient condition. You also need to complete a year of internship at an accredited Indian Medical College in order to complete the registration process.
Agencies that look to only make profits may deceive the students that passing FMGE is child's play and that as soon as you clear it, you can begin to practice medicine. Nothing could be farther from the truth!
On an average, nearly twelve thousand students appear for the FMGE every year. What is notable is that for years the pass percentage for this examination has not exceeded 20%. According to data till 2018, most of the students who cleared FMGE are those who graduated from China and Russia. There are a lot of applicants from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, but only about 15% of them have managed to clear the examination. The higher pass percentages have been for students from the UAE (approx. 36%) and Bangladesh (approx. 27%). Perhaps the low turnout in results from certain countries are a pointer to the quality of education there.
What Happens if You Do Not Clear the FMGE?
The examination conducted by the Medical Council is a difficult one. But it is a requirement only to practice in India. Clearing FMGE is not mandatory for going to other countries. Many think in these lines and conclude that foreign medical education is not risky. In case you wish to work outside India after your foreign medical degree, there are some factors that you must take into consideration:
- If you wish to work in the same country where you acquired your medical degree, then you need to consider the job opportunities and the state of economy there. Most of the countries that Indians choose to pursue their medical degrees have extremely limited career avenues and low income in case of being employed. So, if you want to continue to work in Bangladesh, China, or Ukraine after your medical education there, you must first verify if the income will be sufficient to pay your education loans back here at home.
- There are those who presume that they can go to some other country and practice medicine there if they cannot clear FMGE to practice in India. This is also impractical. You cannot practice in the US with a degree from the Philippines or work in Germany with a degree from Ukraine. You will need to go through several entrance examinations, continuing education and upskilling to get into the system. You will also be required to master a certain level of proficiency in the vernacular language in addition to subject expertise. So, if you choose a foreign medical education to save some money, you may have to invest plenty of time and more money to practice medicine in another country.
- There are some who take solace in the thought that even if you cannot practice as doctors abroad, you can still work in allied areas like hospital management, public health, medical research, etc. Though this is true to some extent, you do not need an overseas medical degree if you wish to work in areas such as hospital management, public health, or medical research. You may as well take up these programs right here in India.
If you are deciding to send your ward abroad for medical education based on societal pressure, children's obstinacy, or consultant's words, please pay attention to the following details:
- While going abroad to pursue your medical studies, make sure you have studied the regulations and instructions of MCI (Medical Council of India) closely. MCI does not give any kind of recognition to any agency that sends students abroad for medical education. But many tend to approach prospective students and their parents with the false reassurance that they have MCI accreditation. Also go through the list of universities and colleges listed in the MCI website.
- Do not believe all things that consultants tell you. Ascertain the facts from the internet or in consultation with those who are knowledgeable in the field. If a consultant encourages you to go to a certain country, then get in touch with others who went to the same country with the help of that specific consultancy and verify details.
- While estimating the expenses, take care to make enquiries about costs other than fees. Travel, accommodation, food, insurance, medical expenditures and so on may commute to a large amount.
- Do not presume that all foreign universities are excellent centres of learning. Be aware of the international rating of the institution of your choice. You can look up the studies of an international ranking agency for the same. Time Higher Education Ranking and Shanghai Ranking are examples. You can identify the differential performance in subjects, excellence in learning, teaching, etc. Before finalising the college, Google the institution in detail to understand more about the problems and challenges there.
- The World Health Organization does not publish a list of medical colleges. The World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) and the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) collaborate and publish the World Directory of Medical Schools. Ensure that your choice institution figures in this list of medical colleges.
- Make enquiries about which are the countries that recognize the medical degree of the country you wish to pursue your degree in. If the degree is recognised by other countries that are economically buoyant and have large employment opportunities, then it is a good option to choose.
