MBBS in the Philippines vs MBBS in the rest of the countries like Russia, China etc: Why Davao Medical School Foundation is the best medical college to study MBBS Abroad for Indian students?

Every Indian student dreams of studying abroad. Who wouldn’t want a chance to go to some foreign country and study the subjects they love? While choosing to study MBBS abroad might seem a costly affair and an uncertain cultural crossover for the student, it is quite different and unique when it comes to studying MBBS in the Philippines. It’s reasonable, affordable and even better in terms of quality of education to study MBBS abroad when compared to some of the private colleges in India.

Apart from the government colleges and top 4-5 private institutions, pursuing MBBS in India either becomes unaffordable or has very little quality in terms of education facilities or prospects. However, as we all know, the annual NEET-UG exam is mandatory for all aspiring medical students to pursue MBBS in India, MBBS in the Philippines & MBBS abroad.

With only 78,333 seats available in the top MBBS colleges of India (Govt. & private), the number of seats available is completely out of proportion to the number of applicants which is 15.97 lakhs in the year 2020. This accounts to only 10% of the Indian students getting a seat for MBBS in India. In other words, it means 20 students are competing for a single seat for MBBS in India. NEET-UG 2020 registered the highest number of students and this number is expected to rise in the coming years.

Because of the increasing number of applicants every year and such a small number of seats into the top medical colleges of India, the parents of the aspiring students are considering to study MBBS abroad. But while choosing the best college for MBBS abroad, several factors are needed to be considered like:

• Language Proficiency
• Disease Spectrum
• Cultural Scenario
• Patient to Bed Ratio
• Emphasis on Competitive Exams
• Exposure to Hands-On-Practice
• Lab Facilities and Faculties
• Course Structure
• Accessibility from India
• Affordability & Fee Structure
• Recommendations and Future Prospects for the students

In this blog, we will be comparing MBBS in the Philippines, especially in regards to Davao Medical School Foundation with the MBBS colleges in the rest of countries like Russia, China, UK, USA, Canada, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh, Nepal etc and understand how MBBS in the Philippines is the best choice for the Indian students.

While comparing MBBS in the Philippines vs MBBS in the rest of the countries, the Philippines has many advantages in each of the above-mentioned factors. For students with low NEET score, it is always preferable to study MBBS in the Philippines because of its low-cost fee structure and high return on investments because medical education is a costly affair with below-par quality of education for students with low NEET score.

MBBS Abroad Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for each of the college and the country are subject to their administrative and governance policies. Yet, we have listed the general eligibility criteria applicable for studying MBBS abroad.

• As on 31st December of the year in which the student is taking admission, the candidate must be 17 years of age.
• The student must complete 10+2 or other equivalent degrees.
• The student must have Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Zoology with English as their compulsory subject combination.
• The student must complete10+2 or other equivalent degrees with a minimum aggregate of 50% or above for Unreserved Category.
• The student must complete 10+2 or other equivalent degrees with a minimum aggregate of 40% and above for SC/ST/OBC.
• The student must qualify NEET-UG.

Studying MBBS in the US and Canada

Apart from flawless and good academic scores, the student must qualify the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) to study MBBS in the US and Canada. MCAT is a computer-based standardized test for aspiring medical students in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean Islands. Conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the test score range from 472 to 528 to qualify. Recommendation letters from prestigious institutions also can help a student to pursue medical education in the US and Canada.

For MBBS in the US, students are required to apply through the American College Application Service for an MD, or the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service for a DO degree. The four years of the pre-medical program consists of pre-clinical and clinical courses & curriculum. The final degree is MD (Doctor of Medicine) or DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). Postgraduate specialization can be applied in the last year of study. The postgrad study begins with a one-year dedicated internship followed by a license to practice.

Currently, an internship is part of the first year of residency, called the Traditional Rotating Internship or Transitional Year.

USMLE qualified students can only practice in the US. After qualifying USMLE, students opt for Residency and has its period of study based on the speciality. Students can also follow up on their training with a Fellowship and avail full-time training program in a particular speciality.

As far as MBBS in Canada is concerned, most of them who have completed their degrees in biological sciences apply in Canada. The medical courses available there are usually for 3-year to a 5-year program where the bachelor’s degree is appropriate for the four-years program while the others have to opt for the 5-year program. In addition to this, the residency programs are also required which range from 2 to 7 years of study.

Apart from world-class education facilities and course structure, one of the main constraints is the cost of living in these countries which is very high. Because of the lengthy duration of medical courses in the US and Canada, the total cost of studying MBBS in the US and Canada often exceeds 3-4 crores. And with the lack of scholarship programs, students might face extra difficulty to mitigate the financial constraints. Where the cost poses a huge challenge for the majority of the Indian families, the lengthy duration of the course poses a challenge for the students. Countries like Australia, New Zealand and Singapore fall in the same bracket.

Another obstacle the students and their families might face is the Accessibility and Travel Arrangements. With long hectic hours of travelling and connecting flights, it becomes quite strenuous for the candidates and their families to travel frequently.

Studying MBBS in the UK

Every year many students across the world choose to study MBBS in the UK. With one of the most elaborated structures for medical education, the United Kingdom has a very detailed and lengthy curriculum. The duration of the study ranges from 4 to 6 years where upon completion of 2-years of undergrad studies, the student has to undergo a foundation training of 2-years. Upon completion of these 4-years of study, a student only then can opt for a speciality training in their chose field of specialization which again could last up to 7 years. Once the speciality training program is completed, the student will be awarded a Certificate of Completion Training (CCT). The medical curriculum in England is usually divided into 3 phases, namely:

• 1. Phase One: Emphasizes on the scientific basis of health & disease and the foundations of clinical practice which also includes exposing the students to clinical practice as early as possible. This phase also includes studying modules on lifestyle medicine and prevention and case-based learning with the availability of undertaking clinical improvement and research projects.
• 2. Phase Two: At this phase, students will be working towards completing their Bachelors of Science by completing a series of modules and supervised research projects in the subject of their choice. Introduction to cutting edge technology associated in their fields and development of scientific knowledge & research skills.
• 3. Phase Three: From patient care to intense clinical training, in this last phase, students are taught at community and hospital settings.

Studying MBBS in the UK has a very stringent Application Process and Eligibility Criteria which is not always so student-friendly. Below are the few pointers every student should keep in mind before applying for MBBS in the UK.

• The applications are made available every year with a deadline of October 15th to start the session in September next year.
• Students must apply for Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and need to have a minimum of 85-90% in their 12th Board exams.
• In addition to that, students need to appear for entrance exams like University Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT)Biomedical Admission Test (BMAT) or Graduate Medical School Admission Test (GAMSAT).
• Students are also advised to secure a minimum score of 7.0 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

The major challenges for studying MBBS in the UK are:

• The cost of living is very high which poses a major challenge to most of the families in India with fee structure ranging from 3 Cr to 4 Cr.
• Also, the duration of the course is very lengthy.
• And above all the eligibility criteria poses the biggest hindrance to the students who want to study MBBS in the UK.

The US, Canada and the UK are in the same bracket and will cost a fortune to study MBBS abroad. Let us now look at the mid-range fee structure medical college to study MBBS abroad.

MBBS in Russia

Where the rest of European countries have a high cost of living and high educational expenses, Russia on the other hand has an average fee structure and are affordable to most of the Indian families. Also, in Russia, there is a high demand for professional doctors and healthcare personnel and hence the return on investment for studying MBBS in Russia is substantially high, thereby, making Russia a popular choice for Indian students to study MBBS abroad. The average fee structure of pursuing MBBS in Russia is around 70 lakhs to 1 Cr.

On the other hand, because of its demography, Russia has a very different disease spectrum when compared to India. The huge difference in climatic conditions makes it difficult for Indian students to adapt to the disease spectrum while practising in India. Also, language proficiency can pose great difficulty with Russian being the dominant language.

MBBS in Ukraine, MBBS in Poland & MBBS in Kyrgyzstan

Similar to the MBBS in Russia, MBBS in Ukraine are relatively affordable compared to the US, UK, Canada or other private colleges in India. With good equipment to treat diseases, the student does get a lot of hands-on practice with the latest gadgets and equipment. Also, many MBBS colleges in Ukraine are recognized by international bodies like the Medical Council of India (MCI), World Health Organization (WHO) etc.

MBBS in Poland has been recognized by all for years now. And being one of the most peaceful countries in the world with very minimum crime rate, Poland has become a very opted destination to study MBBS abroad. However, as Poland follows the European standards & education system which makes the course 6 years long and is often considered a bit lengthy and outdated whereas MBBS in Kyrgyzstan is often inaccessible.

The fee structure for MBBS in these countries ranges from 50 lakhs to 70 lakhs. The challenges faced in these countries are similar to those of Russia.

Now let us look at the top countries providing MBBS abroad with low admission fees.

MBBS in China

China is famous for its medical colleges and MBBS degrees mainly cause of its low admission fees. With the tuition fees ranging around 20 - 35 lakhs for the whole program China offers the most affordable courses. It is the language that poses a challenge for the students. Students usually will have to undergo a language proficiency course followed by a test in the first year of the curriculum which can add extra burden to the students. Language proficiency is mandatory for clinical practice and patient care interaction in the community and hospital settings. Hence, it becomes an integral part of choosing a country to study MBBS abroad.

MBBS in Nepal

Nepal has been a popular choice for students who want to study Dental. With the low cost of living, similar weather conditions and easy visa process, MBBS in Nepal can be an option for students. Cost: 30 - 45 lakhs

MBBS in Bangladesh

MBBS in Bangladesh follows a different procedure for admission where International students have to clear the South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Based on the marks received in this exam, students will be placed in government and private colleges in Bangladesh. A low cost of living and educational expenses make this country extremely preferable for the students all around the world and from India as well.

MBBS in the Philippines

While comparing the MBBS abroad across many countries, we have seen either the fee structure is high or the disease spectrum is opposite or even the language and the duration of the course can also be a challenge and stop a student from selecting a country to study MBBS abroad.

MBBS in the Philippines with Davao Medical School Foundation as the preferred college, the Philippines have become the most opted country to study MBBS abroad.

MBBS in the Philippines has all the factors perfectly aligned to suit the needs of the students and approachable to the Indian families.

Listed below are the advantages of studying MBBS in the Philippines as compared to studying MBBS in the rest of the countries:

• No language barrier as the Philippines is the world’s third-largest English speaking country.
• Same climatic conditions present a similar disease spectrum.
• Similar cultural practices make it easier for students to adapt to a foreign country.
• Intensive hands-on practice.
• Good patient to bed strength.
• Dedicated Indian hostel and mess facilities.
• Easily Accessible with daily flights.
• Easy and Affordable Admission and Tuition Fee
• Latest Technology and Lab equipment
• Experienced Staff and Faculty
• State-of-the-art campus
• Extra emphasis and training on FMGE through Transworld Educare Pvt Ltd
• Efficient course structure following the US pattern. Total duration: 5 years 4 months.

The cost of MBBS in the Philippines for Davao Medical School Foundation is around 35 lakhs for the whole program.

With all these advantages, there is no doubt that MBBS in the Philippines is the best country to study MBBS abroad for Indian students when compared to the Top MBBS Colleges in the world.