MBBS in Bulgaria

The Republic of Bulgaria is a country located in Southeast Europe and is a member of the European Union. As an option for Indian students, MBBS in Bulgaria is not popular and very few Indian students opt for studying MBBS from Bulgaria each year. There are better alternative options available to Indian students like Ukraine or Russia. These options are of the same duration but costs less and have a better MCI result.

As per records shown by the National Board of Examination (NBE), between 2015-18, a total of 114 students came back to India and appeared for FMGE after studying MBBS in Bulgaria. Out of these 114 students, 9 students managed to clear MCI test or FMGE. This means that the MCI passing percentage after MBBS in Bulgaria was less than 8%. In comparios, there are universities with excellent MCI result like Bukovinian State Medical University, Ukraine.

In comparison to Bulgaria where about 100 Indian students go, the better options are Ukraine or Russia where more than 5,000 Indian students go each year. There is better facility in these countries for Indian students in terms of local support and Indian food.

Bulgaria is a country located in Southeast Europe and is a member of the European Union. Its neighbouring countries are Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Greece and Turkey. The capital and largest city in Bulgaria is Sofia; other major cities are Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas. Here is a quick overview of Bulgaria:

• Official language: Bulgarian
• Population: 70 lakh
• Currency: Lev
• Lev to INR: 1 Lev = INR 40.46 (As on 24th November 2019)
• Major Religion: Christianity

Bulgaria is a very safe country and safety and security is not an issue for Indian students at Bulgaria.

The total duration for MBBS in Bulgaria is 6 years. The degree awarded is a MD Physician which is equal to MBBS in India. The course is structured in the following way:

• 2 years Pre-medical study
• 3 years of clinical studys
• 1 year of internship

The duration is same across Europe – 6 years. If a student wants to study MBBS in Europe then the duration is 5.8-6 years. Even in Ukraine and Russia, the duration is of 6 years. However, some countries have a duration of 5 years too. Compare MBBS abroad duration.

The medium of instruction for Indian students while studying MBBS in Bulgaria is English. The entire curriculum will be taught in English and all classes will be in English language.

It is compulsory for the Indian students who study MBBS in Bulgaria to attend Bulgarian language classes for 6 hours every week for the first 3 years. This is important as it will enable the students to have a good grasp on the local language which will help them in communicating with the patients in the university hospital throughout their clinical studies.

This will also help them in day to day communication with the locals while travelling, shopping, etc.

The following is the eligibility criteria for MBBS in Bulgaria for admission of an Indian student:

• The student must be 17 years plus as on 31st December of the year in which the admission is being taken.
• The student must have completed class 12th from a regular board.
• The student must have an aggregate of at least 50% in Physics, Chemistry and Biology and must have English as a compulsory subject if the student is from the General category.
• The student must have an aggregate of at least 40% in Physics, Chemistry and Biology and must have English as a compulsory subject if the student is from SC/ST/OBC.
• You need to clear NEET from 2018 onwards for admission in any country in abroad. NEET result is valid for a period of 3 years for admission in abroad for MBBS.
• Valid passport with more than 18 months validity.

Note on MBBS in Bulgaria Eligibility Criteria: Some universities will have a higher eligibility criteria for Indian students.

Following is the list of medical colleges in Bulgaria which are recognised by MCI (as on 26th November 2019):

• Higher Medical Institute – Pleven
• Medical University, Plovdiv
• Medical University, Sofia
• Medical University, Varna
• Thracian University
• University of Medicine-Pleven

Indian students must take admission in MCI recognised colleges or universities only.