How to get admission for MBBS in the Philippines?

Looking out for MBBS Admission in abroad? Yearning for the admission process? We have got the process simplified for you. MBBS is one of the sought-out courses that students are striving to get admitted every year.

Enough loosing to the lakhs of students fighting for a few thousand seats. Foreign colleges are handing out huge opportunities for Indian students aspiring to study medicine. Foreign education provides considerable expertise, superior knowledge with practical training.

The Philippines is the most preferred foreign country to study MBBS as the quality of education is high, for a cost lower than Indian Colleges.

Starting from the visa process to getting done with your BS-MD course, the Philippines has a simple process favorable for the student to enter the Philippines medical colleges.

How is it like to study MBBS in the Philippines?

Indian students are feeling a little tough to get into medical college in India. There are only 70,000 seats on offer for the lakhs of students appearing for the NEET. To the surprise, the Philippines has a very good medical infrastructure and is welcoming foreign students to do their higher education.

10,000 foreign students from over 55 countries are currently pursuing MBBS in Philippines. Getting admission in the Philippines medical college requires very little effort.

That doesn’t mean the colleges do not have good standards. Philippines is a developing country that mainly depends on tourism. Hence, they also have a good medical system which has made possible some of the best medical colleges.

The universities of Philippines are recognized by WHO, Medical Council of India and most other major nations including the US. So, there is no limit with career opportunities either.

Comparing the fees structure of private sector Indian medical colleges, the Philippine colleges have the most affordable fee structure with zero capitation fees. The Medical colleges in the Philippines are charging a very nominal fee that ranges from Rs.10,00,000 to Rs.30,00,000 (for the whole course duration) which is nearly 40% of the Indian medical fee.

English is the medium of instruction in Philippine colleges. You can communicate with professors, peers, and patients in English easily as 90% of the natives know English. No wonder it is said that Philippines is the third largest English speaking country in the world. Getting in to medical colleges in Philippines does not require IELTS or any other English language test.

The education standard in the Philippines inherits the American education system and the English language proficiency test is set as mandatory in some top universities.

So, that must have been exciting. So how do you get yourself into the best colleges in the Philippines? We will see that soon. But before that here is what you need to know about doing a medical degree in Philippines.

MBBS in Philippines – Course structure

The equivalent degree of MBBS in Philippines is BS-MD .BS-MD is a 5 ½ Years course followed by the internship.

Confused, why BS is part of medical doctor course?

BS is a foundation course for medical science, merely a Bachelors’ degree in science which has 4 semesters (sometimes 4 semesters and 2 inter semesters) and runs for 1.5 years.

Students can possess a degree from the following common science major: biology, microbiology, biotechnology, pharmacy, psychology, biochemistry, molecular biology, physics, and the like.

Foreign students who have done their Bachelor’s degree in science in their native country get direct entry in MD after clearing NMAT.

What is NMAT?

Students who have completed their bachelor’s degree in science should appear for the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT). It is a entrance test for getting into medical colleges in the Philippines.

NMAT is designed to increase the standard of the selection process of students for medical seats. It is conducted twice a year that students should apply during the final year of his/her bachelor’s degree or after getting graduation.

To apply you need a minimum of 50% score in the first attempt of Bachelor’s degree. Distance education, correspondence course completions are not accepted.

Getting started with MD:

BS degree along with a minimum pass percentile in NMAT is enough to get into MD (Doctor of Medicine). The minimum passing score of NMAT is enough to get admitted in the best Philippine colleges like the UNP and PLT.

MD is a 4year master’s degree and the internship follows after that. Doing BS-MD, totally takes around 5 ½ years. It includes theories and practical, learning to use technologies in the medical field.

Eligibility criteria for MBBS in Philippines

  • The student should have scored at least 50% aggregate in physics, chemistry, and biology or equivalent subject in the 12th standard board exams.
  • The student should have secured 40%, in the NEET exam within the last three years to appear BS (Bachelor of Science).
  • Should possess a minimum pass percentile of 40% in NMAT in the Philippines after completing BS with a minimum score of 50% in the first attempt.

Procedure for MBBS Admission in Philippines

With more than 50% of the students coming from outside the countries, Philippine medical universities have a very good, hassle free admission process.

You needn’t travel to the college to apply. The process is pretty simple. You can choose between online filling and physical mail. You will need to gather a lot of documents and proceed with the admission and Visa process.

Don’t worry. We, Alpha International Academy are here to help.

What does Alpha international academy do?

Alpha International Academy is not a general academy like most others. Our managing team has been partners with the University for over a decade now. We are working close with University of Northern Philippines for direct admission. We help in documentation, getting everything ready, and the visa process.

We will help you out in the pre-admission process, on collecting the information about the college, curriculum, training programs and internship.

Documents required:

  • soft copy of Passport,
  • Mark statement of 10 & 12 standards and related academic documents if any.

Usually, it takes 3-4 working days to get the admission letter from the concerned university.

Philippines Student Visa Process:

We take care of the whole visa processing in India and also in the Philippines.

Usually, the students will attend an interview for a single entry visa at the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi. Students from south India will be scheduled for interview at the Philippine Consulate in Chennai and students from central India will go to Philippine consulate in Mumbai.

Ensure that you are complete with the following documents before appearing the personal interview in the Philippines embassy. We will be on your part of arranging the documents before you take the interview.

Documents Required:

  • Completed application form
  • Original Passport
  • Photograph of the Individual
  • Birth Certificate (Original and copy)
  • affidavit of support executed by parents or legal guardian and authenticated at the Embassy of the Philippines
  • Photocopies of parent/guardian’s passport data page
  • Transcript of records authenticated at the Embassy of the Philippines (Original and copy)
  • Certificate of good moral character (Original and copy)
  • Police certificate authenticated by the Embassy of the Philippines (Original and copy)
  • Medical examination reports (Original and copy)
  • Personal History Statement forms from the school concerned
  • Comprehensive list of student’s possible contact persons in the Philippines (Original and copy)

You will have to attend a personal interview with all the documents mentioned above. After the personal interview you can get your student visa in 2 to 3 weeks. Our executives will take care of the whole process.

After the successful completion of the visa interview Alpha International Academy will notify the students when their visa is ready. Next step is to get ready for your flight to the Philippines!

Upon arrival in the Philippines, our team will co-ordinate with the University and the different government departments in the Philippines in processing the student visa of our students.

  • The student should have completed 18 years of age to get a student visa.
  • If the student is at his/her 17 years, he/she can get a Special Study Permit (SSP) that is valid for up to 6 months and is renewable.

Applying student visas may cost around USD 500. The physical appearance of the student is mandatory for the acceptance of the visa application. The Bureau of Immigration is located in Vigan City which is about 1km from the University.

Parents wanting to visit their peers during their time at Philippines will be assisted by our team in the necessary visa and travel arrangements.

Signing off:

Haven’t decided yet? Here is more reasons to pursue MBBS in Philippines.

Flight ticket charges are cheap with round trip fare not exceeding 30,000 INR. The Philippines has the most flexible and quick student visa process.

And no more worries, we are here to assist you in every stage of admission and visa processing. We will be with you throughout your journey and until you graduate.

There are some limitations too. You need to clear the MCI screening test conducted by the national board of examination in India. It is compulsory examination for students who have completed their MBBS degree abroad. We also help our students with Foreign Medical Graduates Examination. We take care of the documentation works and help in getting coaching for FMGE.

Philippine MD students are the top rank holders in MCI screening test in the recent years.

Are you ready to study in abroad?

Contact us.