MBBS IN UZBEKISTAN
As a lot of students are going to choose MBBS abroad after the paper leak, here’s my detailed review as someone studying at Andijan State Medical Institute after completing 4th year. I wish someone had warned me the way I’m going to warn students here.
First, don’t believe seniors if they try to tell you otherwise because many students become contractors in Uzbekistan and eventually become agents just for money. What they tell you, that your MBBS will be completed within 25 lakhs, is completely false. These people want students to come in large numbers so they can earn money from them. They have filled Instagram with reels and pages showing how good MBBS in Uzbekistan is. Some show cadavers and surgeries, but in reality cadavers are rarely shown here. The surgeries shown on Instagram pages are mostly just for videos; surgeons usually don’t explain anything. It’s like watching YouTube videos without subtitles. Some people even prefix their names with “doctor,” while others make pages in the names of different universities.
i) In India, first-year MBBS mainly includes Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology. But here in Uzbekistan, there are many additional subjects like History, Ethics, Hygiene, Medical Biology, Medical Chemistry, Biophysics, IT, Histology, and Anatomy in the first year itself. Physiology and Biochemistry are added from the second semester along with all these subjects. Because of this, you have to attend classes for many subjects and self-study becomes difficult.
ii) The hostels shown on YouTube and Instagram are misleading. They usually show first-floor rooms reserved for native students. The rooms are very small even for two people, yet they are used as four-sharing rooms, leaving very little space for studying. From next year onward, they are reportedly planning to make them five-sharing by adding bunk beds.
iii) The university does not allow students to stay outside in flats because commissions are also earned from the hostel system.
iv) The kitchens on hostel floors, which were meant for self-cooking, are not open for use. If you want to cook, you have to go outside the hostel to a very small kitchen where even five people cannot cook together properly. These kitchens were reportedly closed because consultants opened their own mess services, and the hostel management benefits from them. Students are also not allowed to keep induction cookers in their rooms, and if found, they may be confiscated.
v) Coming to the fees, our tuition fee last year was 3100 USD, which increased to 3350 USD this year, and it keeps increasing every year. Hostel fees also increased from 500 USD to 600 USD and may increase further. Visa extension charges were around 20,000 INR last year and crossed 25,000 INR this year. Registration fees are separate.
vi) The duration of the degree is still unclear. When students asked the administration whether the course is 6 years or 7 years, no clear answer was given. So it is possible that students admitted after 2021 may have a 7-year degree duration.
vii) In Uzbekistan, there is no separate internship system as clinical rotations are considered internship. However, the National Medical Commission requires a separate one-year internship. This could effectively make the total duration 7 years, although nothing has been officially confirmed.
viii) The study environment is not ideal. There are frequent sports activities like football, volleyball, cricket, badminton, and various events throughout the year, with loud music promoted by different consultants
ix) Earlier, I thought FMGE passing percentage of a university did not matter, but my perception changed after coming here. A good study environment is very important. Students should check FMGE passing percentages before joining any university because it reflects the academic environment to some extent. Here, many seniors focus more on making reels, promotions, and events, while consultants continue promoting universities aggressively.
x) Exams are often conducted just for formality. Hardly anyone fails. Many students appear for exams after preparing only through ChatGPT.
Consultants will continue taking money from students, and overall the course can easily cost above 40 lakhs while still offering below-average facilities. Most students here are Indians and Pakistanis, with many students from South India because consultants heavily promote these universities there. North Indian students are communal and racists. If you want better exposure, consider choosing a better country. Whether you want to become a quack or a doctor is your own decision.