Is Fully Funded MBBS Abroad a Reality? Complete Guide & Alternatives

Every year, many Indian students aspiring to become doctors search for fully funded MBBS programs abroad. Studying abroad for a degree in Medicine without having to spend anything for tuition fees is a dream for many, however, like most dreams, this is too good to be true. The fully funded MBBS abroad programs myths still circulate on social media and Youtube via unofficial agents who "guarantee 100% scholarship MBBS abroad" to unknowing clients. Before you take any step in pursuit of your medical career, be sure to differentiate between what is fact, and what is fiction regarding fully funded MBBS programs abroad.

This guide explains the reality of fully funded MBBS programs, the scarcity of fully funded MBBS programs and the alternatives that are not fully funded, but require significantly less investment when compared with other MBBS programs funded by private universities. If you are weighing your options, MBBS Advisor, and other similar sites including their page describing MBBS in Abroad, can help you evaluate different universities and the costs they entail.

What Does "Fully Funded MBBS Abroad" Mean?

Fully funded programs cover tuition and/or subsidized programs as well as living expenses, air travel, and accommodation. MBBS programs abroad are not subsidised the way fully funded programs are for other disciplines like business, engineering, or research based postgraduate programs, which are often fully funded at the master's and doctoral levels because universities require research assistants or teaching assistants for these subsidized programs.

MBBS is considered a clinical degree. It is expensive to establish the infrastructure for a medical degree: cadaver labs, faculty specialists, long-term partnerships with hospitals, and faculty specialists. For universities with a medical school, the financial implications to educate a foreign medic are prohibitive. The cost of medical education is higher compared to other disciplines. For this reason, fully MBBS scholarships with meditable and living cost coverage offered to international students are almost non-existent.

However, there are partial scholarships and discounts that are offered and these scholarships along with discounts can substantially reduce your costs.

Why Fully MBBS Funded Scholarships Are Rare

There are a few reasons the promise of "fully funded" medical education rarely materializes.

MBBS educates thousands of students every year, making it a lucrative business. To offer medical education, there is an investment in anatomic labs, hospitals, and highly trained professional faculty. Medical schools cannot absorb these costs for their students and offer partial to no costs. Thus, students have to pay high costs for medical education. Medical schools cannot offer complete waivers without impacting the quality of education or violating accreditation standards of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Seats funded by governments for education abroad are generally provided to citizens of that country. Some nations, for example Russia, Georgia, the Philippines among others, provide subsidized or free education for MBBS, which is why Indian students prefer to study MBBS there. These countries, however, primarily provide education to their own country nationals, and not to international students who pay in foreign currency. Whenever a foreign university provides a scholarship, that scholarship is provided through partial tuition waivers of 10% to 50%. Such awards are generally Merit-based or are awarded to students with better NEET scores or are students who complete early admissions.

There are several agents and unofficial consultants who misrepresent scholarship offers to attract students. This happens primarily in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India as families in such cities do not have alternate means of information. This has also been one of the most concerning issues in MBBS-abroad. Such claims further stress the need for transparency and the utmost diligence to verify facts prior to signing agreements or other monetary commitments.

Verifying Claims Regarding Scholarships

The grant of scholarships should be subjected to the legitimacy of the university, and more importantly, recognition of the university. A university’s recognition should be certified by the listing of the university in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS). Failing this, unlisted universities in the WDOMS create unresolvable issues, including a failure to complete the licensing and registration in India.

It is equally important to verify that the University and the country are included in the approved list by India's National Medical Commission (NMC), as NMC approval is crucial to the acceptance of your overseas medical degree for the practice of medicine in India after you return and pass the mandatory licensing exam. Some students, without checking this basic criterion and focused on the attractive scholarship offer, have to deal with hardships and face rejection when applying for registration years later.

It is also advisable to verify other applicable standards for health education through the World Health Organization (WHO), which has historically maintained a registry of medical schools and continues to have an impact on the policies regarding the health workforce and education. Although WHO does not sanction specific scholarships, you may consider the scholarship offer carefully to determine if it is within the established standards of medical education, or if it is a suspiciously generous offer.

NEET and MBBS Admissions Abroad

Every Indian student wishing to study MBBS abroad must clear the NEET-UG exam, regardless of whether a scholarship is being offered. This is a mandatory requirement set by the NMC and will be applicable even if the overseas university does not mandate NEET for admission. Many students believe that studying abroad permits them to skip the NEET. However, without a valid NEET qualifying status, the overseas medical degree will not be recognized in India, regardless of how prestigious or how attractive the scholarship is.

On the NEET page you will find the eligibility criteria, exam patterns, and important updates. It also includes the timeline for registration and counseling. If you have already taken the exam and want to know where you stand, use the NEET Rank Predictor tool to know your rank based on your probable score. This can help you decide if your only option is MBBS abroad, or if you will pursue that option first and treat it as a backup.

Some scholarships abroad may use NEET exam results to assess scholarship criteria with students who have scored well, but who have not been successful in obtaining a government seat in India, receiving better fee waivers. This means that how you perform on the NEET will impact you twice; once will be on your chances of obtaining a domestic seat and the second will be on obtaining a fee waiver in a foreign country.

Countries Often Advertised as Having Fully Funded MBBS

There are numerous countries that make the same claims, repeatedly. It is better to look beyond the agents' marketing strategies and look at the substance behind the promotions.

• Russia
• Georgia
• Philippines
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan

It is a common claim that Russia has government scholarships for International Medical Students. It is true that Russia has some scholarship quotas for foreigners through either bilateral agreements or programs funded by the Russian government. But these are few, extremely competitive, and often come along with a proficiency in the Russian language and a higher academic threshold. The self-funded majority of Indian students pay medical tuition which, while cheaper than the fees at India's Private Colleges, is far from free.

Affordable tuition is the main draw for the Philippines and Georgia for most medical students. Fully funded programs do not attract students to these countries the way affordable tuitions do. Some universities offer discounts or scholarships for the first year, but complete funding for the entire six years is usually not an option.

To attract more students, countries like Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan offer not fully funded programs and post partial scholarships.

For most Indian applicants, countries all over the world offer many MBBS programs with the opportunity to greatly decrease MBBS costs. However, the idea of going abroad for med school and paying absolutely nothing for it is not a possibility.

Real Options for MBBS

Keeping financial restrictions in mind, it is more logical to look to fully eliminate or minimize costs that allow you to receive an internationally recognized medical degree. Then you can secure your future career.

Merit-Based Partial Scholarships

The most accessible option for partial scholarships is merit-based partial tuition. For students with stellar records or those that have scored high on the NEET, universities are often willing to forgo the cut-off for government MBBS placements. For those students, applying early in the admission cycle is recommended, as scholarship funds will be awarded in order of those that apply first.

Education Loans

MBBS education loans merit consideration as a practical path. Several Indian banks, as well as NBFCs, provide education loans to cover tuition, hostel, and even living expenses for medical universities that are recognized abroad. Being eligible for interest subsidies under various government schemes makes this a more prudent option compared to the elusive full scholarships.

Affordable Destinations

In the long term, it is more sensible to choose countries with lower tuition, as compared to waiting indefinitely for a scholarship. The total cost (including hostel, food, and travel) for the six-year program across different countries can show that a country with a relatively lower cost option can be more affordable compared to an expensive university with a partial scholarship.

Family Support & Part-Time Work

Family-sponsored education coupled with part-time work in select countries can cover part of living expenses. However, students should check the country’s visa restrictions on work before relying on this.

Expected Payment Upfront

There are several indicators that show the reliability of a supposedly fully funded MBBS scholarship. A major concern should be when agents ask for a large sum of money as an advance to provide an official scholarship verification from the university. Actual scholarships will always be formally documented by the university, and there will be no verbal assurances by a consultant.

Be just as cautious about universities that are hard to verify on WDOMS or do not appear on any NMC lists of foreign medical schools. A scholarship at a university that is not recognized has no real benefit. Your degree may not allow you to practice medicine in India, even if it was free.

Lastly, promises of fully funded scholarships should be treated with extra caution.

Make sure you:

• Receive a written description of the scholarship.
• Carefully review the renewal conditions.
• Verify whether hostel and food are covered.
• Confirm whether all expenses or only tuition are included.

Conclusion

Seeking admission to foreign universities to acquire an MBBS degree is a time consuming and expensive option. Completely unrealistic fully funded dreams resulting in students being admitted to unrecognized institutions is a likely outcome. It is wiser to conduct thorough research to verify every university and establish a reasonable budget for tuition, living expenses, and the foreign medical licensing costs and the cost of obtaining the medical license to practice in India.

MBBS Advisor helps students select the right university, compare costs, and understand the admission processes for MBBS abroad. It is especially helpful when combined with a good understanding of your eligibility for the NEET Exam and using the NEET Rank Predictor as a reality check when determining your options.

Ultimately, a fully funded MBBS abroad is nearly impossible, however, real partial scholarships, student loans, and choosing a budget friendly country can help you pursue your dream of becoming a doctor without being a victim of false advertising. Always check claims with reputed sites such as WDOMS and NMC. Also, keep your guard up with offers that seem overly generous until you have direct confirmation from the university.