Many students dream of a career in medicine, but the competition is extremely fierce. According to the statistics, the number of candidates registered for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Exams (NEET) this year was over 16 lakh showed the National Testing Agency, that conducts the exam. According to the Ministry Of Health and Family Welfare There are only 83,274 seats in the country.

Most students aim at getting into affordable government colleges. But for this, you have to be among the cream of the crop given the high competition.   

So given this competitive environment, it’s no surprise that students are now increasingly looking for MBBS admission in abroad colleges. Over the past few years, countries like Russia and China have become popular destinations to pursue medicine at the undergraduate level. Going to institutes in these countries works out to be much cheaper than studying in India. The facilities, teaching, and course quality are not half as bad, if not better, than many medical colleges in India.   

The American University of Antigua College of Medicine (AUA) located in Antigua and Barbuda, offers world-class medical education. Indian students also have an advantage over other international applicants to get into its programme. We’ll tell you more about this a little later in the article. 

Eligibility Requirements

Candidates who want to pursue MBBS admission in abroad medical schools have to appear for and pass the NEET mandatorily.  The minimum pass percentage is 50%. For candidates belonging to reserved categories, the requirement is 40%. 

Further, a candidate has to be 17 years of age on or before December 31 to appear for the test. The upper age limit is 25 years, with a relaxation of 5 years for candidates from the reserved social categories. For more details on the minimum NEET passing requirement, you can check out the regulations here.  Those who want to return and practice in India after completing MBBS abroad have to pass a “Screening Test.”

Students should note that abroad MBBS admission requirements might be different in different countries. Most institutions outside India that offer MBBS courses do not ask for NEET. 

Indian students looking to study in AUA need to also pass the NEET. Those from the state board or CBSE backgrounds looking to apply in the institution should have scored 70% in their grade 12 exams with physics, chemistry and biology as subject combinations. Those with IB backgrounds should have studied physics, chemistry, and biology in their grade 10 and 11 since there are no three science subject combinations in grade 12.

Going abroad to study without passing NEET could be risky for a student, considering their degree could be deemed invalid in India. AUA knows this and has thus made it a mandatory requirement. 

Last year, in a court ruling regarding the same issue, the court said that students pursuing MBBS abroad without NEET would be doing so “at their own risk.”  If you are sure to obtain a residency abroad and continue practising there, you could do so without passing NEET. One should, however, note the different requirements to be eligible to practice in different countries.

If you ask our opinion, we advise you to keep your options open, both at home and abroad.

Admission Process

Abroad MBBS admission processes vary for each institution. There might be some requirements in common, like passing a language proficiency test such as IELTS, TOEFL or the Cambridge English Exam. Others judge applications based on other factors like service to community or personal essays.  Therefore, it would be wise to go to the website of the chosen university/institution, get in touch with them or consult verified agencies who can liaise with them for additional information. 

At AUA, Indian students can enroll for the three-year (six semesters) BSc in Health Science programme at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in Manipal, Karnataka. AUA has tied up with the institution to offer its courses. After four semesters, if students meet all eligibility requirements of AUA, they can enroll for its Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. This will include two years of pre-clinical science or basic science studies, after which the final two years of Clinical studies will be in affiliated institutions in the USA. Go to the AUA website to know more.

The National Medical Commission, the apex body that controls and regulates medical education in the country, advises students to obtain information directly from the concerned university or institution abroad. It goes without saying that students looking to pursue MBBS admission in abroad universities need to find out the course cost, student visa rules and other specific details for respective countries and institutions before beginning the application and admission process.