Why choose to Study MBBS Abroad?
Every year, the number of students opting to study MBBS abroad has gone up. The most popular study MBBS abroad destinations for Indian students are Ukraine, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, China, the Philippines while many students opt for countries such as Bangladesh, Armenia, Georgia, Nepal, Belarus and countries in the Carribean. An estimated 20,000 students going abroad to study MBBS each year now. On this page about study MBBS abroad, you will learn about the following:
There are many reasons why Indian students are going abroad, some of the reasons are:
- less number of seats for MBBS in India (about 70,000 seats for 15.19 lakh candidates in 2019)
- high fees in India
- quota system in India
- deserving candidates unable to get seats in India (Why NEET fails to ensure merit-based admissions)
- donations in India
- extremely high pressure while studying
- depression and high suicide rates due to lack of options for Indian candidates
- no international exposure
- most students have to leave home town, same as MBBS abroad
How these problems are solved by the option to study MBBS abroad:
- low fees and good quality education
- no quota system
- NEET qualified students can get direct admission
- no donation
- Indian mess available
- admission in government universities
- large Indian student community in many universities (1,500+ Indian students in many universities living in the same campus)
- safety and security is not a concern
- less pressure in countries which follow European pattern (Ukraine, Russia)
- international exposure
- students become self-dependent
That being said, it is not that MBBS abroad is without any short comings either. While the popular opinion is to try again and again and again to get a seat in Indian, it is important to know when to stop and when it the right time to choose the option to study MBBS abroad.
Comparing MBBS abroad options
As mentioned before, there are many options for studying MBBS abroad, below is a table comparing these options. Remember that every country has some advantages and disadvantages, you need to find the country which is best for you.
Country Duration (years) Minimum Budget in a good university in INR (Tuition Fee + Hostel + Mess) MCI Result Popularity Medium of Instruction Need to learn local language? Climate GMF Recommended Universities Note
MBBS in Ukraine 5.8 25 lakh + Very Good ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ English Yes Cold Bukovinian State Medical University
Vinnitsa National Medical UniversityOne of the best options.
MBBS in Russia 5.8 20 lakh + Good ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ English Yes Cold Mordovia State University
Crimea State University
Decline in popularity, Ukraine is the better option.
MBBS in Philippines 5.5-6 25 lakh + Very good ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ English No, English is the local language Same as Mumbai, Kolkata University of Perpetual Help
Davao Medical School FoundationUS Pattern education. Need to study pre-medical course and need to clear NMAT.
MBBS in Kyrgyzstan 5 17 lakh + Bad ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ English Yes Cold Kyrgyz State Medical Academy
Asian Medical InstituteCheap and best option for MBBS abroad.
MBBS in Bangladesh 5 25 lakh + Excellent ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ English Yes, need to learn Bengali language Same as Kolkata Bangladesh Medical College =
Z. H. Sikder Women's Medical CollegeBig budget required in the 1st year as colleges charge 50% fee in the 1st year. Student with 2 year gap after 12th can't apply.
MBBS in Armenia 6 25 lakh + Only good in Yerevan State Medical University ⭐ ⭐ English Yes Cold Yerevan State Medical University Select only Yerevan State Medical University.
MBBS in China 5 + 1 year internship 25 lakh + Good in few universities ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ English Yes, need to clear HSK exams Depends on the region Only 45 colleges teaching in English medium. Limited seats, high eligibility criteria and high fees.
Belarus 6 25 lakh + Bad ⭐ ⭐ English Yes Cold No reason to select, better alternates available.
MBBS in Georgia 6 25 lakh + Very good ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ English Yes Cold Good option with tough visa rules and less number of Indian students.
MBBS in Kazakhstan 5 20 lakh + Poor ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ English Yes Cold Most students are from Rajasthan, however, the FMGE performance is extremely disappointing.
Eligibility for MBBS abroad
The eligibility for studying MBBS abroad is different for different countries. There will be two sets of eligibility criteria. One is set by the governing body of medical education in India which is MCI and the other set of rules and regulations are made by an authorised body in the country you wish to get admission in.
You can say that the rules made by MCI can be called as the ‘basic eligibility criteria for applying’ and the rules of the other country as the ‘eligibility criteria for acceptance’ to study MBBS abroad.
While the rules of different countries will be different, the basic set of eligibility criteria for applying for an MBBS abroad is the same for everyone. If you do not comply with this set of eligibility criteria for MBBS abroad, then admission is not possible!
MBBS abroad eligibility criteria as set by MCI:
The minimum eligibility requirement reads as follow for studying MBBS in abroad-
- The student must be 17 years plus as on 31st December of the year in which the admission is being taken.
- You have completed and passed class 12th with Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
- 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.
- Or you 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 MBBS admission in abroad.
If you fail to comply with any one of the above-stated eligibility criteria, then you cannot apply for MBBS abroad.
Now, you will have to check the eligibility or acceptance criteria for each country and each college individually. For admission in countries such as Ukraine, Russia, the Philippines, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, you can get personal counselling by Global Medical Foundation. Click to call GMF.
MBBS Abroad Scholarship
By definition, scholarship means:
“a grant or payment made to support a student’s education, awarded on the basis of academic or other achievement.”
If you are searching for a MBBS abroad scholarship that will cover most of your education cost for studying MBBS abroad then such scholarships unfortunately do not exist, at least for countries such as Ukraine, Russia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Armeina, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus. The total tuition fee as well as living expenses in these coutries are already very low.
There are some universities which might give a small MBBS abroad scholarship based on your performace in university exams. However, only very few students will be able to avail this.
However, you can still get a scholarship opportunities for studying MBBS abroad by taking admission through Global Medical Foundation. We provide scholarship to Indian students based on their NEET marks in select universities.
A small benefit is possible for students who wish to study at Bukovinian State Medical University, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National Medical University, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv Medical University, Ternopil National Medical University, Uzzhorod National University, Poltava State Medical University. A scholarship of up to INR 35,000 is available to the students on the basis of their NEET result. MBBS in Ukraine Scholarship by Global Medical Foundation:
University 350+ Marks in NEET 400+ Marks in NEET 450+ Marks in NEET 500+ Marks in NEET
Uzhhorod National Medical University ₹15,000 ₹20,000 ₹25,000 ₹30,000
V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National Medical University ₹15,000 ₹20,000 ₹25,000 ₹30,000
Ternopil National Medical University ₹15,000 ₹20,000 ₹25,000 ₹30,000
Poltava State Medical University ₹15,000 ₹20,000 ₹25,000 ₹30,000
Kyiv Medical University ₹15,000 ₹20,000 ₹25,000 ₹30,000