Medical career guide post NEET 2021: Know about MBBS seats for Indian students in foreign universities

With the National Testing Agency (NTA) expected to release NEET 2021 entrance exam answer key and results soon, aspirants are awaiting with bated breath.

Candidates who become successful in getting cutoff marks are eligible for the admission process. The admission to government colleges is done based on all India quota (AIQ) and state quota seats.

The number of seats available in government colleges or institutes in total is very low in comparison to the number of applicants who want to pursue medical as a career option.

Total approximate seats available in various medical institutes stand at 67000 for MBBS, 27000 for BDS and 30000 for AYUSH. While this brings the number of seats to around 124000, the number of applicants is around 16 lakh students in 2021. 

With demand much higher than the actual availability of seats, students must be highly competitive in studies in order to get admission in government medical colleges.

Some private medical colleges or institutes are also available where aspirants with not that high NEET scores can apply. However, there can be huge charges in terms of donation and tuition fees. Having enough money to pay fee can make getting admission to some of these colleges highly convenient.

Other students with limited finances can attempt to opt for MBBS in an overseas institution.

Pursuing MBBS overseas

Various kinds of facilities are available even to the students of limited means in the form of education loans, scholarship programs (run by various foreign institutes) and scholarship programs run by some education foundations or NGOs.

There are some countries around the world that are known for providing a higher level of education for medical aspirants. The only limitation is the high fees. Therefore, students with substantial financial backgrounds can easily get admissions to these colleges. Examples of such countries are the USA, UK, and Canada, etc.

Other countries also offer medical courses in their colleges and institutes and that too with a reasonable amount of fees. Examples of such countries are China, Russia, and Ukraine, etc. Therefore, students with limited financial means can choose them as well for their studies.

Recognised foreign universities

Many foreign universities are recognized and approved by the Medical Council of India (MCI). So, students who want to pursue their medical career abroad can pursue their MBBS there and after completion, they have two options.

They can either practice in a foreign country or they can come back to India for practice and continue to provide their services here. However, while opting for practice in India they must pass the MCI screening test. 

After successfully going through the test, they can start their practice in India itself.

List of Foreign Universities/ Institutes Approved by MCI

Here is a list of some of the famous universities providing medical courses to Indian students.

Australia

• Monash university
• Royal Australasian College of Physicians
• St. Marys School of Medicine, Cook Islands

Bangladesh

• Bangladesh University of Professionals
• University of Chittagong
• University of Dhaka
• University of Rajshahi

Belarus

• Gomel State Medical University
• Belarussian State Medical University
• Vitebsk State Medical University

Canada

• Jimma University
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Russia

• Altai State Medical University
• Chechen State University
• Mari State University
• Rostov State Medical University
• Russian People Friendship University

Saudi Arabia

• Alfaisal University, Saudi Arabia
• King Saud University, Riyadh

USA

• Harvard University, Boston
• Emory University, Atlanta
• American Board of Cosmetic Surgery
• New York Medical College
• The University of North Carolina
• University of California

These are some of the popular universities in the countries of students’ preference. But that does not mean limited choice. There are other universities approved by the MCI. The details of every country’s medical university can be checked on the official website.

Aspects to think about before pursuing MBBS in abroad

Wonder what could be the catch of pursuing medical studies abroad? There can be several factors to consider if planning to study abroad, especially if an aspirant didn’t secure good marks in NEET and is not willing to waste another year in preparation. These include reasonable fees and other charges at par with Indian private medical institutes, competition stress, no donation in the picture, access to state-of-the-art technology and professional recognition.