Select countries having affordable medical education

Do you wish to attend medical school in order to fulfill your passion of becoming a doctor?

It’s a good thing to wish and intend to be a doctor. But there is one catch and it is a demotivating one.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) revealed that the average first year medical student paid $36,755 for tuition, fees and health insurance to attend a public medical school during the academic year 2018-2019. Similarly, the same for a student attending a private medical school was $59,076.

When it comes to just tuition fee solely, Students attending public medical schools are expected to pay $31,900 for one academic year and those attending private medical schools must pay $54,100 for one academic year.

Somehow, these figures apply only to students with resident status of their respective institutions and fees are higher for those having a non-resident status.

Calculating the real cost of medical school

Whether students are looking into which schools they should apply for or are having their acceptance letters back, they have no doubt about doing their best to gain admission to medical school. But have they thought about what happens once they get into medical school, especially the one of their dreams?

Students will be investing considerable sums of money in attending medical school for four years; tuition fees, books, other fees and expenses. Money will also be spent on primary and secondary applications. The cost of medical school adds quickly, just as how much they can pay is depending on how much they are willing to spend.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reports the averae cost of attendance for a year at a public medical school was $34,592 for in-state students and for $61,100 for out-of-state and foreign students. Tuition fees at private medical school averaged well over $50,000 annually regardless of where the students were from.

Unfortunately, costs at both public and private medical schools has risen sharply. The medical school fees mentioned are charged by university exclusive of books, food, housing and living costs. Even the thriftiest of students will be incurring certain necessary expenses outside of what they pay to attend.

Avoiding debt as a medical student

How can students avoid excessive debt in their journey towards becoming a medical professional? They have an option of choosing an affordable medical school.

The following are countries that offer affordable medical degree programs for international students:

Russia

Russia borders both Asia and Europe. Its educational standards have been renown and the country offer quality medical programs at the best prices. For instance, tuition fees at Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (RNRMU) for the academic year 2018-2019 was ₱ 386,000 (approximately $6000).

Also, the First Moscow State Medical University (FMSMU) stated on its website that the tuition fee for the academic year 2018-19 was $11,000 for first-year medical students and $10,000 for second-year medical students and above. A fascinating point: they teach all courses and the entire degree in English.

Students might need around $300-$400 for their monthly expenses when studying in Russia.

Poland

Poland is a relatively affordable country when it comes to pursuing medicine, especially if students are willingly keen to study medicine in the European Union.

For instance, first-year tuition fees are around €10,000 for first year students and €12,000 ($13,500) onwards for second year and above for students at the Medical University of Bialystok, which offers a six-year medicine program in English.

Meanwhile, the annual tuition fee for the Jagiellonian University medical program is around €14,000 ($16,000) which is comparatively lower than those present stateside. It is also worth noting that the estimated average costs of students living in Poland can range from €300 to €600 per month.

China

One of the largest economies in the world today, China’s medical programs are growing in popularity thanks to affordable tuition fees and relatively lower cost of living in comparison to other developed countries.

China’s University and College Admissions System (CUCAS) has noted that annual tuition fees for students is RMB 42,000 (Around $6,000) per year at Dalian Medical University. Whereas the annual tuition fees for students at Fudan University is RMB 75,000 (around $11,000). A fascinating thing to note is that both universities offer medical degree programs solely in English.

Also, the estimated living costs for students range between RMB 600 to RMB 1,000 ($90 to $150) per month.
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