Is it possible to study MBBS abroad at a low cost?

After 12th one of the most desired career options is to be a doctor. It is one of the noble and popular professions that’s why lacs of students wish to pursue medicine. In India, every year lacs of medical aspirants appear in the NEET exam to get an MBBS seat. This year approximately 16 lac students have registered for NEET 2020.
In India, there are only 77595 total MBBS seats (including private, govt and deemed universities) which are quite less when compared to the total no. of medical aspirants. As per the data, less than 3% of those who appear for NEET are able to get admission to MBBS seats in government medical colleges. The rest of the students would need to spend almost 50 lac to 1.5 crores of rupees if they want to study in private colleges because the majority of them are not aware that studying MBBS abroad at a low cost is feasible.
Studying MBBS abroad at a low cost
Most people are under the apprehension that studying abroad is extremely expensive and it is nearly impossible to study MBBS abroad at low cost. While this may be true for studying in the US and UK, but these are not the only options. There are many other countries that offer quality medical education at an affordable fee. An MBBS in countries like Ukraine, Georgia, China, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, or Russia would be a good option thanks to the competitive fees. Colleges and Universities in these countries are popular among MBBS aspirants due to their standard of medical education and reasonable tuition fee and living expenses. Thus, it is purely a myth that studying MBBS abroad is a costly affair. Generally pursuing MBBS abroad is 3 to 5 times cheaper than studying MBBS from Indian private colleges.
Budget-friendly countries to study MBBS abroad:
Following countries are famous for providing affordable quality medical education as well as the cost of living. Studying MBBS abroad at low cost is no more a dream for medical aspirants there are many countries that are providing medical education on a low budget. Let’s have a look at the country-wise 5-year budget:
Name of country | Approx budget for complete MBBS tuition fee |
ARMENIA | 18 TO 20 LAC |
GEORGIA | 30 TO 32 LAC |
KYRGYZSTAN | 20 TO 30 LAC |
KAZAKHSTAN | 13 TO 20 LAC |
CHINA | 20 TO 35 LAC |
PHILIPPINES | 16 TO 32 LAC |
RUSSIA | 20 TO 35 LAC |
UKRAINE | 25 TO 35 LAC |
BANGLADESH | 28 TO 48 LAC |
Studying MBBS abroad has many advantages over studying an MBBS in a private college in India. Most of these foreign medical universities are MCI recognized or almost globally recognized. Students who pursue an MBBS in these countries are eligible to appear in NEXT and get their foreign degree recognized on par with an Indian MBBS. After the recent reforms in the Indian Medical education system, NEXT (National Exit Test) is mandatory for all medical graduates whether they pursue MBBS in India or abroad. Thus, there is no difference left among foreign medical graduates as well as Indian medical graduates.
Even in the worst-case scenario if the foreign medical graduate doesn’t not clear the NEXT, they can still practice medicine in other countries, where the degree is valid. They can practice anywhere in Europe. On the other hand, Indian medical graduates could not even attain an MBBS degree without qualifying NEXT. They could not practice anywhere in the world.
Studying MBBS abroad allows students to get International exposure. They get a chance to do an International degree and acquire new cultural experiences. It also enhances employability as well as opportunities for medical graduates.
All those who did not succeed in getting an MBBS seat in India need not spend huge sums of money to study in private institutions. They should not waste year after year to score high in the NEET exam. Studying MBBS abroad at a low cost in countries such as Georgia, Armenia, China, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, etc is a great option for such candidates.