Indian doctors, made abroad!

Updated on: Monday, August 17, 2009

With the shortage of medical seats in India and the burgeoning desire to pursue medical education among middle classes, this new trend of Indian students getting medical degrees outside the country is increasing day-by-day. Though the practice of Indians studying medicine in erstwhile Russia started a few decades back the momentum has picked up in the last six years with new destinations like China, Nepal and Belize emerging.

Nearly a lakh of students write medical entrance examination in the State alone every year but the seats are less than 10,000. For the remaining the other option is to choose a different path or the chase their dream in a foreign land.
Three choices

Broadly, students have three choices – the Russian countries, China and the America based countries. The medical education in Russian countries is existent since long and comprises medical institutions in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan etc.

Medical education in China is limited to only the 30 medical institutions approved by the Ministry of Education. Medical education in America based countries such as the medical institutions of Philippines, Caribbean islands and Central America have also become popular in the recent times. Students also have another option in Nepal for which no passport or visa is required.

Among all the above options, there is strong trend for admission to medical colleges in China due to the fee reduction by up to 35 per cent compared to last year, the permission given by the Medical Council of India (MCI) to Indian students pursuing MBBS in China to do internship in India and also the decrease in course duration to 4 1/2 years from six years,” says Mr. Raja Ram of Medico Abroad.

“First batch of medicos in China have come out now and their word on the exorbitant infrastructural facilities in Chinese medical institutions like teaching buildings equipped with audio visual aids, modern laboratories, latest equipment, excellent clinical practice hospitals, star hostel facilities is adding weightage to the courses there,” says S. Jaipaul Reddy, Managing Director, St. Joseph Consultants Ltd, another top consultancy. The prime factor is the cost of education that is driving students to these countries.

Mr. Reddy says China funds its educational institutions. Large campuses, equipment and labs built to facilitate the Government’s mission to propagate medical education make it an affordable destination. Affordability is also due the low expenses towards living, hostel and tuition fees. “At the same time, the quality of education provided by these institutions is of international standards. It is also ensured that medical institutions are listed in World Directory of Medical Schools of WHO,” says Mr. Rajaram.

Doctors in India also vouch for quality. “World class facilities and the discipline that students pick up there have impressed me,” says Kasaraneni Rambabu, a paediatrician in Hyderabad who sent his son to China. About 5,000 students from the State are already pursuing courses there and more than half of them are girls. Students get Indian food as consultancies have tied up with ‘Indian kitchen’ apart from sending Indian cooks.
MCI regulations

Any student intending to join MBBS course in any foreign medical institution will have to approach the MCI for issue of the Eligibility Certificate.

Till last year, the privilege of exemption from screening test existed for some institutions in US, UK, Australia, Nepal and such other countries but MCI recently notified the withdrawal of exemption.

On completion of MBBS course, the candidate has to appear for the Screening Test conducted by the National Board of Examinations in New Delhi, and on passing the same, they will be awarded with the provisional registration certificate by the MCI. Students will then be required to undergo one year internship in approved medical hospitals in India after which a Registration number will be granted to them for practice as a Doctor in India.

Earlier to 2002, Schedule III of the MCI Act, 1956 consisted of 29 medical institutions of the erstwhile USSR, whose degrees were recognised by the MCI and students preferred to go to those universities.

With the amendment of the MCI Act in Parliament on September 3, 2001, provision was made to recognise the medical degrees obtained from the medical institutions all over the world.

The MCI decided to award recognition to the ‘primary medical qualification’ obtained abroad, if the name of the degree and the institution awarding the same are listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools published by the WHO.

Hence, the basic verification to be conducted by a parent is to check the listing of university names in the WHO directory, and also to ensure that their ward will follow the procedure laid down by MCI.
List of colleges

It is most important to check before taking admissions as to whether the foreign medical degree and the institution awarding it are recognised in terms of MCI regulations. In case of China, the approved list of Chinese colleges is available at http://mciindia.org/tools/prelease/eligibility.htm. In case of Russian colleges or others, the MCI website (http://mciindia.org/know/acts/schedule3.htm) and WHO website ( http://www.who.int/hrh/wdms/en/) can be checked. Further details can be had on www.stjosephs.in or 040-66363939, 98490-08186 or www.medicoabroad.in or 040-66106668.

Indian doctors, made abroad!

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