Every year millions of students from all around the world aspire to move out from their native countries and study MBBS abroad in pursuit of better education quality. India and the entire African continent play a huge role in the entire industry. To give you a perspective, as of 2019, nearly 8,52,728 Indians and 7,666 African students are studying abroad.
Unfortunately, not everyone who aspires to study abroad makes it. You struggle in choosing your university, course, and country. Ultimately wait unanswered because of the absence of proper guidance. And this is a pretty valid reason because let’s face it, studying abroad is an investment which requires a lot of resources, namely, time and money. And you would want to make sure that you make the best decisions to get the best returns.
So if you are the one of them who have made your decision of studying abroad but need a bit of guidance with how, why and what, we might have a few tips which could help you.
We have curated 7 do’s and don’ts when you choose to do your MBBS abroad. These are a few basic things which we feel are the most important things to keep in mind and should not be ignored. So here goes.
1. Select a country that suits you
You should understand that each country is different in terms of certain factors. You better make sure that you are choosing a country that suits you in terms of your goals. Don’t just select a country for the climate or the sights. You’ll have to consider your objectives as well. If your objective is to study abroad and come back to your native country for a career, then you should probably look out at the trend. Look for countries with the best quality of education and student support.
If you are looking for a career prospect abroad, you should also consider countries with good post-study work opportunities. This is because countries like The UK do not entertain the idea of immigrants taking up jobs of the local citizens.
When it comes to MBBS studies you should be clear in choosing a country that matches the disease pattern of your native country. If you miss out in this point, then it is no use doing medicine abroad and returning to your country to practice medicine.
2. Choose a reputable university
Now, this is, of course, the most important point. Because it would make no sense to select a university just for the sake of studying abroad or fulfilling your dream of experiencing the lifestyle of a particular country that you had always wanted to.
Some of them are reputed enough but not even close to many of the universities abroad. While selecting a university, make a list of universities which provide the best syllabus you want to pursue and where you are eligible to apply. And qualify them in terms of the pedagogy, infrastructure, accreditations, and curriculum. Select the one which seems the best to you. A lot of research has to be done behind this.
Especially look for the universities that help you clear FMGE if you are from India. The bitter truth is that only 14% of students have cleared FMGE in past 16 years. So beware of the fear factor.
3. Make a good financial plan
As we have mentioned before, studying abroad is an investment and most of the time it can get really expensive. You’ll have to have a proper plan when you choose to study abroad. Do you have all the money to support your education and accommodation? Do you have a sponsor or anyone who could help you? These are some questions you’ll need to ask yourself.
Fortunately enough, many universities provide scholarships that can ease the burden. Now given the fact that not all of you will be able to avail scholarships, you can always approach banks and other financial institutes for monetary aid. Some universities even provide financial aid to students who wish to avail them.
Whatever the medium might be, make sure you have a full-proof plan.
4. Make sure you know where to stay
If you know which university you want to get into, this probably should be your next big concern. Choosing the right accommodation.
Some universities provide on-campus accommodation in hostels which are usually pretty decent. The accommodation charges vary as per universities and very few provide complimentary accommodation for a year.
If the university doesn’t provide accommodation, you can look for alternatives like renting out an apartment. Or looking for an off-campus hostel.
Whatever you choose, make sure it is near to your university and is connected by commute. This will allow you to spend more time in academic needs and be with other students.
5. Choose the right curriculum
One of the best things that we feel about studying abroad is, the number of options you will have it comes to choosing the proper curriculum.
Studying abroad allows you to pursue a niche and very specialized curriculum. Our request would be, do not deviate from your career goals. Research about the opportunities by curriculum. Talk to people, you know who might have pursued the same. It is important when you return your native country and practice medicine.
There are universities that provide syllabus based on Indian curriculum and also US-based tracks.
6. Everything set? Time to get “All Aboard”!
Let us be practical, traveling to distant countries can be expensive. If you don’t get your tickets done at the right time, things might get worse. And unfortunately, you will not get any support in this.
So it is better, you make your travel plans, way before your actual date of travel. If you do not have a passport yet, get it done first. Visa confirmation is another thing which can take some time. Get these things set and ready.
7. Know the common language
All the universities which accept foreign students have one common language as a communication medium, and that is English, as it is an international language. So if you know English, you won’t have any problem in this respect. If English is commonly spoken in the entire country, then that’s just a plus point.
Countries like China, Ukraine and Russia have language barriers and hence it is not easy to mingle with patients and understand the diseases and its pattern during your clinical rotations. Isn’t that a heck?
If your English is weak, you might want to want to improve it before you leave for the country. It is because, it is crucial to be able to communicate with other peers.
