Where to pursue MBBS?

Which country would be suitable and inexpensive for pursuing my MBBS degree?

                                                                                                                                                       -Sherry

Medical education is expensive in every country, more so if you have to pay for it in foreign currency. So, it is better not to look for an MBBS programme abroad unless the institution provides good practical training, teaches in English and has experienced faculty, required infrastructure and attached hospitals with a good number of beds and you can afford to pay for the degree.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) advises all aspiring Indian medical students to ascertain the status of the concerned foreign medical university / medical college from MCI and also obtain Eligibility Certificate from MCI before taking admission in any foreign medical college/university.

This will enable you to verify that the qualification will be accepted for registration in India when you return. For recognitions and enlisted reference, check the MCI website www.mciindia.org, Schedule to the IMC ACI, 1956 (book) or contact MCI, New Delhi directly. Else, visit the National Board of Examinations website, www.natboard.edu.in. You can also check the World Health Organisation world directory of medical schools at www.who.int/hrh/wdms.

You may also want to consider sitting for the PMT in India, now that there is to be a single admission test for all medical colleges in the country. Also, many new medical colleges are being set up including six like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

If this option does not work out, you can explore many careers other than medicine. There are various para-medical courses at the BSc and postgraduate level which train students for careers like radiology (taking X-rays, CT scan and so on), medical technology (performing laboratory tests), and ophthalmic technologists and optometrists (concerned with evaluation and improvement of vision).

These are three-year undergraduate degree programmes available at most medical institutes and have ample scope for future growth. Pharmacy is another important profession. The requirement for a four-year BPharm programme is 10+2, with physics, chemistry and maths and/or biology. There are pharmacy colleges in practically all states.

There is also an increasing interest in alternative systems of medicine such as homeopathy and ayurveda, which is offered through regular degree programmes. Today non-allopathic and non-invasive systems of medicine like homeopathy and ayurveda are part of an international multi-million dollar industry embracing their practice, research and development, and supported by the World Health Organisation. After taking a BHMS degree, your career can follow a path similar to that of an allopathic doctor's.

Author: Usha Albuquerque (HT Horizons)

Date:15th April, 2011

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