China was one of the preferred locations for Indian medical students. (Express Photo by Abhisek Saha / Representational image)

— Written by Geeta Jain

The coronavirus pandemic has made the world realise the importance of medical and allied fields and we can expect more attention on the field in coming times. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has stopped the visa of those students or people who are returning from China, Italy or Iran. So, for students aspiring to go abroad, especially to study medicine, China is seemingly a tough choice.

Russia, US and UK have been the most in-demand places but with the rising need for study and research in virology, pharmaceutics, several new countries can be expected to see a surge. It’s inevitable that students’ mindsets on studying abroad will shift as this situation escalates.

With over 15 lakh medical aspirants and only tens of thousands of seats, untapped destinations closer to home can be explored. If you are an Indian student thinking of studying abroad, here is a list of countries you can explore:

Malaysia: In Southeast Asia, Malaysia is a great option for students who wish to enroll themselves in further studies. Its capital Kuala Lumpur affordable in terms of tuition fees as well as living expenses. The University of Technology Malaysia, The National University of Malaysia and University of Malaya are some very old and top-most ranked universities that offer courses in Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Courses related to science, medical, engineering, business, fashion and arts are available in these top-notch universities.

Singapore: Singapore is a densely populated and thriving centre of excellence in higher education. Singapore always has a tropical rainforest climate, it is a clean and green city with the highest area covered with large parks. It is a great country for students, offering decent transport facilities and a good economy with the least unemployment rates. The top-most universities of Singapore are The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) with a wide variety of courses. Students would not face any difficulty in communicating as there is no language barrier. A degree from Singapore is valued globally and studying is cost-effective as well.

Canada: It is known for welcoming immigration and work policies, it can also be a destination for medicine. Canada is a bilingual country and has world-class education with the best colleges and unique courses in almost every field. The University of British Columbia is the top Medical University in Canada and others are The University of Alberta with the finest courses in medical, engineering, business management, MBA, bioscience and many more. The studying expenses are cheaper as compared to India.

 

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Georgia: Georgia is a Eurasian country located in the Caucasus region. It is an emerging destination to study medicine for international students. Due to access to quality education and affordable fee structures, it is popular among overseas students. There are many MCI-recognised medical universities such as New Vision University, Tbilisi State University, University of Georgia, Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, etc. Georgia is also famous for courses like business management, viticulture, finance, water engineering, etc. International School of Economics, Georgian Aviation University, Caucasus International Universities are some other popular universities in Georgia.

Armenia: It is renowned for its rich cultural history. Nowadays, Armenia is emerging as a viable option for students to pursue medical courses. International standards of education and MCI recognised medical universities of Armenia are together attracting the attention of overseas students. There is a rich influence of Indian culture on Armenian societies which makes it a favourable destination for Indian students. It is famous for offering diverse courses such as Industrial Engineering and System Management, Political Science, International Affairs, Computer and Information Science, Economics etc. The American University of Armenia, Yerevan State University, Armenian State University of Economics and Armenian Medical Institutes are some of the renowned universities of Armenia.

— The author is founder of Mediconation – an overseas education consultancy firm