M. Tova Chishi
There has been a tremendous increase in the number of students opting to travel abroad for undertaking medical studies. This shift reflects the obvious difficulties of getting into a medical college through competitive exams and the sheer close to ransom prices demanded to enter into private colleges in India.
I personally have finished my medical studies from China (Southern Medical University, Guangzhou) and am writing this article, on the suggestion of a close friend, about the pros and cons or might we say if in china, the yin and yang of this professional course.
China is a beautiful and powerful country reflected clearly by its myriad landscapes and exponential economic growth, and, it warmly accepting so many Indian students into its prestigious colleges is a true delight and a big opening for many aspiring students who have exhausted their chances of making it in India. However one must truly understand the risks and benefits involved before deciding to embark on this journey, which is quite a long one.
The MBBS course in china is very similar to the one in India (the language medium is English and it is of 4 and a half years duration plus one year internship), the major differences being, subjects taken up for a particular semester are adjusted according to the availability of professors. For example a particular semester may be very light in terms of the number of subjects taken up, pushing the backload to the subsequent semester. This puts the student under pressure and unsure of what subjects might be covered in a particular semester.
Another problem is the clinical exposure which is very close nil, language barrier being a major reason (most Chinese patients don’t speak English), however this problem can be overcome, thanks to medical colleges in china permitting students to complete their internship in India. However there is a catch to this solution. To be able to undergo internship in India (it is called externship in India) one must clear the Foreign Graduate Medical Examination, FMGE, conducted by the National Board of Examination, NBE, which is a prerequisite by the medical council of India to be able to intern(extern) in India.
One key message I want to sent across to all reading this article is the fact that medical degree awarded in china is not accepted in India (meaning you will not get your registration number) unless you possess the MCI eligibility certificate and pass the FMGE exam. In case you want to intern in India you still have to pass the FMGE, after which you will be given a provisional registration number and then the permanent registration number on completion of internship (externship). I would like- interested students to get a picture of what it takes to clear the FMGE by the following statistic. From the 90 students that took the FMGE exam 2012, from my batch (2007), only 39 cleared and it is estimated that out of a total of 10,000 students that took the exam this march only 700 cleared, a 7% pass rate. This is not to scare students away but to bring to light the fact a screening exam awaits and that there is no other substitute to hard work. The pass percentage last September (2012) was around 25%.
At the end, I would wholeheartedly encourage individuals who are genuinely and sincerely hardworking and more importantly determined to grab this opportunity. Let me warn you that you can’t fool around and neglect studies and expect to crack the exam. I would once again suggest all interested students to weigh the benefits of being able to realize one’s dreams to the risk of not being patient (4 and a half years with plenty of exams) and ready to sacrifice a lot of things for the sake of studies.
I hope the article comes of assistance to aspiring students as well as other readers and wish them the best in their plans.
(The writer has passed M.B.,B.S., from Southern Medical University, from Guangzhou, China, where Asian Games was held last year. He has passed FMGE (Foreign Medical Graduate Examination) with high marks and Medical Council of India Screening , securing one of the top ten positions).
