MBBS in Egypt

Overview

Egypt is well-known for its historic culture and famous sites, including the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Nile River. Arabic is the official language, and most of the population is Muslim. Egypt has a rich cultural history that has had an impact worldwide for ages, including its literature, music, and cuisine.

Quick Facts about MBBS in Egypt

Medical Education System in Egypt

MBBS in Egypt for Indian students has gained popularity since 2019. The Egyptian medical schools award an MBBCh (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) as the basic medical degree. After completing five academic and clinical study years, followed by two years of required clinical rotations (the MB BCh degree is issued after completion of the clinical rotations), making a total of seven years of academic, clinical study, and clinical rotations.

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research organises and regulates Egypt’s medical education system. Students who passed 10+2 Grades or equivalent can apply to Egyptian Medical Universities. The Bachelor’s in Medical Education is divided into 3 parts-1. Pre–Clinical, 2. Clinical, 3. Internship

In Egypt, becoming a doctor generally involves the following steps:

1. Internship: After completing medical school, graduates must undergo a two-year internship program in a hospital affiliated with the Medical University. They obtain practical instruction and experience in their speciality area during this timeframe.
2. Residency: Graduates can apply for a residency program in their preferred speciality after completing their internship. The residency program for residents often mandates three to five years and includes more instruction and hands-on experience.
3. Specialization: Graduates can apply for a specialization program to become a specialist in a particular branch of medicine after finishing their residency

Comparison of MBBS in India and Egypt

If we compare the medical education systems of the two nations, we discover that they are nearly identical.

Indian Students in Egypt:

Beginning in 2019, Indian students began to travel to study MBBS in Egypt. Most were enrolled at Cairo University, Ain Shams University, and Alexandria University. Currently, over 350 Indian students are enrolled in these universities, with 200+ studying at Cairo University, 125+ at Ain Shams University, and the remaining at Alexandria University. Indian Students from AP, Tamilnadu and Kerala are the ones who are looking to study MBBS in Egypt.

Advantages of studying MBBS in Egypt

The Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program has various advantages, including:

• Old Institutions: Most universities have academics with up to 200 years of teaching expertise.
• English Taught: In Egypt, all students, including native students, study medicine in English, similar to India.
• Clinical Exposure: Egyptian hospitals experience an excessive inflow and outflow of patients, and because internships last longer than in India, the clinical exposures are also richer.
• NMC Acceptance: The degree obtained from any Egyptian medical college fulfils all the criteria set by the NMC; hence, after completing the course from Egypt, the student can appear in the NEXT Exam.
• Affordable: Egypt offers inexpensive living and affordable education costs.

Disadvantages of studying MBBS in Egypt for Indian Students

• Duration: Compared to other MBBS abroad locations, Egypt’s general medical curriculum takes 5+2 years to complete, which is more time than one year. After passing the NEXT exam, you must finish your degree, including a year-long internship in India, within 10 years. This means you have a relatively limited number of chances to pass the NEXT exam.
• Small Indian Community: India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA) records no more than 3500 Indians who work for international corporations, are involved in projects, or are students. Comparatively speaking, this number is relatively low compared to any other nation.

Cost of Study MBBS in Egypt:

While calculating the cost of MBBS in Egypt, the major expenses are

1. University Tuition Fee
2. Hostel or Accommodation Cost
3. Food Cost
4. Travel cost to India
5. Personal Expenses

The cost to Study in Egypt MBBS is approx. 50 Lacs for the complete course.

1. MBBS Tuition Fee in Egypt

The tuition fee for all the Govt Medical colleges in Egypt for international students remains the same. Pl refer to the table below for the Egypt MBBS fee structure

Egypt MBBS fees for Indian students are approx. 5 Lacs INR for a year. MBBS fee in Egypt is higher than other MBBS Abroad destinations like Russia, Bangladesh etc.

2. Hostel Facility in Egypt

On-campus accommodations for international students are not always available at all universities. For instance, only students accepted on scholarships are provided housing at Cairo University while on campus accommodations are offered to every student enrolling at Ain Shams University.

Hostel Charges in Egypt: The charge ranges from 1500-2000 EGP (~4000-6000 INR)

Private Accommodation Cost (in Cairo): A 2 BHK flat, together with all utility bills in Cairo, costs around 6000-7000 EGP (15000-20000 INR) for a month. Nonetheless, the rest of the cities cost even less.

3. Indian Food in Egypt

Although there are few Indian students in Egypt, you will find many great food options there. Conversely, finding affordable food options on a monthly basis can be difficult. The availability of Indian messes is very limited. The cost of the Indian mess is around 2000 EGP (~6000 INR) every month. Self-cooking is a better option.

4. Travel Cost

Cairo is connected from Indian cities through Dubai. The time and cost of the flight depend upon your chosen airline. Flight can cost you approx. 20-25K for one way. Direct flights from India to Cairo are very few and take 6-7 hours.

Living Cost

Daily need items or groceries are a little expensive compared to India but still affordable. See the table below for an estimation of the cost of living in Egypt:

Best Medicine Universities in Egypt

Duration of Egypt MBBS Course

MBBS in Egypt’s duration is 5 years for classroom teaching, whereas clinical rotations or internships last for 2 years, which makes the complete Egypt MBBS duration 7 years. However, Students can write their Licensing Exam in Egypt any time after 1st year of their first internship year.

Medical Universities in Egypt 

38 medical universities in Egypt are operational as per the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS) list. There are private medical universities in Egypt also. Some of the Top Medical universities in Egypt are mentioned below

Admission Requirement for MBBS in Egypt

MBBS in Egypt eligibility is slightly complex, as they do consider your high school and 10+2 Grades together to decide the eligibility for Admission to MBBS. 

Grades 

• Public Universities: Your grades must be 75%+ or above
• Private Universities: 58% or above 

For calculating grades, you need to consider an average of 10th Class Science, Maths and Social Science subjects, whereas for 10+2 level Physics, Chemistry, Biology and languages. There must be 8 subjects, 3 from the 10th and 5 from the 12th Classes. 

• Age must be 17+ years.
• NEET is not mandatory, but to practice in India, you must be NEET-UG exam qualified in the previous 3 years.

Admission intake for MBBS in Egypt

Usually, all Egyptian Universities accept applications for Sept Intake for MBBS courses in Egypt. However, many times, seats remain unfilled in many of the universities in Egypt. Private universities release these vacant seats for admission in December for the February intake. 

Pl remember public univ also have exclusive seats for international students; if they remain vacant, then it goes for Feb intake under Credit system seats; this category is Like Management Seats in India with higher Tuition fees; don’t confuse credit system means marks, etc.

MBBS Admission Process in Egypt

The admission process in Egypt is done through a centralized system governed by the Ministry of Education for all universities, unlike other countries where the universities accept direct applications. The application portal opens in July month, every year. International students can complete the application form for all programs, including Medicine. The students must follow the steps below:

• Selecting the university as per the preference.
• Upload their apostilled and notarized documents to the portal. 
• They shall receive a pre-acceptance letter from the university (within one week).
• Submit all their apostle, notarized Original documents to the Egyptian Embassy in India. 
• Once the required paperwork is made, the University will grant a Final Admission Letter.
• Based on the Final Acceptance Letter issued by the University, the Egyptian Embassy will stamp the visa.
• Any student wishing to change the university offered must appeal to the Ministry portal. Within a week, you will receive the final response.

Visa Processing in Egypt

You need to have a standard tourist visa to enter Egypt, and when you get there, you need to register with the local police force. You must also apply for a student visa after receiving police clearance. A passport that is still valid six months after your arrival date is required. You must submit your passport application three months before your departure date to minimise any unexpected delays.

Scholarship for MBBS Course in Egypt

The Egyptian government grants scholarships to international students wishing to enrol in Egypt’s MBBS program. The two primary types of scholarships are as follows: 

A. Granting executive programs: The student needs to present a letter of nomination from the embassy of his home country to obtain scholarships. The letter is then forwarded to the general administration for foreigners for further processing.)

B.  External scholarships: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plays a vital role in nominating the students for grants. Once the student presents a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Administration is informed to take the necessary action.

It is essential to remember that these scholarships are typically provided to aid students from nations with weaker economies.Click Here to Apply for a Scholarship

Medical License Exam in Egypt for International Students

MBBS license exam in Egypt is called the “Physician’s Syndicate Exam” or the “Medical Syndicate Exam.” All medical graduates must take this examination for a licence to practice medicine in Egypt. International students are permitted to take this exam and pass to become licenced practitioners in Egypt.

Students can take this exam after finishing their five years of college education and first year of internship. The administering body typically announces exam results 3-4 months after the exam.

The exam consists of both a written and verbal segment. The written exam covers anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and pathology, while the oral exam focuses on clinical skills and the ability to diagnose and treat patients.

After completing the medical license examination, the student receives a registration number required by the NMC to approve the student’s eligibility to appear in the next exam in India.

The student obtains a registration number from the NMC after completing the medical licence exam, which confirms their eligibility to take the NExT exam in India.

MBBS Syllabus in Egypt

In Egypt, the general medicine syllabus typically covers a wide range of topics related to diagnosing, treating, and managing various medical conditions. Here is an overview of the general medicine syllabus in Egypt:

Note that The syllabus of the general medicine program in Egypt might vary from university to university.

Medical PG Option after MBBS in Egypt

Medical PG in India or NEXT

During MBBS study, a student realizes the importance of being a specialist. They also understand the competitiveness to secure MD/MS Seat in Govt College. If we look at the success ratio to get PG in Govt Medical College, which is 11% we can say that only 1 out of 10 will get PG Seat, whereas the chances of getting a Clinical specialty is 1 out of 20 applicants. The PG journey will be very difficult, or else students should have enough money to get a paid seat in Pvt Medical College, which may be in Crores!

Do you feel early preparation and the right mentorship will pave your dream of becoming a specialist?

NMC has already announced the introduction of the NEXT Exam in India in 2023. 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, which will assess their Clinical skills, Patient Management, and Medical history. Those who clear NEXT-2 are awarded a license to practice, and rankers of NEXT-1 will get PG seats of their choice.