Challenges In Earning An MBBS In The Philippines

The Philippines, like many international countries, actively recruit students from India interested in earning an MBBS. The structure for earning an MBBS in the Philippines is similar to that of schools in the United States, which means a 2-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, successful completion of NMAT exam, application for the Doctor of Medicine program, and then four years of MD (MBBS) study in the Philippines.

The Reality Of MBBS Colleges in the Philippines

Unfortunately, while this looks very similar to the programs offered in the United States, the Caribbean, and India, it is very different. When students choose to study MBBS in the Philippines, they are not told there is the limited number of seats available in the MD program for foreign nationals. Of the possible 160 or so seats at most colleges, only 40 are available to international students including students from India.

This means that all students from India recruited to complete an MBBS in the Philippines, even if they pass their NMAT exam, compete for 40 possible seats or less. The result is hundreds of students every year who complete their BSc and pass the NMAT left stranded with no possibility to complete the MBBS program.

“Admission in the MD program after successfully completing BS in Philippines is NOT GUARENTEED.”In addition, completing an MBBS in the Philippines for Indian students does not include clinical rotations in the USA. This means graduates from an mbbs in the Philippines find it extremely difficult to get PG/Residency in the USA. Their chances of working in india are also very limited and about the same as indian students graduating from an MBBS in Russia or Ukraine.

Good to know :-

  • US-CE i.e., United States Clinical Experience obtained during ACGME Approved Clinical Rotations in US Teaching Hospitals is the most important and decisive factor in getting PG or Residency in USA.
  • From 2022, USMLE Step 1 will be a Pass/Fail exam and students will not get any score.
  • Clinical Rotations can be done only as part of a medical curriculum and never after completing MBBS from Philippines or any other country.

While an MBBS in the Philippines may look like an attractive option, it is not a successful path for those wishing to pursue a career as a doctor in India, the USA, or in most other countries.

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