What is Indian medical education like?

[within_the_forrest]

Hi all,

I'm currently a 1st year undergraduate student in USA, and am interested in attending medical school in India, after completing my undergraduate degree. My parents are from India and came to the US; I was born after they came here. I'm not dead-set on going to an Indian medical school, but I am keeping my options open and I am trying to collect some information.

1) What kind of knowledge do Indian students have entering med schools (since they don't take a "pre-med")? How do entrance exams and donation-based foreign acceptances work? Would tuition be similar to that for an American university?

2) I am looking for a good-quality education, at least close to on par with what is in the US. I have read a lot of posts on these forums about how Manipal, AIIMS etc. are the best in India. How is the education in these schools?

3) Location is also important to me. I would prefer to attend med school in Rajasthan or Gujrat, if possible. Are schools in these states good?

4) I'm not necessarily going to come back to the USA if I go to India for my education. In fact, I probably wouldn't. Would it be feasible to live on my own after medical school, with help from family, and loans? Of course, this doesn't matter much now.

5) Are there any other things I should keep in mind if I'm thinking about such a plan?

I hope it doesn't seem like I'm getting ahead of myself. I'd really like to study in India, though. Ultimately, I would like to one-day open up a practice. I am also interested in research as an option on the side. In the US, MD's are able to do research (to some extent). Does the same go for that level of education in India?

I appreciate any responses that any responses that answer any of my questions. I just need to have all the information before I can start mapping out a plan.

Thanks!

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[Varian Wrynn]

Hello!
I am very sorry no one helped you out yet. I am not from India unfortunately but I think you can just safely search those forums and you're gonna find what you're looking for - I am more than sure about it. Meanwhile I found some information you might be interested in. http://www.mapsofindia.com/education/top-ten-college-of-medical.html; http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2063326 and also some http://www.scienceclarified.com/Al-As/Anatomy.html and http://www.medindia.net/facts/index.asp?startpage=1

 

[drk]

1. All students across the world go into medical school knowing nothing. Undergraduate is essentially a waste of time. The issue in India is that medical education is done in English and 50% of the incoming students might not know it that well. Good for you on that point.

2.) AIIMS is amazing, their campus is amzing, their facilities are amazing. There are a lot of good schools in India. Not all of them have an NRI category though.

3.) All government/municipal schools in Rajasthan or Gujarat are good schools. Private schools maybe not so much.

4.) Doctors make garbage money in the above two states right out of medical school. You would have to go for residency training (NOTE: Getting residency in India, as an Indian graduate is probably 100x harder than getting residency in the USA if you attended a US medical school.) though some schools have started offering NRI residency spots too. That said you are allowed to open your own hospital in India and if you reach that point you will make alot more than US counterparts. Dermatologists make 4-5million DOLLARS in India...cash...don't pay taxes, these are fairly rare and established practices but India is a developing nation which means the opportunity to make money is much easier.

5.) I don't know - if you are set on this, drop out of undergraduate and apply now. Completing your undergraduate here then going to India is *****ic. Your going to be 4-5 years older than your classmates(who enter medical school at age 18) and it's just going to suck.

 

[docontherocks32]

Hi all,

I'm currently a 1st year undergraduate student in USA, and am interested in attending medical school in India, after completing my undergraduate degree. My parents are from India and came to the US; I was born after they came here. I'm not dead-set on going to an Indian medical school, but I am keeping my options open and I am trying to collect some information.

1) What kind of knowledge do Indian students have entering med schools (since they don't take a "pre-med")? How do entrance exams and donation-based foreign acceptances work? Would tuition be similar to that for an American university?

2) I am looking for a good-quality education, at least close to on par with what is in the US. I have read a lot of posts on these forums about how Manipal, AIIMS etc. are the best in India. How is the education in these schools?

3) Location is also important to me. I would prefer to attend med school in Rajasthan or Gujrat, if possible. Are schools in these states good?

4) I'm not necessarily going to come back to the USA if I go to India for my education. In fact, I probably wouldn't. Would it be feasible to live on my own after medical school, with help from family, and loans? Of course, this doesn't matter much now.

5) Are there any other things I should keep in mind if I'm thinking about such a plan?

I hope it doesn't seem like I'm getting ahead of myself. I'd really like to study in India, though. Ultimately, I would like to one-day open up a practice. I am also interested in research as an option on the side. In the US, MD's are able to do research (to some extent). Does the same go for that level of education in India?

I appreciate any responses that any responses that answer any of my questions. I just need to have all the information before I can start mapping out a plan.

Thanks!

I agree with @drk on most of his points except point 4. Very few dermatologists, or for that matter any specialists make 4-5 million dollars, and the few who reach those figures are the ones who are well established names in their specialties (or lucky in a rural area). Anyway, adding a few points, as mentioned above don't waste your time in undergrad in the US, it will not help you in any way in India, and make you older than your peers.

You could actually face some trouble in the basic sciences, as the Indian students read biology, chemistry and physics in great detail before entering medical school. In case you've not studied these subjects during your school/undergrad well, you could face a handicap. This was one of the main reasons why many of my NRI peers faced trouble keeping up with the class initially. And once you start lagging, it becomes a vicious circle.

You will find that most of the donation schools are not up to the mark. Many of them will not have proper facilities but would give you a degree. If you are keen on a good education, you should stock to the government medical schools or the better private schools. However, many government schools would make you face issues like cleanliness, overburdened with patients. Manipal and a few other private colleges are fine, but be very careful and do research on the ground level before putting your career at stake.

Doctors don't make much money right out of medical school. You will have to do a residency and a super specialization to get placed well (unless you want to settle in a really rural area and open your own clinic/hospital).

As for research, of you stay in academic settings, you'll be able to pursue it, while no body in private settings (private practice or most private multi speciality hospitals) is into much research. As in the US, academic settings pay lesser than the private settings.

The biggest challenge for you might be the culture change. How well versed and comfortable with the India. Many of my NRI peers left med school incomplete, some of them just couldn't adjust to India. (I am currently visiting the US, I don't think you'll face too much of a change if you visit an urban Indian city, but to each his own).

I am from a government medical school in North India, which recently increase the NRI seats from 3 to 6 per year. Let me know if you want to have some feedback about my program or some others in the region.


I have typed it on my phone, so there might be some typos. My apologies.

Best

Mike Sierra