As admissions in Indian Medical colleges are unrealistically competitive and the medical standards lower than a lot of developed countries, a large number of students choose to study Medicine abroad.
Although studying medicine abroad is a popular choice, there a number of complications involved. For one, many universities are not allowed to accept international students. Even the ones who do are not options everybody can pursue as the tuition fees are very high and the admissions are very competitive.
A practical internship followed by a residency or a practical training program is a necessity after the completion of a medical program in most countries. This further adds to the complications for international students as there are visa regulations involved which might or might not allow them to be a part of these training and work programs.
So ideally, it can be said that if you have a lot of money or a big scholarship, and are academically very gifted then studying medicine abroad can be a great option as you are likely to be admitted to one of reputed medical programs in the popular study abroad destinations of the world, such as the U.S, the U.K, Australia, Canada and Singapore.
However, it is strongly advised that you should research in detail about the training requirements and work possibilities upon the ending of the medical course with regards to visa regulations before you decide to study Medicine abroad.
Studying Medicine abroad opens up 3 options for you – to work in the country you graduated from, to come back and work in India or to work in another country. Even though the first option is comparatively straight forward as long as you get a job, the latter two are much more complicated.
Indian Student with a Foreign Medicine Degree, wants to practice in India
To practice in India with a foreign medical degree, you will first need to meet the conditions imposed by the Medical Council of India (MCI). These include appearing and qualifying in the Medical Council of India Screening Test conducted by the National Board of Examinations (NBE).
Indian Student with a Foreign Medicine Degree, wants to practice in another country (not India)
To practice in a country you have not graduated in Medicine from is not easy. You will need to meet the conditions specified by the medical authority of that country in order to be considered as a bona fide Doctor there. These conditions generally include appearing and qualifying in an exam as well as completing a training program/internship/residency at a native Hospital to understand that country’s medical system.
Do keep in mind that the above is a generalization and need not apply specifically to each and every country. Even in the countries that the above conditions do apply to, the duration and the nature of the training program as well as the screening test/exam differs greatly.
Medicine Courses in Different Countries
U.S
Medicine in the U.S is only offered as a postgraduate course. To pursue Medicine in the U.S, you would need to have completed your graduation with the required subjects (differ from one medical school to the other).
Some universities in the U.S also offer ‘Pre – Med’ undergraduate programs that comprise of the subjects that are required to pursue Medicine. These courses are not mandatory and you can choose to create your own ‘Pre – Med’ course by pursuing any discipline. However, you must make sure beforehand that you will be meeting the subject requirements of the medical schools you wish to join.
Most Medical Schools in the U.S offer a ‘M.D’ degree (Doctor of Medicine) upon completion of the course. The duration of this degree is 4 years. Typically, the first 2 years are known as the ‘non – clinical’ years and the last 2 years are known as the ‘clinical’ years, in which you will focus on practical learning apart from theory. Many medical schools offer M.D degrees in combination with an M.B.A or a Ph.D. Some also offer accelerated 3 year M.D programs.
After you complete your M.D degree, you would normally take up a practical internship and a practical training program known as a ‘Residency’. The duration of this program generally varies from anywhere between 3 – 7 years (depending upon the specialization you choose).
To gain admissions in a U.S Medical School, you would generally need to have appeared and qualified in a medical entrance exam known as the MCAT or the Medical College Admission Test. Visit the following website for more details: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/.
Admissions for international students into U.S Medical Schools are extremely competitive and are based on your college and school academic record, MCAT score, past extracurricular activities, Personal Essays, Letters of Recommendation, and Interviews etc. Students with undergraduate degrees in all disciplines are accepted as long as they have studied the pre – requisite courses.
Typical Tuition Fee* Costs of M.D Degree in the U.S (yearly) in US Dollars:
Cornell University – $ 52,410
Harvard University – $ 54,200
NYU School of Medicine – $ 52,600
Yale School of Medicine – $ 53,540
* Excludes Living Costs and Other Expenses
U.K
Medicine is offered as an undergraduate as well as a postgraduate course in the U.K. At the undergraduate level, you will generally be provided with an MBBS degree, although a BMBS or an MBChB are also offered by some universities. At the postgraduate level, most universities offer a postgraduate MBBS course.
The duration of the undergraduate MBBS course is generally 5 years. The duration of the postgraduate MBBS course is generally 4 years.
Select universities like Oxford and Cambridge offer 6 year undergraduate degrees in Medicine, known as BMBCh and MB,Bchir respectively. In such 6 year courses, you will generally be provided with a 3 year B.A degree for the first 3 years and then focus on the ‘clinical’ aspect of your learning to obtain the main degree, i.e. BMBCh or MB,Bchir.
Upon completion of your undergraduate or postgraduate medicine course, you will normally be required to take up a 2 year ‘Foundation Training Program’ in the U.K.
To gain admissions in a U.K Medical School, you might be required to appear for certain entrance exams like UKCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test), GAMSAT (Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admission Test) or BMAT (Bio Medical Admission Test). Different universities and different courses require different entrance tests.
Admissions into undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses in the U.K are based on your academic record (School GPA/College GPA), UKCAT/GAMSAT/BMAT scores, personal essays, recommendation letters, past extracurricular activities and interviews etc.
Typical Tuition Fee* Costs of Medical Degree in the U.K (yearly) in Pound Sterling:
University of Oxford – £ 23,965 (for years 1, 2 and 3), £ 32,948 (for years 4, 5 and 6)
University of Cambridge – £ 36,459
University of East Angelia – £ 27,500
University of Exeter – £ 27,000
St. George College UOL – £ 18,630 (for years 1 and 2), £ 32,663 (for years 3, 4 and 5)
* Excludes Living Costs and Other Expenses
Australia
Medicine is offered as an undergraduate as well as a postgraduate course in Australia. At the undergraduate level, you generally receive an MBBS degree, whereas most universities offer an M.D degree at the postgraduate level. Do keep in mind that some universities offer an MBBS degree at the postgraduate level as well.
The duration of the undergraduate MBBS degree at most Australian universities is between 5 – 7 years. You can join such courses straight after school. The duration of the postgraduate MBBS degree or the M.D degree is generally 4 years. You will only be able to join a postgraduate MBBS or an M.D course after you’ve completed your graduation.
Upon completion of your MBBS (undergraduate/postgraduate) or M.D degree, you will be required to complete a one year internship at an Australian Hospital.
To gain admission into an Australian M.D or postgraduate MBBS course, you might be required to appear and qualify in certain entrance tests like GAMSAT (Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admission Test) or MCAT (Medical College Admission Test). For undergraduate MBBS courses, common entrance tests include UMAT, ISAT and PQA.
Admissions into Australian undergraduate and postgraduate courses is based on several criteria, including academic record (School/College GPA), extracurricular activities, entrance test scores etc.
Typical Tuition Fee* Costs of undergraduate MBBS Degree in Australia (yearly) in Australian Dollars:
James Cook University – $ 39,000
University of Adelaide – $ 63,000
University of Sydney – $ 40,900
Typical Tuition Fee* Costs of postgraduate MBBS/MD Degree in Australia (yearly) in Australian Dollars:
University of Melbourne – $ 70,240
University of Sydney – $ 66,100
Australia National University – $ 62,551
University of Queensland – $ 58,400
* Excludes Living Costs and Other Expenses
Canada
Like the U.S, Medicine is only offered in Canada as a postgraduate course. To pursue Medicine in Canada, you should have completed your graduation with the required subjects (differ from one medical school to the other).
However, it is important to keep in mind that many Canadian universities do not accept international students into their medical programs. Examples of such universities are the University of Alberta, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Manitoba.
Most Medical Schools in Canada offer a M.D (Doctor of Medicine) or MDCM degree upon completion of the course. The duration of this degree is 4 years. Typically, the first 2 years are known as the ‘Pre Clerkship’ phase and the last 2 years are known as the ‘Clerkship’ phase, which focuses on the more clinical aspects of the course.
Upon completion of the course, you will be required to attend a Postgraduate Practical Training the duration of which will vary depending upon your specialization.
Many Canadian Medical Schools require students to have appeared and qualified in medical entrance exams such as the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test). To know more about the MCAT, visit the following website: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/.
Admissions into Canadian Medical Schools are based on your previous academic record (School and College GPA), MCAT scores (if required), personal essays, recommendation letters, extracurricular activities and interviews etc.
Typical Tuition Fee* Costs of M.D Degree in the Canada (yearly) in Canadian Dollars:
University of Toronto – $ 62,920
McGill University – $ 35,988
* Excludes Living Costs and Other Expenses
Singapore
Medicine is primarily offered in Singapore as an undergraduate course. You can join this course straight after school and will be provided with an MBBS degree upon graduation. The duration of this course is 5 years.
The Duke NUS Medical School is an exception to the above rule. It offers a postgraduate 4 year M.D degree (Doctor of Medicine). You will need to have completed your undergraduate degree course in any subject to join this course, provided you have studied the necessary pre – requisite subjects.
Upon graduation from your MBBS or M.D course, you will need to undergo 1 year of Practical Training at a Singaporean Hospital. Additionally, if you agree to accept the Singapore Government subsidy, you will have to sign a bond that will limit you to working in Singapore for a period of 6 years for MBBS (excluding 1 year of practical training) and 5 years for the M.D course.
To gain admission into a Singaporean Medical School, you might need to appear for certain entrance tests like the BMAT (Bio Medical Admission Test) or the MCAT.
Admissions into Singaporean Medical Schools are based on a variety of factors including past academic record (School and/or College GPA), BMAT/MCAT scores, entrance test scores (if required), extracurricular activities, personal essays, recommendation letters and interviews etc.
Typical Costs of MBBS Degree in Singapore (yearly) in Singapore Dollars (subsidized):
National University of Singapore – $ 48,400
Singapore Management University – $ 63,000
Typical Costs of MD Degree in Singapore (yearly) in Singapore Dollars (subsidized):
Duke NUS Medical School – $ 52,150
