MBBS abroad: Beware of cheating

Last Updated on August 10, 2023 by Diya

I’ve been getting lots of queries from 12th Science stream (Biology group) students who want to pursue MBBS abroad. Questions related to cheap (relatively) medical education in countries like China, the Philippines, Russia, and Ukraine caught my attention. The questions asked were related to the reliability and quality of MBBS education provided in Universities in these countries.

MBBS education abroad is a costly affair! Naturally, when parents and students see advertisements promising an MBBS degree at a low cost, they tend to notice it and take it seriously. In this article, I will reveal some very important facts and details related to pursuing an MBBS degree from countries like China, the Philippines, Russia, and Ukraine.

Here are some important steps and tips for students and parents who are going to take admission to Medical colleges in the above-mentioned countries.

Thoroughly assess the status of the University

The first step should be to know more details about the University that you are interested in. Check its status and see whether it is a recognized institute or not. There are many fake Universities and institutes operating out there.

The best way to assess the status of a University is by taking the help of regulatory bodies in that country, the embassy of that country, etc. Don’t come to a conclusion just by taking a look at the website of the institute. Websites can be made to look attractive and flashy. They may even fill it up with false information! One may also take the help of a reliable consultancy service. Talking about consultancy services, you may like to go through the next point.

Make sure that the consultancy service is reliable

When it comes to overseas education, especially MBBS courses, 90% of students and parents seek help from overseas education consultancies. Now, taking the help of a consultancy service is a good thing. It actually speeds up the processes and helps us wade through each step easily! But one must also understand that there are consultancy services in India, which cater to low-quality and fake institutes abroad. These consultancies are focused only on monetary gains!

Thus, while making use of a consultation agency, make sure that they are reliable. Only go for the ones, which have a proven track record and positive recommendations!

Don’t settle for substandard institutes

Cheap tuition fees are something that attracts both students and parents to MBBS education in countries like China, the Philippines, Russia, and Ukraine. But one must understand that the fees are low for a reason. Oftentimes, the quality of training and education provided there, both theoretical and practical, are substandard. In the case of many institutes, the quality of faculty and infrastructure is poor.

This often reflects in the quality of Indian students graduating from such medical schools! Recently, many students, who graduated from such medical schools failed to pass the screening test (FMGE) held by the MCI (Medical Council of India).

This trend has even led to MCI issuing warnings to medical education aspirants and their parents, who are interested in overseas education. Do read the next section to get a better idea about it.

Give attention to MCI’s warnings

The MCI holds a screening test- FMGE (Foreign Medical Graduates Examination) for medical graduates who have graduated from overseas before they are considered eligible to practice in India. Many students who have graduated from questionable institutes in the above-mentioned countries have failed to clear this screening test. This has led MCI to investigate this matter.

The poor quality of training provided at such institutes thus came to light! As a result, MCI fired warnings about the poor quality of education imparted to medical students in institutes in these countries. In the case of some countries, MCI has even decided not to recognize the degree provided by institutes there! Thus, I suggest MBBS aspirants to keep an eye on such warnings ad notifications put out by the MCI!

Not all institutes are bad. But, my personal opinion is that one must be extra careful when dealing with MBBS courses in the above-mentioned countries. If you are very interested in overseas education, try colleges in Commonwealth countries, the USA, and Countries in West Europe.

Vishnu Nambiar

I am Vishnu Nambiar a career and educational blogger from India. I am also a full time educational consultant having more than 12 years of experience in the educational sector.

I share articles related to courses, colleges, careers, exam tips and more here.