(This letter is part of a series by The Indian Express where we bring to you the experiences of students at different foreign universities. From scholarships and loans to food and cultural experiences — students tell us how life is different in those countries and things they are learning other than academics)
Being fresh out of school, I was not aware of pursuing a medical course from abroad till one of my friends told me about his own journey.
I finished my school and college in Hyderabad itself. I chose PCB (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) simply because I ran out of options. I am frail in mathematics, and my parents did not want me to choose Arts or Commerce. I did love biology, though, and that is how I decided that the best way forward for me would be to choose the ‘PCB’ combo.
After my Class 12 exams (that I pursued from Hyderabad), I started preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) UG exams (September 2020 attempt) and even though I did not score enough to secure a seat in the MBBS programme, my score was more than what I had expected. Motivated by this, I made another attempt in September 2021 but my weak spots (physics and mathematics) led to another failed attempt.
How I applied for a Kazakhstan University
With my score (400/720), I secured a seat in the BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) programme, and I started waiting for the counselling process to begin. This was when one of my friends from high school explained how one can pursue an MBBS from abroad too. Hearing how he applied to Kazakhstan universities, I also started exploring options.
With the help of a study abroad consultant, I shortlisted three countries from more than 20 options. One of them was the Philippines due to their FMGE results. But coincidentally at that time, the National Medical Council (NMC) had set a new rule and these guidelines were not followed by the Philippines, so I struck this option out and tried Kazakhstan where my friend was studying.
I met with a very good agency in Hyderabad. They helped me to get my admission letter for IMS (International Medical School) which is based in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Ateef’s MBBS class in Kazakhstan.
To apply for this university, a student must score 50 per cent in PCB and qualify in NEET UG. Eligible students will be asked to submit their documents (Class 10, 12 marksheets, and NEET qualifying scorecard) a month before the starting date of the course they select.
The curriculum is similar to the Indian MBBS curriculum, i.e. it is five years long course, which has 10 semesters. We have to do one year compulsory internship in India after completion of our degree. The syllabus is also similar to that of India, because of which a lot of Indians prefer to study in Kazakhstan.
As of now, all of the university students on my campus are Indians only; there is another campus of my institute which is open only for local students. Also, this particular branch (IMS) is run by Indian faculty.
‘Kazakhstan — language may be a barrier but safety is never an issue’
Just an hour before landing in Almaty, the first interaction I had was with a middle-aged person sitting next to me in the aeroplane. He enquired about Hindi film industry and Mithun Chakraborty. I was pretty surprised about his film knowledge. Upon landing here, my friends told me that Kazakhstan is full of Bollywood fans.
In the first week, I was struggling to adjust to a new environment with totally different weather and culture. However, in a few days, everything worked out perfectly and I have been living here quite happily.
The language barrier is one of the biggest issues that I daily face here. The locals are not fluent in English; they speak Kazakh and Russian only. However, they teach us Kazakh as well as Russian for six months in the first year at every university. I learned a little bit in the course and also from Duolingo. Now I know the language just enough to converse with the locals for interactions related to buying groceries‚ travelling‚ greeting etc.
Another issue in Kazakhstan is that international students are not allowed to work part-time jobs, so it can be a little bit of a problem for those who depend on part-time money for rent, groceries, etc.
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Why I suggest Kazakhstan for MBBS aspirants
If you are planning for the medical field in foreign countries, Kazakhstan is a good choice. Always remember that no country is totally perfect, and each nation has its pros and cons.
It snows here for 4-6 months every year, which makes for a spectacular view. It is true that the weather can be a little harsh in mid-winter, but we adapt to it naturally. Safety is not an issue in this country and a majority of the public places are under police surveillance. Some of the big cities like Almaty and Nur-sultan are well-developed, with lots of fun places to spend after a hard-working week. The locals are also friendly and welcoming.
One big advantage is that Kazakhstan hosts students from across the world, which exposes us to different cultures from around the globe. I have friends from China, South Korea, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jordan, Egypt etc. Additionally, every university conducts a minimum of 2-3 events every year to present its culture.