Gujarati students are awaiting NEET results with bated breath. The NEET exams equip medical aspirants to pursue MBBS. As usual, following the result, they’re expected to plan intensively for academic opportunities overseas.
In the past, Gujarati students preferred the Philippines and China for medical education, but times have changed, following issues in the two nations. China tests MBBS graduates in the Mandarin language, which Gujarati students find tough to crack.
Where the Philippines is concerned, Gujarati students aren’t comfortable with the shorter duration of the course. Moreover, graduates of these courses don’t even practice there.
They are now leaning towards Georgia as their preferred choice for medical education. Even countries like Russia and Belarus have emerged as alternatives.
Georgia makes foreign students comfortable with the native language. Even though English is the medium of instruction, students must learn the local language to communicate with patients. Additionally, unlike in other countries, a graduate from Georgia can appear in the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) exam.
A national newspaper has reported that the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) stringent Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations (FMGLR) have also influenced their decisions. The course duration (54 months), a minimum internship of 12 months in the same institute and instruction in English are part of the conditions. The FMGLR further decrees that graduates should first be eligible to practice in the country to practice in India, the daily mentioned.
Georgia, in comparison, is flexible since it has accreditations and affiliations like that of the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME). The institutes there also comply with the NMC guidelines regarding practice in India, a factor that Gujarati students consider.
Low cost of education and availability of Indian food are other factors that are influencing their choice.
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