Uzbekistan Opens Doors to Indian Medical Students: Growth, Costs & Recognition

TL;DR

• Uzbekistan is rapidly becoming a hotspot for Indian students pursuing MBBS degrees, with enrolments tripling to over 10,000 in just one year. 
• Driven by medical seat shortages in India and disruptions in Ukraine, students are opting for Uzbekistan’s affordable, English-taught six-year MD programs. Clinical training in government hospitals and eligibility for licensing exams like FMGE and USMLE add to its appeal. 
• But not all that glitters is gold—Uzbekistan’s medical degrees fall under Tier 4 globally, offering limited international mobility and mixed reputations across universities. 
• YUNO LEARNING breaks down the pros, cons, and critical factors to consider—costs, licensing eligibility, and global recognition—so students make informed decisions about their medical future abroad.

Speaking at the inauguration of an expo showcasing medical education in Uzbekistan held in Kerala earlier this month, Uzbekistan’s ambassador to India disclosed that the number of Indian students enrolled in institutions across Uzbekistan has nearly tripled over the past year.  Specifically, he said that more than 10,000 Indian students, mostly studying medicine, are now enrolled in his country’s universities – a sharp rise on the 3,500 enrolled last year. 

Making a strong pitch for studying in Uzbekistan, the ambassador said, “Thousands of Indian students are currently pursuing their education in Uzbekistan, and they feel completely at home.” 

As a selling point, feeling at home is okay, but Indian students who go abroad for studies tend to be laser-focused on their goals, home-feel or no home-feel.  Even if they do at times yearn for a good masala dosa, the longing is usually suppressed by concentration on studies.

Most surprising was the ambassador’s comparison of Uzbek and Kerala weather.   

Indian students’ interest in Uzbekistan dates back to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  On November 17, 2023, The Hindu reported:

“Evacuated from war-torn Ukraine, over 1000 Indian MBBS students resume studies in a medical university in Uzbekistan.  Around 19,000 Indian students studied in Ukraine when the Russian invasion began in February 2021.”

At that time, the Indian Embassy facilitated transfer options for Indian students fleeing the war zone.  Out of the nearly 19,000 studying in Ukraine in February 2022, when the war started, more than 1,000 enrolled at Samarkand State Medical University in Uzbekistan.

After that initial 1,000 Indian students beat down a path, other students rapidly twigged on to an opportunity.  Certainly, there is plenty of motivation to scout far and wide for medical college seats.  Undergraduate seats in Indian medical colleges number about 100,000.  Indian students working hard to grab those seats number about 2,000,000.   That’s 20 aspirants for each seat.

So, where does the spill-over go? 

Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Poland, the Philippines, Malaysia, etc. As for Uzbekistan, medical universities there offer six-year MD programs, which include a one-year internship. The instruction is entirely in English, students receive clinical training in government hospitals, and they are eligible for medical licensure upon completion.

However, the simple fact that seats in medical colleges are available in Uzbekistan (and other countries) is not the ONLY thing that Indian students weigh up when they are planning how and where to pursue their doctoring dreams. 

Four big factors are juggled in the course of deciding where to seek admission in a medical college abroad:

1. Reputation of a degree from a given institution
2. The degree’s acceptance in multiple countries
3. Realistic possibility of getting admission
4. Cost of education 

YUNO LEARNING always tells the truth, and the truth about the following information is that making the assessment mentioned above was so complicated that we needed help.  We ran straight to ChatGPT and put this question:

Tapping into your knowledge of the country-wise comparative reputation of medical degrees, please give your educated opinion on the ranking of medical degrees by country. Please try to give an approximate ranking for the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Turkiye, Poland, the Philippines, Malaysia, China, Korea, Japan

ChatGPT gave us this general and educationally-informed ranking of medical degrees by country, based on international reputation, research output, training quality, licensing exam recognition, and mobility of graduates. ChatGPT also warned: This ranking is approximate and should be taken as a tiered guide, not a strict numeric list. 

Tier 1 – Globally Prestigious and Highly Regulated

·              United States

·              United Kingdom

·              Canada

·              Australia

·              Germany

·              Netherlands

·              Sweden

·              France

Why Tier 1?

·              Rigorous entry and graduation requirements

·              Globally recognized qualifications (USMLE, PLAB, MCCQE, AMC exams, etc.)

·              High research output

·              Graduates are eligible for licensing in most developed countries  

Tier 2 – Strong European & Western Systems

·              New Zealand

·              Belgium

·              Denmark

·              Austria

·              Italy

·              Spain

Why Tier 2?

·              Excellent public healthcare systems with strong education

·              EU-recognized degrees, with relatively easier mobility within Europe

·              Not as internationally mobile as Tier 1, but still respected 

Tier 3 – Regionally Respected, Growing Internationally

·              Poland

·              Czech Republic

·              Portugal

·              South Korea

·              Japan

·              China (esp. top universities like Peking Union, Fudan)

Why Tier 3?

·              Good training standards and increasing international recognition

·              Many offer English-medium MBBS for international students

·              Graduates often need additional exams to work in the US, UK, etc.

·              Japan and Korea have top health systems, but limited international graduate mobility

Tier 4 – Popular for International (especially Indian) Students

·              Philippines

·              Georgia

·              Kazakhstan

·              Uzbekistan

·              Russia

·              Malaysia

·              Turkiye

Why Tier 4?

·              Affordable tuition and English-medium programs attract many students

·              Entry is less competitive than Tier 1–3

·              Mixed reputation: some universities produce well-trained doctors, others lack quality

·              Graduates must pass foreign licensing exams (FMGE/NExT in India, USMLE, etc.) 

About countries . . .

• Russia/Ukraine/Central Asia degrees are sought by Indian students due to cost and access, but they vary greatly in quality, and the universities in these countries provide limited research exposure.
• The Philippines is preferred for English-speaking instruction and US-style curriculum, especially by Indian students.
• China has elite medical schools, but many low-tier institutions are primarily for foreign students.  Language barrier is a reality.
• Malaysia has a mixed system – some universities (e.g., Monash Malaysia) are internationally aligned.
• Turkey is improving and has some excellent universities, but most graduates are regionally placed.

YUNO LEARNING knows very well that young people who want to study medicine are smart cookies and have a shrewd appreciation of how to get maximum worth for the time, effort, and investment that they are going to be making.  Still, we remind them that three things must be considered when a student decides which medical college in which country is his or her best bet.  

1. A degree’s value depends heavily on the specific university, not just the country.
2. A degree that lacks potential for global mobility is worth very little. Be sure that the degree you wind up with makes you eligible to sit for international licensing exams (e.g., USMLE, PLAB, AMC, FMGE). 
3. Look for WHO-recognized, NMC-listed, and language-compatible universities.