After NEET results are announced every year, thousands of students as well as their parents start looking to find the best medical school for them. Some will want to study at the Government medical colleges here in India, and others will consider going overseas to study medicine due to increasing competition and limited MBBS available in India.

This has led to one of the biggest questions right now for students considering studying medicine after taking the NEET – is it better to study for an MBBS in India or to study for an MBBS overseas?

There is no single answer because there are pros and cons with both options as well as opportunities and challenges with both types of medical education and impacts on your long-term career. When considering whether to study in India or overseas the student will need to evaluate many different variables; these will include their finances and NEET scores, as well as their career aspirations and desired method of study along with their future plans.

Many students do not conduct an adequate evaluation of a college before selecting it; they may choose due to the low cost or due only to advertisements seen on social media. However, entering into medicine as a professional is a long-term commitment and students should perform a thorough review of all the influencing factors prior to the final decision.

When evaluating between an Indian or overseas medical school, students should also include the following when making their decision:

• Quality of education
• Clinical experience
• Internship opportunities
• Licensing exams
• Opportunities for a career after graduation
• Long-term medical career goals.

Why MBBS in India Remains the First Choice

Most Indian students choose to accept MBBS in India because medical schools in India provide direct contact with the health care system – where the student will likely want to work after completing their studies. Government medical schools offer a solid, respected education with reasonable costs for students. Students at these institutions receive a great deal of practical experience due to the large number of patients they work with at local hospitals. Through their training at medical schools, they will acquire the skills to communicate with patients and develop a clinical understanding of disease, as well the ability to communicate effectively with patients, work independently, and develop confidence in their clinical skills.

Another advantage of studying for an MBBS in India is the ability of Indian students to become familiar with the following items:

• The Indian health care system
• Medical regulations in India
• Local diseases with which they may be involved in providing care
• Medical licensing in India

Additionally, students will also have a great deal of exposure to the day-to-day activities of patient care providers, gaining an understanding of the challenges faced by health care providers in Indian hospitals.

In India, the systems used for training medical students follow a path that is consistent with the future medical licensing process and with pathways to degrees offered in postgraduate medical education. This consistency assists many students to have successful career progression when pursuing medicine as a long-term career within the country.

As such, the biggest challenge faced by many medical students pursuing an MBBS in India is the intense competition for government MBBS seats. Every year, there are lakhs of applicants competing for limited seats in government medical schools. Because of this, even students with high NEET scores typically find that acceptance to government medical schools is extremely difficult due to the extremely high number of applicants applying against a limited number of available seats.

Why MBBS Abroad Is Becoming Popular

In recent years MBBS has been an option for many Indian students looking to pursue medicine internationally. Many Indian students do not have access to a reasonable cost of MBBS, which is why they are looking into MBBS overseas.

Countries such as Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Philippines are popular destinations for Indian students because of their low-cost tuition; most of the universities have relaxed admission criteria; there is less competition for admission and many of these countries have modern facilities.

There are many reasons why Indian students are drawn to MBBS overseas including:

• Lower competition for admission into medical schools
• Low tuition at universities
• Opportunity to experience different cultures
• Modern and well-equipped facilities
• Opportunity to study in an English-speaking environment.

Several of the foreign medical universities that Indian students attend have designed their educational programs specifically for international students and many have developed programs with an Indian focus.

For many parents it is more cost effective to send their children abroad to study than it would be to pay the high cost of a private medical college in India. However, students should still perform due diligence and make sure that their prospective school is recognized as being of a good quality, as not all foreign medical universities are compatible with Indian medical schools

When considering applying to a foreign medical university, a student should investigate:

• University recognition
• The accreditation status
• The internship quality
• The clinical training structure
• The hospital exposure they will receive during their studies.

Difference in Fees and Overall Expenses

Cost is one of the factors that make students compare MBBS in India and abroad. Government medical colleges provide students with the cheapest way to become doctors, but limited seats and stiff cutoffs make it very difficult to get accepted into one of those schools.

Private medical schools charge students much higher tuition than state schools and create increased financial hardship for many of the middle class.

On the other hand, some foreign medical universities appear to charge students less, but their tuition fees are actually lower than are many private Indian medical colleges; students will need to check for the cost of all educational expenses, not just the tuition fee; some additional education expenses when studying abroad will include:

• Hostel fees
• Food,
• Travel expenses,
• Visa and documentation costs, and
• Currency fluctuations.

As a result of these additional costs, students and their parents must pay close attention to the total cost of becoming a physician before making their decision. Do not base your decision solely on advertisements claiming to have “cheap” MBBS tuition fees overseas.

Education Quality and Practical Learning

Medical education is more than what happens inside a classroom. Clinical training and actual experiences in the hospital are among the most important influences on how good a doctor will be.Hospitals affiliated with Indian medical colleges usually have a lot of patients each day; therefore, there is a lot of clinical experiences for students; thus students can see many different medical conditions and gain a great deal of real-world clinical experience through their internships and practical training.

Practical experience helps improve students’:

• Diagnostic skills
• How to handle patients
• Self-confidence in dealing with actual patients
• Awareness of emergency medical systems

Some foreign universities may offer large-scale quality and up-to-date facilities, but how much clinical exposure varies from country to country because of their treatment systems, facilities, and laws.

International language barriers can limit how well students interact with patients; therefore, they should have a good understanding of how internships and practical training are conducted before choosing any foreign university.

The best medical students receive the most benefit from schools that provide a proper mix of theory and a significant amount of practical exposure..

Licensing Exams and Career Challenges

Many students overlook the licensing process as a critical aspect of selecting to study an MBBS degree abroad. The majority of students who complete their MBBS degree from a foreign university require to complete the following licensing examination(s) in order to be able to practice medicine within the Indian territory :

• FMGE
• NExT (as per future licencing system)

Many of these students are unprepared for the level of difficulty associated with their licencing exam(s). Consequently, without sufficient preparation and well laid educational foundations, it is likely that some students may have difficulty completing the licensing process.

Conversely, students who pursued MBBS from within India do not generally endure the same challenge or level of complexity with respect to licencing as their education is inherently in compliance with Indian Medical Systems’ and/or Indian Medical System Regulations’.

As a result, as a student that is interested in a permanent career within India, consideration should be made by the student prior to opting for an MBBS degree abroad for a reason such as ease of acceptance—this may ultimately hinder your ability to practice medicine legally within India.

Career Scope After MBBS

Both Indian and Foreign Medical School graduates have the opportunity for future success based on continuous learning and skill development as well as professionalism through ongoing development of the above. Students in healthcare industries today have job opportunities within:

• Hospitals
• Private practices
• Research labs
• Healthcare administration
• Public health organisations
• Medical education fields

Those students interested in studying internationally may benefit; however, students planning to work primarily within India may get the greatest benefit from being familiar with the Indian health system as well as the Indian patient population.

The success of a medical career is primarily dependent on the following regardless of where they attended Med School:

• Skills
• Clinical Knowledge
• Clinical Experience
• Dedication
• Communication Skills

Not just where their school is located.

Which Option Should Students Choose?

Because each student’s situation is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. In general, though, the following students may find pursuing an MBBS in India to be their best option:

• They have obtained a government medical seat
• They wish to have a significant experience with patients
• They intend to pursue a medical career primarily in India
• They prefer familiar methods of education

On the other hand, students may find pursuing an MBBS abroad is the right choice for them if:

• They are unable to obtain a reasonably-priced MBBS seat in India
• They have researched their universities thoroughly
• They have realistic career expectations based on their finances,
• They have a good understanding of the requirements for licensing.

It is critical for students to avoid emotionally driven decisions based on pressure following their NEET results. Therefore, conducting the proper research and planning prior to selecting a medical university is very important.

Final Thoughts

For medical aspirants who are looking to pursue their MBBS degree, choosing between schools in India or abroad is an important career objective. A well-informed student with the right guidance and realistic planning can find success in either educational format.

Students looking for an inexpensive education should not rely on advertisements or low-cost education but carefully consider factors such as clinical exposure, potential internships and jobs after graduation as well as the type of license they will need to practice medicine in the future.

Training to be a physician is a long-term commitment that requires dedication, perseverance, hands-on experience and continuous learning and growth. With the right planning and sound decision making, students interested in patient care can develop successful careers both domestically and internationally.

Through The Counseling Cafe students will be able to understand what is involved in getting an MBBS degree, how to get counseling on where to attend and explore medical school opportunities and possibilities for their future after completing the NEET exam.