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India issues advisory outlining risks for students planning to study medicine in China | India News
BEIJING: India has issued a detailed advisory to prospective students who want to study medicine in China, warning them of pitfalls, including poor pass rates, compulsory learning of an official spoken language Putonghua and strict standards to qualify to practice in India.
The advice comes as thousands of Indians studying at China’s medical colleges are now stuck at home for more than two years due to Beijing’s COVID visa ban. According to official estimates, more than 23,000 Indian students are currently enrolled in various Chinese universities. Most of them are medical students.
After more than two years of COVID visa restrictions, China recently started issuing visas to a select number of students back. However, most of them struggle to return because there are no direct flights and the two countries are still negotiating to find limited flying vehicles under Beijing’s quarantine restrictions.
Meanwhile, Chinese medical colleges began to enroll new students from India and abroad.
Against this backdrop, the Indian Embassy in Beijing issued a comprehensive advice on Thursday to students from India who wish to study medicine in China.
The consultant presents the results of the studies, which outline the difficulties that Indian students in China face and the strict standards they face in order to qualify to practice medicine in India. .
A striking feature of the advice is that only 16% of students pass the required test between 2015 and 2021 to be eligible to practice in India.
Only 6,387 out of 40,417 students who appeared in the Medical Council of India (MCI) FMG (Graduate of Foreign Medicine) Exam from 2015 to 2021 have completed.
The pass rate of Indian students enrolled in clinical medicine programs in China during that period at 45 accredited universities was only 16%, the advice highlights.
“Students and prospective parents can keep this fact in mind when deciding to enroll in Chinese universities for clinical medicine programs,” it said.
As for the cost, the fee structure varies for different universities and it is recommended that students check directly from the university before admission.
The consultancy listed 45 medical colleges designated by the Chinese government that offer medical degrees for a period of 5 years plus a one-year internship. Indian students are advised not to enroll outside of those 45 colleges.
The Chinese government has “clearly mentioned in their official announcement that foreign students can only participate in medical programs at 45 universities in English”.
“They cannot participate in a clinical medicine program in China that is offered in Chinese. They have also explicitly stated that any university that offers clinical medicine programs in a bilingual manner (English and Chinese) is strictly prohibited,” the advisory said.
“However, learning Chinese is mandatory for clinical sessions. Therefore, every student will also need to learn Chinese up to the HSK-4 level. Any student who does not perfect this minimum Chinese language skill will not be awarded a degree,” it said.
The advice also emphasizes that Indian students studying medicine in China must obtain a license to practice in the country where they obtained their degree.
After completing the internship, students must complete the Chinese medical qualification exam and obtain a doctor’s certificate in order to practice in China, the advice said.
It is important to remove the qualifying exam to practice in India as “NMC (National Health Commission) regulations dated November 18, 2021 stating that any prospective student wishing to study medicine abroad must necessarily obtain a license to practice in the graduate’s home country upon completion of the medical program clinical, before he/she can appear for FMG examination in India,” it said.
In addition, Indian students interested in obtaining a medical certificate from China must complete the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Undergraduate Entrance Test), which is an entrance exam. for undergraduate medical education in India, as a prerequisite for pursuing medical education abroad, the advisor said.
It said: “Only students who complete the NEET-UG for admission to higher medical education in India are eligible to take the screening test, namely the Foreign Medical Graduate Exam. (FMGE).
Regarding the quality of clinical medicine undergraduate programs in China, the advisor listed responses from past students.
“The embassy has received some feedback from students who have completed such a program before. One of the most common challenges is the English skills of Chinese teachers in these universities. Some students have also complained of a lack of practical/clinical experience in interacting with patients at some universities,” the advisory said.
It advises prospective students and their parents to review research conducted by National Examination Board pass rates of students who have studied in different Chinese universities.
It also advises students who are planning to enroll in any university in China to determine for themselves whether the school is on the list of 45 universities, the duration of the course (as it differs between universities), curriculum offered, language of instruction. , mode of education (online or offline), fee structure, and pre-arrival visa requirements to China.
“Due to China’s ‘Non-generic Dynamic Policy’, there are various restrictions and quarantine standards in China, which vary from city to city and are very strict and require full compliance with no exceptions. rate. Furthermore, these regulations are regularly updated. Therefore, Indian students applying to Chinese universities should take note of the latest regulations of their destination and make appropriate arrangements,” advises.
The advisor noted that China Ministry of Education has not published any separate rankings of Chinese universities offering clinical medicine programs.
However, the embassy has prepared a table according to the passing percentage of Indian students in the FMG Exam, the link of which is provided in the consultation section.
Advice indicates prospective students may wish to make their own judgment while making the decision to choose a university as an Embassy or National Medical Council of India has not made any ranking or evaluation of the educational quality of these universities for foreign students in China.
The advice comes as thousands of Indians studying at China’s medical colleges are now stuck at home for more than two years due to Beijing’s COVID visa ban. According to official estimates, more than 23,000 Indian students are currently enrolled in various Chinese universities. Most of them are medical students.
After more than two years of COVID visa restrictions, China recently started issuing visas to a select number of students back. However, most of them struggle to return because there are no direct flights and the two countries are still negotiating to find limited flying vehicles under Beijing’s quarantine restrictions.
Meanwhile, Chinese medical colleges began to enroll new students from India and abroad.
Against this backdrop, the Indian Embassy in Beijing issued a comprehensive advice on Thursday to students from India who wish to study medicine in China.
The consultant presents the results of the studies, which outline the difficulties that Indian students in China face and the strict standards they face in order to qualify to practice medicine in India. .
A striking feature of the advice is that only 16% of students pass the required test between 2015 and 2021 to be eligible to practice in India.
Only 6,387 out of 40,417 students who appeared in the Medical Council of India (MCI) FMG (Graduate of Foreign Medicine) Exam from 2015 to 2021 have completed.
The pass rate of Indian students enrolled in clinical medicine programs in China during that period at 45 accredited universities was only 16%, the advice highlights.
“Students and prospective parents can keep this fact in mind when deciding to enroll in Chinese universities for clinical medicine programs,” it said.
As for the cost, the fee structure varies for different universities and it is recommended that students check directly from the university before admission.
The consultancy listed 45 medical colleges designated by the Chinese government that offer medical degrees for a period of 5 years plus a one-year internship. Indian students are advised not to enroll outside of those 45 colleges.
The Chinese government has “clearly mentioned in their official announcement that foreign students can only participate in medical programs at 45 universities in English”.
“They cannot participate in a clinical medicine program in China that is offered in Chinese. They have also explicitly stated that any university that offers clinical medicine programs in a bilingual manner (English and Chinese) is strictly prohibited,” the advisory said.
“However, learning Chinese is mandatory for clinical sessions. Therefore, every student will also need to learn Chinese up to the HSK-4 level. Any student who does not perfect this minimum Chinese language skill will not be awarded a degree,” it said.
The advice also emphasizes that Indian students studying medicine in China must obtain a license to practice in the country where they obtained their degree.
After completing the internship, students must complete the Chinese medical qualification exam and obtain a doctor’s certificate in order to practice in China, the advice said.
It is important to remove the qualifying exam to practice in India as “NMC (National Health Commission) regulations dated November 18, 2021 stating that any prospective student wishing to study medicine abroad must necessarily obtain a license to practice in the graduate’s home country upon completion of the medical program clinical, before he/she can appear for FMG examination in India,” it said.
In addition, Indian students interested in obtaining a medical certificate from China must complete the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Undergraduate Entrance Test), which is an entrance exam. for undergraduate medical education in India, as a prerequisite for pursuing medical education abroad, the advisor said.
It said: “Only students who complete the NEET-UG for admission to higher medical education in India are eligible to take the screening test, namely the Foreign Medical Graduate Exam. (FMGE).
Regarding the quality of clinical medicine undergraduate programs in China, the advisor listed responses from past students.
“The embassy has received some feedback from students who have completed such a program before. One of the most common challenges is the English skills of Chinese teachers in these universities. Some students have also complained of a lack of practical/clinical experience in interacting with patients at some universities,” the advisory said.
It advises prospective students and their parents to review research conducted by National Examination Board pass rates of students who have studied in different Chinese universities.
It also advises students who are planning to enroll in any university in China to determine for themselves whether the school is on the list of 45 universities, the duration of the course (as it differs between universities), curriculum offered, language of instruction. , mode of education (online or offline), fee structure, and pre-arrival visa requirements to China.
“Due to China’s ‘Non-generic Dynamic Policy’, there are various restrictions and quarantine standards in China, which vary from city to city and are very strict and require full compliance with no exceptions. rate. Furthermore, these regulations are regularly updated. Therefore, Indian students applying to Chinese universities should take note of the latest regulations of their destination and make appropriate arrangements,” advises.
The advisor noted that China Ministry of Education has not published any separate rankings of Chinese universities offering clinical medicine programs.
However, the embassy has prepared a table according to the passing percentage of Indian students in the FMG Exam, the link of which is provided in the consultation section.
Advice indicates prospective students may wish to make their own judgment while making the decision to choose a university as an Embassy or National Medical Council of India has not made any ranking or evaluation of the educational quality of these universities for foreign students in China.
