MBBS in Latvia is a good option for Indian students. Latvia, a small but rapidly developing country, became a member of the European Union in 2004.
It is important that, if you wish to complete the study of medicine in Europe, you try to choose a nation that is a member of the EU. Apart from better career options, you also get a better overall experience due to better infrastructure and administration.
MBBS in Latvia for international students
The most outstanding feature that medical education in Latvia displays is the intensified focus on clinical practice. The WDOMS itself highlights this fact when speaking of Latvian medical universities.
The standard of education in Latvia is always praised by students. There is a definite rise in the number of Indian students choosing to study MBBS in Latvia.
Medical Universities in Latvia
There are many medical universities in Latvia, but most of them do not have English as the medium of instruction. The two most prominent universities in Latvia that feature in the WDOMS list are:
Owing to the fact that the ECTS prevails in most of Europe, there are certain uniformities in the education protocols followed in the member nations. One of these is that every European university offers a 6-year MBBS.
So, after the NMC guidelines that to appear in NEXT, a student must have a 5-year MBBS program apart from a year of internship, interest in European MBBS is rising rapidly.
So, MBBS in Latvia has a duration of 6 years. So, you need not have any insecurity regarding your eligibility to practice in India after studying MBBS in Latvia.
Living Cost
The cost of living in Latvia is reasonable, like in the rest of Europe. If we exclude the accommodation charges, you will spend at most €300 per month as miscellaneous living costs if you spend lavishly. However, if you are a little careful, you can easily manage €250 per month.
The costs of some common goods are:
Goods
Prices (in Euros)
Milk (1 litre)
1
Loaf of bread
0.86
Eggs (a dozen)
1.92
Rice/pound
0.77
Meal at an average restaurant
8.0
Monthly travel pass
45.0
Utilities (Gas, Electricity, etc.)
210
Hostel
Though the universities provide hostels, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to get a room because they are mostly occupied and the number of available rooms is not sufficient.
However, there are numerous apartments available for rent that you can easily share with a few other students. These accommodations are meant for students only and thus have all the amenities a student may need.
If you share these apartments, you can easily manage by paying €200 for boarding.
MBBS in Latvia tuition fees
Like all MBBS abroad destinations, the cost of the MBBS in Latvia is primarily the tuition fee. On average, the tuition fee charged by medical universities offering MBBS in Latvia in English is around €12,000 per year. For 6 years, this comes out to be around €72,000.
There are certain other costs, like visa extensions, medical insurance, etc., that will cost a total of €15,500 for the entire degree.
The cost mentioned above may vary among universities.
MBBS in Latvia eligibility
The eligibility criteria that you must have for MBBS admission in Latvia include:
Class XII
50% PCB (Riga Stradins requires 80% PCB)
NEET
Qualified
Entrance Exam
None
Age
17-25 years
Why study medicine in Latvia?
English-taught medical programs with good academic standard
The EU's advantage in infrastructure and opportunities
The medical universities are recognised & accredited
6 years MBBS, so eligible to practice in India
There are no entrance exams or language tests.
Medical License in India after MBBS Abroad
During MBBS study, a student realises the importance of being a specialist. They also understand the competitiveness of securing an MD / MS Seat in a Govt. College. Let's look at the success ratio to get a PG Seat in Govt Medical Colleges in India, which is 11% broadly; we can say that only 1 out of 10 will get a PG Seat, whereas the chances of getting Clinical speciality is 1 out of 20 applicants. The PG journey will be challenging, or students should have enough money to get a paid seat in Pvt Medical College in Crores!
Will early preparation and the right mentorship pave your dream of becoming a specialist? NMC has already announced the introduction of the NEXT Exam in India in 2024. This Exam will replace all Medical PG exams in India. The Exam will be conducted in two parts: NEXT-1 and NEXT-2.
The Objective of the NEXT-1 is to assess the Student's Knowledge of Pre, Para, and Clinical Subjects on the National Level. Only after qualifying for NEXT-1 will any medical student be eligible for an internship. After completing the internship, Students must go through NEXT-2, assessing their Clinical skills, Patient Management, and Keeping Medical history. Those who will Clear NEXT-2 will be awarded a license to practice, and Rankers of NEXT-1 will get PG seats of their choice of speciality. You may refer to Page for detailed information on the NExT Exam.
Most Abroad students also plan to do a Medical PG from the USA because getting PG Seats in India is tough.
With the introduction of NEXT, most students in India are attracted to USMLE prep from 1st year of MBBS since it simulates the new NMC Competency-based curriculum remarkably. The US healthcare system is considered one of the best healthcare systems in the world for numerous reasons, such as high rewards, excellent Infrastructure, merit-based assessment, and open opportunities for super specialities. Most countries try to replicate the US healthcare assessment system for their Medical Graduates. The USMLE exam is divided into 3 Parts. One can appear in USMLE Step 1 after 2nd Year, USMLE Step 2 CK during internship and Step 3 during residency (Medical PG).
MOKSH Coaching focuses on a patient-centered learning approach which helps students score high on both USMLE & NEXT. MOKSH is the leading name in USMLE Coaching. Currently, 1000+ Students from Indian and Abroad medical colleges are preparing for USMLE steps via the MOKSH Platform.
The Board Test (PLAB test) is the instrument used to assess the skills and knowledge of an International Medical Graduate. It also judges whether they can be trained to practice medicine in the UK.
In short, an IMG's performance in PLAB determines her Eligibility to practice in the UK. The PLAB test has two stages. PLAB 1 is an exam that has 180 MCQs that test your recall. On the other hand, PLAB 2 is a practical OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Exam) that tests your clinical skills.
The GMC ascertains your linguistic skills by assessing your score on specific tests. It may be the IELTS (Band Score 7.0 or higher) or OET (Grade B in reading, writing, listening & speaking).
After you pass PLAB 1 & 2, you apply for the GP registration. There is one constraint. You have a window of 2 years after clearing PLAB 2, which you may use no later.
By 2024, the UK Medical Licensing Assessment will replace the PLAB. Consequently, the GMC UK will change certain things in PLAB and create the UKMLA exam.
PG in Germany after MBBS Abroad is another excellent option, though it requires you to learn the German language. Of the six levels starting from A1 to C2, you need to clear A1 and A2, qualifying you to apply for the visa.
Once the Language formalities are done, you get into the phase where you do an Observer-ship from a German hospital approved by the German Medical Council. Residency follows this.
This may sound simple here, but the process is quite complicated. To know more about PG in Germany,
The most challenging time for any student is to wait after the NEET counselling process to know whether they are getting a college of their choice. Sometimes, this dilemma continues for a couple of months due to multiple rounds of counselling. It has become more difficult due to parallel counselling of All India Quota and various States due to COVID-19. The counselling process is very complex, where 700+ Govt. and Private colleges offer 1 Lac+ Seats, and fee variation is also huge, ranging from less than 1 Lac to 2.5 Cr for the course.
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