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India's Future Doctors Priced Out of Dreams
26 Sep
Summary
- High medical college fees are forcing students to abandon MBBS dreams.
- 771 students failed to confirm medical seats due to unaffordable costs.
- Many students are considering alternative courses like Ayurveda or Pharmacy.
Many aspiring medical students in Gujarat are being priced out of their chosen careers due to the immense cost of education. Meman Mohammad Shaikh, a student from Vadodara, cannot afford the annual Rs 10 lakh fee at Parul University, despite securing a confirmed MBBS seat. He is now looking at BHMS or BAMS programs costing around Rs 2 lakh annually.
Data from the Admission Committee for Professional Undergraduate Medical Educational Courses reveals that 771 students have not confirmed their allotted MBBS or BDS seats in the first two rounds. This unprecedented number of dropouts is primarily attributed to the high fees charged by private medical colleges, with some annual fees reaching Rs 24 lakh or more.
Students like Uday Karavadra, who scored 421 in NEET, are opting out of MBBS seats costing Rs 11.68 lakh annually, considering Ayurveda instead. Heer Nai chose a Pharm D course at Rs 2 lakh per year over a medical seat costing around Rs 24 lakh annually. Other factors like the long duration of medical studies and specialization add to the financial pressure for families.
The third round of counselling is anticipated to see a surge in demand for government-quota seats or other lower-fee options. Some students, like Kanav Dholakia, are opting for institutions with higher fees abroad due to specific career interests in research, but for many, the primary obstacle remains the prohibitive cost of medical education within India.
