With rising tuition fees and limited MBBS seats in India, studying medicine abroad has become a viable option for many aspiring doctors. Dr. Priyanshi, an MBBS graduate from Qingdao University, Qingdao Medical College (Graduation Year - 2025), shares her firsthand journey of pursuing medical education in China.
She discusses the admission process, clinical exposure, cultural adjustments, and licensing challenges, offering valuable insights and advice for Indian students considering China as a destination for their medical studies.
In an exclusive interview with Arushi Roy Chowdhury from MedBound Times, Priyanshi shares insights from her journey pursuing MBBS in China, including admissions, academics, and licensing hurdles.
Arushi Roy Chowdhury: What motivated you to choose China for pursuing medicine, and how did the admission process compare to other countries?
Dr. Priyanshi: I wanted to do MBBS but with the Indian system it was completely impossible to do it as private colleges are way too expensive for a person of middle class to afford so I chose China compared to other countries like Russia or Philippines as it is better and the rules in favour of graduates from China is more. The admission process on the whole was very simple as it was via the admission agency so it was not too much effort but the medical test and other requirements were a bit too much.
Arushi Roy Chowdhury: How would you describe the teaching style, clinical exposure, and overall academic experience in your university?
Dr. Priyanshi: The teaching and clinical exposure is good, their hospitals, the technologies everything is great, the overall atmosphere is good but in my university there weren't much extra curricular options or any other activities that involved medical students but it was not excellent, just a good atmosphere.
Arushi Roy Chowdhury: What were the biggest challenges you faced as an international student: language, cultural adjustment, or something else?
Dr. Priyanshi: As an international students there were many issues with the language being the biggest challenge but teachers were accommodating as well as the people outside university were helpful. Another big issue was about the food as many universities don't have Indian menus or even vegetarian menus so cooking, cleaning, buying groceries and studying at the same time with hospital visits was very hectic.
Arushi Roy Chowdhury: How do you see your degree being recognized back home or abroad, especially with licensing exams like FMGE (Foreign Medical Graduate Examination)?
Dr. Priyanshi: Our degree is more valuable in China as compared to India because even after going through a licensing exam and clearing it a student faces too much discrimination and disrespect from collecting the passing certificate to getting internship everything is a very bad experience.
In my personal opinion NBEMS(National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences) should be transparent and should respect FMGE ( Foreign Medical Graduate Examination ) students. As in my case when I went to get the certificate they said my embassy stamps are fake and denied at first to give my certificate and fought with me, they humiliated me and caused me loss of time and money.
All in all India needs to learn to respect the doctors as doctors not FMGE or IMG (International Medical Graduate). The government should go through it and understand that their policies are more of harm than help to all students.
Arushi Roy Chowdhury: What advice would you give to future students considering China for their medical education?
Dr. Priyanshi: China for medical education is a good option but right now with the current situation I would recommend no student to go to study in China. Chinese government has passed the rule that students have to get a license of China first and China needs that you should pass a language exam called HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) that too on level 6 and after that they need to come back to India and give their FMGE exam.
So this is too much of a hassle and students cannot afford private universities so if they attain a license of any country why would they come back.
Edited by M Subha Maheswari