Government highlights risks for students considering studying medicine in China, issues advisory

The notice came after students were stranded in India for more than two years due to Beijing’s Covid visa ban.

According to official estimates reported by PTI, more than 23,000 Indian students are currently enrolled in various Chinese universities. A large majority of them are medical students.

After more than two years of COVID visa restrictions, China has recently started issuing visas to a select number of returning students. However, most of them have struggled to return as there are no direct flights and the two countries are still in talks to set up limited flight facilities given Beijing’s quarantine restrictions.

Chinese medical colleges, meanwhile, have started enrolling new students from India and abroad.

In this context, the Indian Embassy in Beijing on Thursday issued a detailed notice for Indian students wishing to study medicine in China.

The notice contains the results of the studies, which outline the difficulties faced by Indian students in China and the high standards they face to qualify to practice medicine in India.

A striking feature of the notice is that only 16% of students passed the required test between 2015 and 2021 to qualify to practice in India.

Only 6,387 out of 40,417 students who sat for the Medical Council of India (MCI) Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) exam from 2015 to 2021 passed it.

The pass rate of Indian students who studied clinical medicine programs in China during this period at 45 accredited universities was only 16 percent, the notice said.

“Prospective students and parents can please note this fact when deciding to apply for admission to Chinese universities for clinical medicine program,” he said.

Regarding costs, he said the fee structure was different for different universities and advised students to check directly with the university before enrolling.

The notice listed 45 medical colleges designated by the Chinese government to award five-year medical degrees plus a one-year internship. Indian students are advised not to apply for admission other than these 45 colleges.

The Chinese government has “clearly mentioned in its official communication that foreign students can only join medical programs at 45 English-language universities.”

“They cannot join the clinical medicine program in China which is offered in Chinese. They also made it clear that any university offering clinical medicine programs in bilingual mode (English and Chinese) is strictly prohibited,” the notice said.

“However, Chinese language learning is mandatory for clinical sessions. Therefore, every student will also have to learn Chinese language up to HSK-4 level. Any student who does not achieve this minimum proficiency in Chinese will not receive a diploma,” he said.

The notice also pointed out that Indian students studying medicine in China must obtain a license to practice in the country where they obtained the degree.

After completing the internship, students must pass the Chinese medical qualification examination and obtain a doctor’s qualification certificate to practice in China, according to the notice.

It is important to pass the qualifying exam to practice in India because the regulations of the “NMC (National Medical Commission)” of November 18, 2021 stipulate that any prospective student who wishes to undergo medical training abroad must necessarily have a license to practice in a graduate’s country. after completing his clinical medicine program, before he can sit for the FMG exam in India,’ he said.

In addition, Indian students who wish to obtain a medical qualification in China must pass the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entry Test-Undergraduate) exam, which is the entrance exam for undergraduate medical education in India , as a prerequisite to pursue medical studies abroad, according to the notice.

“Only students who obtain the NEET-UG for admission to undergraduate medical education in India will be eligible to sit for the screening test, namely the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE),” a he declared.

On the quality of undergraduate programs in clinical medicine in China, the notice lists feedback from former students.

“The Embassy has received several comments from former students who have already completed such programs. One of the most common challenges is the English proficiency of Chinese professors at these universities. Few students also complained about the lack of practical/clinical experience in terms of patient engagement at some universities,” the notice said.

He advised prospective students and their parents to consult the study conducted by the National Examination Council on the passing percentage of students who studied at various Chinese universities.

He also advised students who are planning to enroll in a university in China to check themselves whether the university is on the list of 45 universities, the duration of the course (as it varies from university to university ), proposed program, language of instruction, mode of instruction (online or offline), fee structure, and visa requirements before traveling to China.

“Due to China’s ‘zero Covid dynamic policy’, there are various quarantine restrictions and standards in China, which vary from city to city and are very strict and require full compliance without exception. In addition, these regulations are updated regularly. Therefore, Indian students enrolled in Chinese universities are advised to familiarize themselves with the latest regulations of the place of travel and make appropriate arrangements,” the notice said.

The notice notes that China’s Ministry of Education has not released any separate rankings of different Chinese universities that offer clinical medicine programs.

However, the Embassy has prepared a table according to the passing percentage of Indian students in the FMG exam which is linked in the notice.

The notice states that prospective students may wish to make their own judgment when making the decision to choose the university as the Embassy or the National Medical Council of India has not conducted any ranking or quality assessment education offered by these universities to foreign students in China.

(With PTI entries)

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