India’s medical education under scrutiny as students run into Ukraine and China headwinds

NEW DELHI - Mr Vishwanath Kumar has been trying to get into a medical college since 2019 to pursue a career as a surgeon.

So far, the 21-year-old has been unsuccessful.

“I have dreamt of being a doctor since I was in school. I feel hopeful that I will get through this time,” said Mr Kumar, who missed getting a seat by 36 marks in 2022, and is now on his fifth and final attempt.

Mr Kumar is among millions of students desperately trying to get into medical schools in India.

The problem of a shortage in medical school seats has been highlighted by the return of students from Ukraine and China who were unable to graduate because of the war and the Covid-19 situation, respectively.

The Indian government had to

evacuate students from Ukraine in February

when Russia invaded the country and war broke out. In October, the Indian government also issued an advisory asking those who had returned to Ukraine to evacuate.

About 1,500 students, desperate to get their medical degrees, have reportedly refused to evacuate from the European country.

China recently started allowing Indian students to return.

All this has raised questions over why so many students from India are travelling abroad for medical studies every year.

The answer: Too many students and too few places.

About 1.7 million students on average compete for 80,000 places in undergraduate courses under India’s National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Neet) every year.

It is mandatory to pass Neet with top marks to stand a chance of getting into one of the 600 medical colleges in the public and private sectors.

Students unable to get into Indian schools go overseas. About 20,000 to 25,000 students go to countries such as Russia, Ukraine, China and the Philippines every year to study medicine.

There is also the problem of fees.

On average, government colleges charge 120,000 rupees (S$2,020) a year, while the fee can go up to 10 million rupees a year at private medical colleges. In comparison, some foreign colleges charge only 2.5 million rupees.

While the government has been trying to increase the number of medical colleges, a September report on medical education by investment consultants Anand Rathi Advisors found a 100 per cent increase in students taking the undergraduate exam in the past five years.

About 23,000 undergraduate seats were added with the setting up of 37 medical colleges in the past five years.

“Private-sector participation in the medical education industry needs to increase significantly for the admission scenario to improve in India,” said the report.

Mr Himanshu Borah, founder and president of All India JEE-Neet Students Association, said students are feeling the pressure. JEE refers to the gateway examination for admission to premier engineering institutes in the country.

Mr Borah said: “If you want to become a doctor in India, you have to crack Neet. There is no other way. Students on average take four to five years to get through.

“Like the engineering exam (to get into engineering colleges), which is held twice a year, Neet should also be held twice (yearly), so students are not dependent on this one exam.”

There has also been criticism over the admission process.

A committee set up by the government in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu to look into the impact of Neet on students there concluded that the test “does not assess students’ cognitive reasoning, social and behavioural skills”.

Highlighting inequities, the committee observed that candidates from high-income families can afford private coaching, compared with students from families with modest means.

The government has undertaken multiple reforms to improve medical education in recent years.

There are 94 medical colleges under various stages of completion. The government recently launched a public-private partnership model for setting up medical colleges. High fees charged by private colleges are also under scrutiny in the courts.

Still, Mr Arvind Singhal, chairman of business consultancy Technopak Advisors, is optimistic.

“I am hoping that by 2028 or 2029, the challenges will be mitigated as there will be adequate colleges. At the same time, you don’t want to create so many seats that students end up joining, and in eight to 10 years, there will be excess supply,” he said.

“Unlike many professions, in medicine, there is no retirement age.”