Tips to help you study medical courses abroad

Please note: This article has been written to serve as a piece of information, and not as a comprehensive guidance. Also, we don’t offer any counselling services for medical aspirants, neither do we offer any sort of advice for their admissions abroad.

There are two categories of students who aspire to study in a foreign country – one type of students look for non-medical courses like postgraduate or undergraduate courses in any professional fields whereas the other type look for medical courses like undergraduate or postgraduate in medicine or nursing.

We’ve received numerous questions from students who want to study medicine abroad after 12^th grade. Students who aspire to study medical courses abroad must not forget that they need to plan, as soon as they can, probably from 9^th grade or so, in order to get into good institutes.

Medicine has always been a lucrative and noble profession, and there is an increasing demand for good-quality healthcare and medicine globally, more than ever. Since past few decades, the whole medicine industry has been undergoing massive changes worldwide, in terms of ideas exchanged and services delivered.  

Medical aspirants should enrol themselves as members of nationally or regionally recognised medical organisations, in order to receive academic counselling. Through these organisations, students can learn about various institutes abroad that offer the best medicine courses. And they can take the best decision when counselled by experts in various fields of medicine or dentistry.

However, it doesn't end there. Students must also take up specific examinations, which are demanded by specific medical schools in different countries.

Popular medical courses that Indian students can choose to study abroad

• Orthodontics
• Neurologist
• Ophthalmology
• Embryology
• Cardiology
• Veterinary science
• Pathology
• Anatomy
• Orthopaedics
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Radiology
• General medicine
• Dermatology
• Radiotherapy
• Urology
• Anaesthesia
• Nursing
• Alternative medicine

Countries where medical courses are available

United Kingdom

International students who have already decided to study medicine courses in the UK need to take up IELTS and secure a band of 7.0, with each section no less than 6.5. Also, students need to take up examinations like UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) or Bio Medical Admissions Test (BMAT) to seek admissions into various medical and dental schools in the country.

The UKCAT exam comprises verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, abstract reasoning, decision analysis and another segment called situational judgement.

Normally, in the UK the duration of medical study lasts from 4 years to 6 years. Once they complete the course, students can move on to get a specialised degree in any area of their interest. The specialisation course lasts for 7 years or more.

In the United Kingdom, there are around 7 universities that are accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). RCVS vet surgeons and vet nurses have been honoured by several prestigious awards, including the ‘Queen’s Medal’.

United States

American medical schools are open for admissions to students who have pre-medical undergraduate qualifications. Though the academic requirements vary from one school to another, most students are required to have studied subjects like chemistry, biology, physics or pure science.

Students need to meet one of the criteria for admissions into US medical schools, which is MCAT exam. MCAT is required to get admissions to American and Canadian medical schools. The exam can be taken at any of the MCAT authorised test centres. It is offered in 19 countries, including Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

In most US medical institutes, medicine courses usually last for 4 years, followed by residency training that last from 3 years to 7 years.

Around 134 medical schools in the USA are accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). LCME is funded by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association. In Canada, nearly 17 medical schools are accredited by LCME.

Germany

Germany’s medical system is world class. It’s often one of the most favoured student destinations due to its lower education cost. International students who want to study medicine in Germany require a high-school diploma that’s equivalent to Abitur (a set of examinations taken in Germany during the final year of secondary school).

In addition students must take up medical exams like Test for Medical Studies (TMS) or Test fur Medizinische Studiengange, which is an aptitude test. It tests every student’s ability to grasp and understand scientific and medical issues.

TMS is a voluntary exam, and students with good TMS scores are preferred over students without TMS scores during admissions in German medical schools.

German language is predominant in most parts of the country. Most medicine courses in the country are taught in German language. Hence, the knowledge of German language will help international students understand and communicate better during their studies. A certified course from reputable German language centres like Goethe-Institut could add a lot of credibility to students’ academic profiles.

Australia

Australian institutes stand apart because of the quality of education they deliver. Most Australian institutes follow the guidelines issued by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Similarly, many Australian medical institutes follow AQF guidelines to design their own curricula and academic guidelines.

As per the guidelines, students who are interested about undergraduate degree in medicine are required to score minimum 7 in academic IELTS tests and pass the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Admission Test (UMAT) that’s organised by AQF. Also, international students can apply for admissions with either MCAT or Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admissions Test GAMSAT scores.

Australian Psychology Accreditation Council reviews and accredits providers offering psychology courses in Australia (and a few other countries). APAC accredits nearly 600 programmes across 41 providers.

Canada

The territories and provinces have different rules in terms of international student admissions to medical courses. International students must take the MCAT exam, if they want to get enrolled into Canadian medical schools. However, Canadian provinces usually enrol students who have completed 12^th grade plus 1 year of diploma whereas other Canadian institutes enrol students who have degrees in biological sciences.

Most medical programmes in Canada last from 3 years to 5 years, with an additional residency programme that last from 2 years to 7 years.

Singapore

Students who want to study medicine in Singapore must take IELTS or TOEFL exams. They are also required to qualify the Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT).

In most Singapore institutes, students with 12 years of education, inclusive of subject areas like Chemistry and Biology/Physics, are eligible to study medical courses in Singapore.

Malaysia

Most Malaysian institutes require students with good academic records, i.e., 80% or more in higher secondary and average 75% in PCMB subjects – physics, chemistry, math and biology. And the medical course admissions often follow rigorous processes. 

International students looking for medicine, dentistry and speech and language therapy courses must take up International Student Admissions Test (ISAT). Students are notified by the University they apply at if they have to take up the admissions test. In Malaysia, medical degrees are normally expected to last for 7 years.

Academic requirements

The entry requirements to get admissions into MBBS or MD or any other medical programmes vary from country to country. In European countries, the admission criteria for undergraduate courses are different from postgraduate courses.

General documents that are required from students for their medical admissions include:

• Attested copies of Class 10 and 12 marksheets or any other diploma course
• Letters of academic reference from any faculty
• Letters of recommendation from employers (if the student has any work experience) highlighting students’ professional abilities.
• Statement of Purpose
• Score cards of IELTS, TMS, BMAT, etc. [The tests will vary from country to country]
• Proof of funds
• Curriculum Vitae
• Language certification – for example, German-language certificate to get admissions from German institutes.  

Summary

An estimated 7000 Indian students go abroad every year to pursue medicine and dentistry and other medical courses. Countries like the UK, USA, Canada and Australia have been favourite amongst international students, not only for medical studies but also for other non-medical courses.

However, there are a few students who prefer countries like China and Russia for their medical studies too because these countries offer affordable education, and their medical degrees are recognised throughout the world.   

Medical education is expensive, but there are different scholarships through which students can support themselves.

What kind of medical course are you aiming at? Do you still need more information? Please keep reading about the specific medical course you want to study in a country abroad. Once you are sure you have gathered all the information that you need, you can start applying to your shortlisted medical schools.