More and more Indian students are studying medicine abroad—and more and more of them are doing so for all the wrong reasons. Many who choose to study abroad do so because it’s difficult to get into a college in India, or because the tuition fees are too high. Others have the opportunity to study medicine but don’t take it because they’re afraid of having to study for the MCI’s National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). But if you’re considering studying abroad, you should know that there are several advantages that studying MBBS outside India can offer you.

The first is that you’re much more likely to get into a college abroad than you would be in India. In fact, many foreign universities will admit students based on their 12th-grade marks, while Indian colleges will only consider students who have scored above a certain aggregate in their board exams. Additionally, getting a government seat in India is much more difficult than getting one abroad, as there simply aren’t enough seats to accommodate everyone who wants to study medicine.

Another advantage of studying MBBS abroad is that it tends to be less expensive than pursuing your medical degree in India. Tuition fees at private colleges in India are often exorbitant.

The eligibility criteria for students wanting to pursue MBBS abroad are stringent and tough. It is only after fulfilling all the requirements that a student can move ahead in the admission process.

To start with, international students are required to have a valid high school diploma or its equivalent. One cannot apply to study MBBS in any foreign country without having this basic qualification. There are exceptions as some universities issue a conditional acceptance letter on a provisional basis subject to the receipt of the high school diploma from the applicant’s home country, but these are rare cases.

Many universities require applicants to be at least 17 years of age as on December 31 of that year when MBBS course commences. However, there is no upper age limit for applying for admission in foreign universities.

The gap between high school graduation and applying for admission should not be more than two years. This means that if you graduated in 2015, your application should have been submitted by 2017 latest. The application deadline dates will vary from university to university, but it is recommended that you apply well in advance to avoid last minute rush and stress.

Students who have scored above a certain cutoff percentile in their class 12 examination are eligible to apply for most medical schools overseas.