Why aspiring medicos choose abroad over India?

The plight of Indian students stranded in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion has again brought to light the problems associated with the Indian education system.  

In India, students can complete MBBS in 5.5 years, including internship (12 months). However, it takes approximately six years, including internships, to complete MBBS from countries such as Ukraine, China and Russia. 

Medicine is one of the most sought-after career options in India, but due to the high fee structure and limited number of seats available in India, aspiring medical students prefer to study abroad. 

Several countries offer MBBS and every year, huge number of Indian students travel abroad to study MBBS. Ukraine, Russia, China, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, and many more are considered popular destinations for MBBS. Unlike India, a medical degree in Ukraine costs somewhere between INR 15 and INR 25 lakh for a six-year course, which is much less than Indian private medical colleges that charge anywhere up to INR One crore. This is why several MBBS aspirants choose foreign countries as they offer cost-effective fee structure. 

20,000 Indian students in China

According to the data released by the Indian Embassy in China amid the COVID outbreak, more than 20,000 Indian students were enrolled in medical degrees. One of the reasons for Indians to travel to China for pursuing MBBS degrees is the affordable tuition fee. The average annual fee for MBBS courses in China is 21,000 Chinese Yuan, which is INR 2.5 lakh.  

The duration of MBBS studies varies between countries. In India, students can complete MBBS in 5.5 years, including internship (12 months). However, it takes approximately six years, including internships, to complete MBBS from countries such as Ukraine, China and Russia. 

High fee, limited seats forcing students to go abroad 

While talking to Shiksha.com, Vandita from Kangra, a fourth-year medical student studying in Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang, China, who has been stuck in India for the past more than two years due to the pandemic, said, “There are limited MBBS seats in India and also fee in private medical colleges is too high. In order to study abroad, students should have obtained 50 per cent or above in physics, chemistry, and biology. Also, they need to qualify NEET. Students with less NEET score also get admission. Not only this, Chinese universities offer good facilities."

She went on to add, "My parents could not afford high medical fee in India due to which I went to China for medical studies. I remember one of my friends had to give INR 14 lakh to get admission in a Delhi medical college. At my university, the fee for a six-year MBBS course is INR 6-7 lakh per year.” 

‘Uncertain future, but happy to be back from Ukraine’ 

Apekshit Sahni from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, who is pursuing MBBS from Bogomolets National Medical  University, Ukraine, said, “In India, fees in private medical colleges is too high and also MBBS seats are limited. I chose Ukraine for medical studies due to its affordable fee structure, ambience, opportunities and internship programmes available. The annual fee at my university is $4,500, which is nearly INR 4 lakh, much cheaper than India.” 

Apekshit, a fourth-year medical student, said, “I came back to India a month ago as there were rumours that COVID cases would increase. Though the Russia-Ukraine war has disrupted our education, I am happy that I returned from war-hit Ukraine on time.” 

MBBS fee in India vs MBBS abroad 

Though the MBBS fee structure of countries vary, below is the average fee charged by universities in these countries. 

Medical education in Russia 

Good quality education and low tuition fee is one of the major reasons for students pursuing MBBS from Russia. All Russian medical universities are recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Medical Council of India (MCI) and 12 of these universities teach MBBS in the English medium.  

The Government of Russia also provides subsidy for education and the students who pursue MBBS from Russia can practice anywhere in the world, including India. Also, candidates are not required to appear for any entrance exam. They should have completed 17 years of age on or before December 31 of the year of admission. They should have secured 50 per cent marks in Class 12 from the science stream in CBSE/ISC or any other equivalent board of examination. 

PM Modi appeals to increase MBBS seats  

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to the private sector to increase its participation to produce maximum doctors within India. He said, “Today our children are going to smaller countries to study, especially for medical education. They go despite the language barrier. Millions of rupees are going out of the country. Can’t our private sector enter this field in a big way? Can’t our state governments make policies so that India can produce a maximum number of doctors.” 

Read more: 

• Fourth Covid wave likely to hit India in June: IIT Kanpur study 
• MBBS Fee in India 
• Is it worth studying MBBS in Russia