New Delhi: A severe paucity of seats is afflicting India’s medical colleges despite the budget setting a target of creating 10,000 seats next fiscal year to add to the existing 100,000. Also, with more students than ever vying for a career in medicine, the field is getting increasingly competitive, forcing many to prepare backup plans for achieving their medical dreams.
Some are considering overseas colleges, for which the numbers are set to rise further this year, said test prep and study abroad consultants. Medical education in certain countries is a cost-effective alternative to many private colleges in India besides featuring modern infrastructure, they said.
Others are considering alternative courses in the country such as homeopathy, Ayurvedic, physiotherapy, and dental, the experts said. However, an MBBS degree from a government college in India remains the most sought-after.
“The number of students opting to study medicine abroad is primarily driven by the limited availability of government seats in India,” said Parijat Mishra, head of career counselling, medical division at Allen, a test prep company. Affordable medical education in certain international destinations also attracts many Indian students.
Foreign locales for aspiring medical students include Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Students are also considering countries like China, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Romania.
“Countries like the Philippines, China, and the Caribbean have traditionally been popular among Indian students pursuing medical education abroad,” said Anil Nagar, founder & CEO, Adda247, a multilingual learning and skilling platform.
Of late, countries such as the US, UK, and Germany are also starting to attract Indian students. “The primary reason for these choices is affordability,” he said.
Government medical colleges charge as low as ₹10,000 annually, AIIMS is even lower, while private education can exceed ₹1 crore for the entire course, said an expert.
About 2.5 million students registered for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for admission to undergraduate medical courses in 2024, a figure experts said will increase this year. The National Testing Agency (NTA) is soon going to start the registration process for NEET UG 2025.
Experts said 30,000 to 40,000 Indian students join medical colleges overseas every year.
“With a limited number of available seats, students are considering alternative health science courses,” said Mishra at Allen.
