MBBS in Philippines

Table of Content

• Education System in Philippines
• Comparison of MD in Philippines vs. MBBS in India
• Benefits of MBBS in Philippines
• Disadvantages of MBBS Course in Philippines
• Roadmap for Medical PG in USA After MD in Philippines
• Pre-med courses in Philippines
• Medical Universities in Philippines
• Cost of Study in Philippines
• Eligibility for MBBS in Philippines
• MBBS Syllabus in Philippines

Since the Industrial Revolution, Spain and then the USA have controlled the Philippines. Accordingly, the English language is widely spoken after the native language. The country is made up of many islands. Manila and Cebu are large cities in the Philippines. Philippines has a smaller population, such as 98 million. The climate matches almost Indian weather.

MBBS in the Philippines was very popular among Indian students who did not wish to learn an additional language, such as that required in MCI-recognized medical colleges or universities in European countries like Georgia, Serbia, Russia, or China. This is because the Philippines is an English-speaking country. More than 95% of the people speak the English language. MBBS in the Philippines was also popular because of its climatic conditions, which are not as cold as in European countries. Post-NMC, the MBBS/MD program in the Philippines became valid as it did not meet the criteria of FMGE Regulation 2024.

Medical Education System in Philippines

There are three Steps for completing the Medicine program in Philippines

• BS Program for 2-3 Years
• Clearing Competitive NMAT Exam after BS Course
• MD Course of 5-1/2 Years

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Comparison of MD in Philippines vs. MBBS in India

If we compare both the education system, Primary difference is entry to the Medicine Course and duration of the Program

Benefits of studying MBBS in Philippines

There are many benefits to doing your MD in the Philippines few of them are listed below

1. There is no need to learn any new language, like other MBBS abroad destinations like Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, etc. The native language of the Philippines is English. Most of the students find it very convenient for their local commination.
2. Entire Course of Medicine in English, like India
3. The patient inflow into the hospitals is moderate. You learn sufficient from the in-house and outpatient, though it is not as high as in India and China but better than many of the European Countries.
4. Indian food is available in medical colleges and is popular among Indian students.

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Disadvantages of Studying MBBS Course in Philippines

There are a few advantages, but a lot of challenges as well, to studying MD or MBBS in the Philippines. Usually, these facts are never shared with the students by the agents. Consider them before finalising the Philippines as your destination for the study of medicine in the Philippines.

i) Admission to BS Program not the Medicine Program

The first and biggest problem with studying medicine in the Philippines for Indian students is that they are first put in a pre-medical program (BS). Just taking admission to a BS program does not entitle you to become a doctor. It is just an entry into the medical program leading to a BS! Pass the NMAT Exam to get a medical seat (MD / MBBS) in the Philippines. A BS degree in the Philippines is not considered a bachelor’s degree in India. Students return due to non-passing the NMAT exam or not getting through the MD Philippines seat. Imagine the problem they would face back at home when they lost precious 2 years of life and considered just 12th years of returning to India!

ii) Long Duration for MD / MBBS in Philippines Program.

The second important point hidden by the agents or overseas education consultants promoting MBBS in the Philippines is the duration of the program. You must understand that the total duration of the program is 7.5 years, which is the longest among all the options!

• The initial 2 years are for the bachelor's degree program leading to the NMAT exam.
• 5.5-year medical program after passing the NMAT exam.

iii) Visa Problem.

Indian students face problems with the issuance of visas to study medicine in the Philippines. The Indian students get a tourist visa. On arriving in the Philippines, the students depend on the agent and the college to transfer the tourist visa (9A type) to the study visa (9F type). When the student clears the NMAT exam, there is a change of course from BS to MD, and again, a new visa is issued.

iv) Poor Ranking of Philippines Universities

The biggest problem is the poor infrastructure and ranking of Philippine medical universities; they are usually in the 9000–12,000 world rankings. There are good universities as well, but all Indian students are admitted into private medical colleges in the Philippines by the agents.

v) Medical Licence in Philippines for Indian Students

As per CHED and Philippine rule, a medical practice licence is only to be issued to nationals of those countries that allow a Filipino to practice in their country. NMC doesn’t allow any foreigner to practice in India, including the Philippines. Hence, any Indian can’t get a license to practice in the Philippines. Getting registered in Philippines with CHED is mandatory as per FMGE regulation, which is not fulfilled in the Philippines

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Roadmap for Medical PG in USA After MD in Philippines

Philippines follows the US Medical Education System; however, it has many deviations from the actual medical academic Program being followed in USA Med Schools. You can refer to the below table for the comparison of the MD Program in Philippines vs. MD in USA

More than 14 thousand Filipino-origin doctors are working in the USA, but though the Philippine MD program follows the US Medical Education System, you still have to pass the USMLE exam like any other IMG to do a residency program in the USA.

If you are planning your residency in the USA, then ideally you have to follow the below timelines along with your medical school course.

1. Stating of USMLE Step 1 Preparation from 1st Year of MD, i.e. After Clearing NMAT Exam
2. Write the USMLE Step 1 Exam after 2nd Year of MD
3. Preparation of USMLE Step 2CK, from 3rd Year of MD
4. Write the USMLE Step 1 Exam after 4th Year of MD
5. Application for Electives/Clerkship During Your Clinical Rotations

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Pre-med courses in Philippines

For pre-medical courses in the Philippines, students need to enrol first in a BS course such as B.S. (Psychology) or B.S. (Biology). The duration of this course can be 2–3 years, depending upon the university you enrolled in. Further, the students have to pass an exam, namely the NMAT, to get promoted to study medicine in the Philippines.

NMAT Exam

After completing the BS course in the Philippines, students need to appear in the NMAT exam, which is similar to the NEET exam in India. This is a competitive exam, and a minimum score of 40 percent is required to qualify for the exam and become eligible for the MD course. The NMAT exam is conducted in two parts: NMAT 1 and NMAT 2.

NMAT Part 1 contains the mental ability test

NMAT Part 2 analyses the academic ability of the participants

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MBBS Duration in Philippines

Philippines MBBS duration was 4 years till 2025. After the amendment to the NMC FMGE Regulation, many of the medical colleges in the Philippines changed their MD course curriculum to 5 and a half years to match the Indian regulator requirement. This duration is inclusive of a clinical internship in the Philippines. Those who clear the NMAT exam need to apply for a new visa for this program. The usual time from completing the BS Program to starting the MD course is 5–6 months. Which makes MBBS in the Philippines last 7–1/2 years. inclusive of BS course