Medicine🏥⚕️: UK🇬🇧 vs Australia 🇦🇺 vs India 🇮🇳

 When deciding to study medicine, as a child raised in an Indian background, I always only had 3 options or countries in my mind which were either the UK, Australia, or India. Although staying in India to medicine would be the straightforward answer, I always had the curiosity and wanted to know more about the medical journey overseas. So let’s look at the medical journey in these countries and hopefully find out which is the best option. 

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

Pre-requisites

1. Year 11 (Age: 15-16) 

• Good GCSEs grades

• Volunteering(for 6 to 12 months to gain people interactions)- portfolio

2. Year 12 (Age 16-17)

• A-levels(at least 3 A grades) 

• Work experience( medicine-related eg. Job shadowing doctors)- portfolio

• Super-curricular( biology olympiads, workshops, talks)- portfolio

3. Year 13 (Age 17-18)

• To get admission into a medical course under one of the universities, aspirants need to either take up UCAT or BMAT, depending on the universities. But as of 2024, it is best is take UCAT, as it is more widely recognised and BMAT is being discontinued after 2024 and won’t be available in 2025. 

• UCAT( University Clinical Aptitude Test)

• Either during July or the end of September (2 sessions)

• 2-hour exam, 4 sections 

• Situational Judgement(Band 1-4) 

• Marks range from 1200-3600

• BMAT( Biomedical admission test)

• It is a 2 hour-long exam, 3 sections 

Medicine Journey📝

1. Medical School (5 years)

2. 2-year foundation programme 

• Paid during the 2 years duration

• Includes work experience and training

• Students get to move around different medical specialties 

• Towards the end of the 2nd year, you need to choose which specialty you would like to embark on in the future 

3. Specialty training 

• 3 years for General Practioner(GP)

• 5-8 years depending on the various speciality 

Therefore, the medical journey is roughly about 7 years without any super specialty and can even extend up to 10 or 15 years if you decide to embark on any super specialty  

Australia🇦🇺

Pre-requisites:

1. ATAR and HSC 

- The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank(ATAR) is a number between 0.00 and 99.95 that indicates a student’s position relative to all the students in their age group. So, an ATAR of 8.00 means that you are 20 % from the top of your age group. 

- Universities use the ATAR to help them select students for their courses and admission to most tertiary courses is based on their selection rank( your ATAR + any applicable adjustments) 

2. UCAT 

• The same University clinical aptitude test as mentioned above under the pre-requisites for the United Kingdom 

3. Interview 

• Each university varies slightly in the types of stations they use, often reflecting their own unique values. MMIs(Multiple Mini Interviews) usually consist of 5-7 stations of 6-8 minutes each, with approximately 2 minutes between each station to read the scenario or question. 

• The total duration of the interviews can go from 30 minutes to even 1 hour in total.

Medical Journey

To become a doctor in Australia, you typically need to complete the following steps:

1. Complete high school or college: Finish year 12 and any prerequisite subjects.

2. Take an admissions test: For undergraduate entry, you can take the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) or the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT). For graduate entry, you can take the GAMSAT exam, which includes multiple-choice questions and essays.

3. Complete a bachelor's degree: Undergraduate medical courses usually last six years.

4. Complete medical school: Postgraduate medical programs typically last four years.

5. Complete an internship: This one-year supervised internship involves rotating between different areas of medicine, such as surgery and emergency medicine.

6. Complete residency: During residency, you perform a similar role to an intern.

7. Complete vocational training: You can obtain a fellowship through a specialty program to become a specialist medical practitioner. 

Hence, the medical journey in Australia can last for 10 to 11 years.

India🇮🇳

Pre-requisite

1. Complete 12th CBSE ( Central Board of Secondary Education) Exams or 12th State Board Exams (This is to attain certificate of 12th standard completion for application to any college)

2. To get admission into any medical college( Government or Private) you need to take the NEET exam (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) which is held annually on the 1st Sunday of May. This year the Exam was conducted on 5th May 2024.

NEET stands for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test. It is a national-level entrance examination conducted in India for students who aspire to pursue undergraduate medical (MBBS), dental (BDS), or related courses (like Ayurveda, Homeopathy, etc.) in government or private medical colleges across the country.

NEET is administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. It replaced several individual medical entrance exams previously held by various states and institutions, aiming to streamline the admission process and ensure a standardized evaluation for all medical aspirants.

Key points about NEET:

• Subjects: The exam covers subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (Botany and Zoology).

• Eligibility: Candidates must have completed 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English as core subjects.

• Exam Format: It is a pen-and-paper test (offline mode) consisting of multiple-choice questions.

• Scores: NEET scores are used for admission to undergraduate medical courses in colleges approved by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Dental Council of India (DCI).

• Competitiveness: NEET is highly competitive with a large number of students appearing for a limited number of seats in medical colleges.

NEET has become the primary gateway for students seeking admission to medical and dental colleges in India, ensuring a fair and transparent selection process based on merit.

Medical Journey 

1. Undergraduate Medical Education (MBBS):

• Duration: 4.5 to 5.5 years

• After completing high school (Class 12) with the Science stream (Physics, Chemistry, Biology), students need to qualify for and complete an MBBS program.

• MBBS programs in India typically last for 4.5 years, followed by a compulsory rotating internship (CRRI) for 1 year.

2. Internship (Compulsory Rotating Internship - CRRI):

• Duration: 1 year

• After completing the MBBS course, graduates must undergo a one-year internship at a recognized hospital.

• During this period, they gain hands-on training in various departments of medicine and healthcare.

3. Postgraduate Studies (Optional):

• Duration: 3 years (for MD/MS courses)

• Many doctors choose to pursue specialization through postgraduate studies (MD - Doctor of Medicine, MS - Master of Surgery, etc.).

• Admission to postgraduate courses is competitive and requires qualifying entrance exams such as NEET PG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate).

4. Licensing Exam:

• After completing MBBS and internships, doctors need to clear a licensing exam to practice medicine in India.

• As of recent developments, the National Exit Test (NEXT) is proposed to serve as the licensing exam, integrating undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.

In summary, the entire journey to becoming a doctor in India can take approximately:

• 5.5 to 6.5 years for MBBS (including internship)

• Additional 3 years for postgraduate specialization (if pursued)

• Plus time for preparing and clearing licensing exams

Therefore, the total time to become a fully qualified doctor in India can range from around 5.5 years (for MBBS only) to over 9 years (including postgraduate specialization). It's a demanding path that requires dedication, academic excellence, and a commitment to serving the healthcare needs of society.

The UK, Australia, and India offer robust medical education systems with pathways for undergraduate and postgraduate training leading to specialist qualifications. The choice between the two countries often depends on personal preferences regarding training structure, healthcare system, work environment, lifestyle, and career goals. Each country provides opportunities for professional growth and contribution to healthcare, albeit with distinct regulatory frameworks and training pathways.

The main concern when it comes to medicine is always the cost factor. 

In the UK, the 5 years undergraduate course is approximately 53 lakhs just for the course and then there are accommodation, food, and living expenses. This would be a big factor to consider as the UK is amongst the top expensive cities to live in along with Singapore. In Australia, the course fee jumps to a whooping SGD 500k -600k, which equates to nearly 3 crores. So, in conclusion, if you are financially stable and comfortable then you can go to Australia and the UK for medicine. If not then you can manage with a good MBBS education that is provided by Government medical colleges in India for just less than 1 lakhs for the entire 5.5 years providing that you work hard and get 650+ out of 720 in NEET.