Indian Medical aspirants likely to rise after Philippines amends policy

Following recent legislative changes that allow foreign students to practice medicine locally after receiving their Doctor of Medicine degree, the Philippines is expected to see a 25–30% increase in the number of Indian students coming to the country for medical studies, a foreign education consultant said on Friday.

“The amendment is a historic accomplishment for all international medical students studying in the Philippines, not just those from India. It gives our graduates a clear route to practice medicine either domestically or abroad. “This move will solidify the Philippines’ standing as a top provider of medical education in the Asia-Pacific area,” stated Kadwin Pillai, chairman of Kings International Medical Academy and director of Transworld Educare.

Students who want to become doctors in India will also profit from this move because it complies with the National Medical Council’s (NMC) regulation requiring them to return from their education abroad with a valid practising licence in order to take the Indian screening exam.

Around 2,000 Indian students study medicine in the Philippines each year; this number is predicted to increase by 25–30%, according to Pillai, because the nation provides top-notch education at reasonable prices, with tuition much cheaper than in Western nations.

Following the legislative modification, Indian students will be qualified to register and practice medicine in the Philippines after completing their Doctor of Medicine degree from a Philippine College of Medicine accredited by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and a 12-month internship.

Over 2.4 million students in India took the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (UG) this year, setting a new record. In total, about 20,000 Indian students pursue medical study overseas.

Among the top five destinations for Indian medical students are the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, and Russia.

According to Pillai, Indian students had previously studied medicine in China and the Ukraine.

“However, the numbers dropped significantly after the Covid-19 pandemic for China and Ukraine after the Ukraine-Russia war,” he stated.