The problematic globalisation of medical education

Global Medical Education Crisis

• There is a shortage of medical doctors globally, leading to increased international mobility of medical students from high-, mid-, and low-income countries.

• Medical education is now nationally regulated but also becoming internationalized due to national and global health needs.

• An estimated 2.00 million international students are studying in medical schools outside their home countries, many in institutions with questionable medical preparation.

India Crisis

• India has a severe shortage of doctors, leading to intense competition for medical seats.

• Over 20,000 Indian medical students go abroad to study due to limited government medical seats and high tuition fees in private institutions.

• Countries like Russia, pre-war Ukraine, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, China, Mauritius, and Nepal have become attractive destinations.

• Some Indian institutions in foreign countries are controlled by Indians, such as the Manipal College of Medical Sciences in Nepal and the American University of Antigua College of Medicine.

Challenges of Studying Medicine Abroad

• Indian students completing their programs from foreign institutions must clear the national licensing examination to qualify for medical practice in India.

• Indians wishing to practice medicine in other countries must satisfy licensing and other requirements of those countries.

Future Plans

• The government has successfully added nearly 1.1 lakh undergraduate and postgraduate medical education seats over the past decade, an increase of 130%.

• An additional 10,000 seats would be introduced in medical colleges and hospitals in 2026, part of a broader five-year goal to add 75,000 new seats.

Global Medical Education Trends

• Students from Western countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway have been going to neighbouring countries for their medical studies due to a lack of access at home.

• Medical programs in central and eastern Europe, as well as in Central Asia, cater to diaspora students and teach in English.

• Medical schools in non-English speaking environments offer English-medium medical curricula to attract high-fee-paying international students.

Balancing Demand and Quality Concerns

• The government is starting to see the problem, but solutions are expensive and meet opposition from inside the medical establishment.