Going to Manipal this August

[Ranmal]

Hi everybody,

Yes...I am going to Manipal this August. Kasturba Medical College.

If anything wants to spread some love with positive encouragement, feel free.

If anyone wants to bash Manipal....feel free. Please don't expect me to respond :D

If anyone wants to ask me questions...feel free.

I'm shooting for senior. Figure I got lots of posts to go.

[RajPatel]

Since you gave me the green light, here goes.....

1. The city of Manipal is fine to visit for a couple of days, but is a depressing, remote, empty shell of a place to live in for years. It's isolated and cut off from the rest of the world.

2. Point number 1 would be fine if it was a quality school, but it is the most greed and corruption-infested hole on the face of the earth. You can expect to have to regularly bribe admin to get ahead. Profs can single you out and make your life hell for no reason.

3. The worst thing about the school will be that, far from teaching to the USMLE (which is its own kind of vice), they will cover SO much extraneous crap. Anatomy lasts one and a half years and you will learn so much that you will never need nor use.

4. Manipal is filled with a bunch of Caribbean med school rejects who think they are hot stuff. Actually, I shouldn't say that since 90 percent never went to college, and went to Manipal right after high school. You need at least a college degree or close to be legitimately rejected from carib.

5. Some of the worst people there are the most senior admin people. I am talking about people like GG Christo, I can't even begin to describe what a waste of human life this piece of slime is. The President, Ramdas Pai, is hardly better. He spends all his time traveling and promoting his dump of a school, and zero time listening to concerns of students and making improvements.

6. The school's facilities flat-out suck and are among the worst on earth. No air conditioning, or even basic hygiene, grace any of the rooms or labs.

7. There is a lot of crime, vandalism, and violence in Manipal. This is perpetuated almost exclusively against NRIs, Non-resident Indians, i.e. people who've come from the US to study in Manipal.

I'm sure there is a lot more, but frankly I have lost so much of my life to this black hole called Manipal that it is part of my ongoing self-therapy to think about it and all people, places and events associated with it as little as possible so I'll stop here now.

Have fun at Hell on Earth. Just be aware that with their unfocused, disorganized curriculum and numerous roadblocks set up to hinder or halt altogether one's progress in medical school, the odds that you will return either qualified or even interested in practicing medicine are slim to none.

[Ranmal]

Hi RajPatel...

I guess I lied about not responding to criticisms. If I didn't I would be ignorant. So here goes...

Firstly, I want to thank you for expressing the dealings of your unfortunate mishap so vehemently. I believe in the value of honesty. As far as I can detect, you were not lying to anybody...and I doubt you have any reason to do so.

I found all your points to be valuable. Nobody wants to step into a new situation unprepared for the worst, and I firmly believe that your contribution enables me to be a little more prepared in case the exact same thing happens to me.

No...I haven't changed my mind about going to Manipal. I doubt you expected me to. I do however sincerely hope that the school has changed gears since you have been there.

I suppose you are aware of how Kasturba Medical College is currently ranked third in the nation according to the annual comparison-analysis survey that is performed by the India Today Magazine.

I suppose you are also aware of the affiliations that the Manipal Educational Group has forged with several international institutions. These collaborations have led to exchanges in students and faculty.
(E.g. refer to this link for a good write up http://www.dwge.com/services/dwge_individuals/mahe/mahe.htm )

I'm sorry that I couldn't provide you with a true-academic link, but if anybody wants to spend a little time with google...I'm sure they can use the details in this article as a great touch-stone.

Also, I surmise that some of your pains that you rightfully experienced were due to culture shock. I understand how damaging a foreign environment can be, as I lived some of my teen years in a country very close to South India. Yes, the weather can be taxing, the social environment is usually moulded in a way to take advantage of the foreigners, and one can certainly develop a sense of isolation.

In fact, in my last visit to the same country I lived in for a few years, I fell sick and was admitted to the hospital for almost a week! But I am a firm believer that what does not kill you, will only make you stronger!! With the harsh realities of life also come some unexpected benefits...I suppose that I am now willing to take certain risks for certain unforseen gains...

As an aside...if you aren't adventurous in any way, please don't try to go abroad for your education :(

Anyhow, I guess another interesting fact is that I know of many, many ,many doctors that qualified in Indian Institutions, and are now practicing medicine in the States or in England.

For example, at my cuz's wedding in England last summer, I met at least 6 physicians that were practicing in England in various specialties.

My sister, who is an Ob/Gyn resident in Philly, has already met three residents in her hospital that studied in Manipal. She has also met others in her interviews in other areas of the states.

Your points regarding the USMLE are also valid. The Manipal program is designed to a British system, and the British have no need to write the American Boards. I do desire to write the boards, so I am taking the advice of an aunt. She is a member of faculty for the medical school of the country my family is from. She advised me to take some BRS books with me, and make weekend reviews. I know that alot of basic sciences material in medical school is globally redundant, so I think this will be a good plan of attack. Also as I approach the date of a test, I will subscribe to the online Kaplan test library. That is available as long as you can find an internet connection.

Something else is that I also believe that the clinical methods prescribed by the Indian medical school system are more independant of technology, as compared to that seen in American and Candian schools. Hence diagnosticians are trained to pursue a case in a uniquely thorough method without such a strong reliance upon technology. Is this a disadvantage? Maybe not, since anyone technically minded can be trained on how to use a machine, receive results and determine the implications. But to free yourself from the dependance of technology, but still have the freedom to return to technology, makes yourself a far more prepared and diverse clinician.

You know what? This is tiring :lol:

My main point that I want to express is this:

I will be available to this particular web-board to chronicle my experiences in the 'Hell-Hole' known as Manipal. The best way to teach, is to show by example...and so I will.

If anybody has any questions on how I applied...I will be happy to answer them.

By the way, I haven't been asked yet for a donation, neither has the issue of donations been brought to my attention over the last 3 months by the representatives I have communicated with. If I am asked for donations in order to proceed, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will let you know :)

Thanks for reading this Novel! And thanks RajPatel for your constructive contribution!

Ranmal

[cmbtdoc]

Did you hear of the KMC- AUA tie-up? You can be enrolled with Manipal BUT attend the AUA campus in Antigua. American University of Antigua is a new Caribe school.

Have you heard anything - positive or negative - about this???

[Ranmal]

Hey CMBT,

To be honest, I am unfamiliar with the particular collaboration you just mentioned. I do however vaguely remember it being mentioned in some forum...which similarly sparked my interest.

I could imagine that such a relationship would increase the opportunities for US clinical rotations during the latter years of the education. As for the issue of US residencies, I really don't see it making your chances any better.

I spoke to an individual in New York last year when I was researching the 5th Pathway program. I wanted to determine which international schools qualified. He told me that as of now, the only foreign schools that are currently accepted to the 5th pathway programs are those in Mexico and further down south. This means that no other international school programs have the ability to transition the students back to the US residency programs so easily...if you could call the process easy ':)'

It seems that everybody else will just have to prepare for the boards, look into the ECFMG. and do whatever else is necessary if you want to come back to the states. To be honest, I haven't done much research into the matching process for US/International students. I figured I will worry about that later.

Some good news is that I have been in contact with KMC over the last few months, and I have expressed concern at the lack of proper representation by the school within this particular site. Just yesterday, the foreign admissions advisor requested that I forward information about ValueMD to the registrar.

In the future, I think we can expect to hear directly from the school, which is vital for us to be better informed.

Thanks for the question!

Ranmal

[Ranmal]

I received this message from another user and I thought others might benefit from the information that was exchanged. I hope that you don't mind doctor_dream...


Hi Ranmal:

First of all, i would like to congratulate you on your admission to a prestigious school. I was just wondering how did you apply and how are you going to finance your education.
2. Do you know anyone in Canada or US who studied there and are practicing now?

Are u a university graduate or did you just finish your high school... i am asking this b/c do they look at your high school marks or do they look at university marks.

Your help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
doctor_dream


From: Ranmal
To: doctor_dream
Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2004 7:58 am
Subject: Re: Manipal information
Hi Manav,

Thanks for the congrats...

I have a university degree from US. I was also in medical school in the states for 1 year, but I failed out due to health reasons.

After that experience, I was detracted from reapplying to N.American schools. I thought it would be very difficult if not impossible for me to return.

The application process was simple to get into India...but timing is everything. They don't take students more than once a year. You must be ready to apply around March/April.

At this time, they were not rigorous on my grades. They only looked for me to have a passing average (above 60) in all my science courses. They normally look for a BSc, but I had a BA with all my premed courses taken.

I am an American permanent resident, so my loans are American. Since the school isn't LCME accredited as all N.AMerican schools, there is a limited amount of Stafford loans that I could get (18,000). That pretty much only covers tuition for a year.

For the rest, I applied for private loans. That is taking a long time to process, and is giving me a lot of worries...

My father had to cosign for those, since I am going to a foreign school.

This was a good question...it is a shame that it isn't a post, as people would benefit from your question and my answer..

Thanks for writing!

Ranmal

_________________
When I was born, I was so traumatized by the whole ordeal, that I couldn't speak for almost 2 whole years...

**********************

I failed to answer one of doctor_dreams questions, which was if I knew of anybody from the US or Canada that is going to Manipal.

The answer currently is no. That is actually the reason why I was encouraged to post here at ValueMD...in order to find peers.

I do however know from my sister (ob/gyn res in philadelphia) that she has encountered at least 4-6 residents from Kasturba Medical College in her interview process and her current placement.

Thanks!

Ranmal

[RajPatel]

KMC does tie-ups with other schools at the drop of a pin and usually later ignominiously either backs out or is forced out once the other school realizes how things operate there. Ask your "adviser" out there about the collaboration between the following:

ICHS ("International Centre of Health Sciences") and UTESA med school in the Dominican Republic

ICHS and the UWI, U of West Indies

MIT, Manipal Inst of Tech with St Andrews in Ohio

MIT with another engineering school in U.S., i forget the name

These are just the tip of the berg, there were many more, a combination of blocking as much of this place out of my mind plus a lack of interest in rehashing all the criminal activity of those people leads me to stop there. The four i mentioned all have one thing in common: all these collaborations were much hyped and ballyhooed and either never materialized or were terminated almost as soon as they did materialize, sort of a la St. Chris.

And as far as what you needed to get in, please believe me when I say the following is not meant in malice as you do seem like a nice person:

the ONLY criteria for admission to KMC or any school in Moneypal is just that, money and a pulse. It is just laughable to suggest otherwise. You have a major and massive education coming your way, and i am not referring to the medical education. It's touching yet sad to see your naive optimism and faith in this place. They will crush you like they have so many, and count yourself lucky if you get out in one piece. It's not just me.....you will soon see what I am saying. in the meantime, ask the "adviser" about the collaborations i mentioned. then again, what difference would it make, they lie about everything anyway.

[cmbtdoc]

Thanks for the info. I think AUA is just using KMC bec KMC HAS the Staffords and AUA doesn't.

I wonder how long this relaitonship will last. And if it falls through,...how are AUA students going to finance their education?

[us_mle]

Hey Ranmal,
Firstly Congratulations on making a good decision...About myself, I am an alumnus of this great institution. I have graduated 3 years ago.
KMC Manipal.....If you use this place fully and productively, you can reach the pinnacles...Beware, its very easy to lose the track and get lost in time, like so many others.....My dear Raj, please for God's sake, don't ever complain that the curriculum over there is far from USMLE....As Ranmal rightly said, its a british curriculum, so not designed as per USMLE requirements.
The teaching is good..There were some excellent professors when I was there...Many of others teach well, not all of them...Nothing is 100% perfect... ... But nobody runs after you forcing you to study hard...Its your job...They have relatively good facilities...like libraries and hostels...You might have some problem with the food, if you plan to eat in the hostel mess....But it shouldn't be a problem...Its not that bad either...But you can't expect them to serve pizzas, pastas, doughnuts, etc.
The location is awesome...Its a paradise on earth for me....Excellent natural greenery, beaches, toursit spots around Manipal.
Many of KMC graduates are doing their residencies over here in USA.
Well connected through internet.
But beware, many rich NRI kids and even rich Indian kids and with them other kids quite often lose the track and gets distracted with somuch freedom at hand..And so, many students take a lot more than the stipulated time to get out of the medical school.
For a local student, the place and cost of living might be expensive, but noway for an American or anyother citizen.
You can contact me at my email us_mle@yahoo.co.in for any other info..However, I left Manipal in late 2001.So my info might be old.But, I have really really good memories about this place. I wish I will be able to visit this place asap.
The school's website is www.manipal.edu . Its not updated as often as it is supposed to be.

Best Wishes,
Ram
us_mle@yahoo.co.in

P.S: Raj Patel, which batch were you from??

[RajPatel]

is this ramnarayan, the dean of ichs? he is the worst one there, full of hot air and lies. i stand by everything i said, and frankly i don't care if one believes it or not. i have said my piece and moneypal is a vile, hated part of my past NOT my future.

[us_mle]

Hey Raj,
Nope. Sorry, I am not RamNarayan. I am a kmc manipal 2001 graduate. Are you from ICHS- Twinning Program??? Looks like you hate Mr. Christo and Mr. Ramnarayan...Anyway, I heard a few months back that Mr. Christo was fired long back..I met him once, and thought he was an arrogant @#$%^&.
Good Luck.

[RajPatel]

christo is one of the few people, very very few, that i have met in life that i consider to represent genuine and true evil.

everything, i say about this place should be qualified by saying that ultimately the fact that i was there was about me and and my parents and related issues, anybody who is stupid enough to wind up in manipal with all the good carib choices deserves what they get

good luck to you too, is dollops still there? and the excellent crab down at bhavani hotel? those are two of the very few good things there

[us_mle]

hey raj,
yep, Dollops was and is still there...Why would he take it off?? :) ...But Manipal has been changing a lot, i mean its physical beauty...so many changes since i left...gardens, lawns, fountains, new buildings, hotels, restaurants,etc...Now a days, i heard u can't drive till the endpoint.

[Ranmal]

Just wanted to check in with the board for my latest update...

I am right now in Colombo, Sri-Lanka. I am on the last leg of my journey to India to start my training at the school.

Thanks to all for the encouragement provided thus far :D

To be honest, I was at a cross road some while back. My financial situation was a little shaky...and I needed to secure more loans before attending Manipal.

When I noticed that this may not happen, I wrote an e-mail to the Director of Admissions (Ms. Diana Britto). She was very understanding, and made arrangements for me to receive a 95% refund on the original deposit I had made to the school.

To clarify to the readers, this particular deposit wasn't a fee to buy a seat as suggested by RajPatel and others on the board. Instead, it was simply 50% of the tuition fee required for a full years tuition.

In the short while before Ms. Britto's reply, I was able to secure a Professional Student Line of Credit...and so I chose to continue on with Manipal.

To be honest, I have dealt with some other foreign schools in my search to continue my education. Usually, when you make a large deposit and you change your mind, you don't expect to ever see it again. I was pleased to see that Manipal follows responsible tuition refund procedures similar to N. American medical schools. I feel that in the face of certain criticisms from a couple of ValueMD contributors, it reassured me a bit about the quality of the school.

As I said before, I will continue to post on this web board about my experiences at Manipal. Hopefully there will be a positive effect from this for the readers as well as the institution.

I look forward to hearing from anybody who has questions on my admission process, funding, what I might expect, etc...

Thanks,

Ranmal

[RajPatel]

well, i will say that if you received a refund from them it is just about the most shocking thing i can imagine, and i am not being facetious.

if it was 50 percent of tuition i figure it had to be at least several thousand dollars?

i stand by everything i have said and then some, but yes, if that actually happened, it would be stunning and certainly an excellent reflection on the school. i just can't picture it though.

[RajPatel]

i reread your post. "making arrangements", yes, now it all comes back. they make "arrangements" for all kinds of stuff. i would bet my life, literally, that you would not actually see dime one.

[Ranmal]

Hey Raj,

I think you spend way to much time obsessing over this school that has hurt you.

I realize that you regret the past...but how can you move on in life to become a great physician you will one day be... if you persist and allow this hurt to remain in your system?

I understand the feeling of having poor relations with an academic institution. But now that I have become older and wiser...I have accepted my own contributions towards my own failure/ road-blocks that others seemingly placed in my life.

It took my seven years to get my undergrad. I failed out of my first year of medical school in the states. But now in reflection, I only have myself to blame. All my friends are now physicians. Fortunately I have concluded that I can no longer blame others for my repeated failures...I can only rectify what is wrong within myself. I think this will straighten my path and give me a better shot at my dream.

I am sorry if this letter offends you. I do not know the gravity of your trials, nor the insults you endured. I can only sense, as others do in this board, the nagging image of deep-seated pain that you carry. You are worth more than your old ties to Manipal. Let it go, and give yourself the chance to truly focus on yourself, the destiny that you deserve and the career that you will obtain.

I know that anyone that went through hell and still desires to achieve a goal, is qualified by their own dedication, determination and desire. I feel that you are one of those people.

Good Luck RajPatel

[vikram]

Hey Ranmal,
I've just joined this post and was really happy to find that someone was willing to be helpful. So here it goes, I'm going to finish my undergrad from a US univ in december. Being an international student, I am not going to apply to any US med schools. Apart form the fact that I have to apply around april, I'm not really sure of what the procedure is.
Did you have to take an entrance exam, etc. Also, what is the approx cost per year (tuition, board, etc.).
I plan to apply to other schools in India aswell, if you have any recommendations please let me know.

Thanks a lot

[Ranmal]

Hi Vickram!

I appreciate your post. I will try to advise you as best as possible, but please remember to keep your mind open to anybody that offers advice...and in the end you must select what is best for yourself.

First of all, could you please elaborate on why you are not opting to apply for Med school in the states?

Would it be due to poor GPA, MCAT , etc? Or would it be due to immigration issues? Or would it be due to the cost that you would accrue as an international student?

In every school there is a pre-med advisory office. These people are vital to the med school entry process. If you think you have the support of these people, and they are encouraging you to apply, I would think twice about staying. If cost is the issue, you may have loan options. We will have to discuss that more...

As far as my search for international med schools, I tried a lot of options. In the very beginning, I was interested in the off-shore island schools...but I eventually found the prices inhibitive. I concluded that no matter how you stack it, all schools outside of the US and Canada are truly International Schools. Hence I decided to weigh my options based on cost and location.

I chose India because I have family in Sri-Lanka. I tried Sri-Lanka, but they only have spaces for Sri-Lankan nationals. I attempted to apply to a few schools in Europe, considered Russia, and Mexico as well.

One thing I found out about India was that there are A LOT of medical schools. There are two categories of schools: Private and Government.
In order to study at a government school, it is best to be an Indian National, with a permanent residence in India. For people like me (Foreign National), it is a very difficult process to get accepted to a Govt. School...lots of paper work entailed in applying to the government, etc, etc.

Something else to consider is that most of those schools also require you to write an exam for entrance. That means making arrangements to be there just to write a paper. This seemed like a huge sacrifice at the time. After all, I am taking a risk by spending so much money to fly over there to write a test without any guarantee of placement.

I called / e-mailed more than thirty schools in India to start with. I don't have a record of these schools, since I trashed the info long time ago. Manipal was the only school that responded to my communication effort.

I received an e-mail from the Vice Chancellor, Dr. Ballal. He wanted to know more about me. I forwarded him my resume, and a few days later he asked me to apply.

I was not required to sit for an exam. They simply reviewed my transcripts which were enclosed with my application. It was a simple process that is similar to many other international schools. I applied in April for my seat and was given acceptance 2 weeks later.

Ms. Dianna Britto is the person that has orchestrated the processing of my application. her e-mail is as follows:

foradmissions@manipal.edu

As far as other recommendations, I was very interested in the Velore Christian Medical College at one time. I know that AIMS is ranked as number one in India by the India Today Magazine (and has been for a long time).

I honestly leaned towards Manipal because of Dr. Ballal. I figured that any school where someone in his shoes takes interest in the quality of incoming students, can't be a bad school at all.

For Manipal the foreign student tuition is steep compared to the normal tution payed by Indian students...not to mention the tuition payed by students studying at government schools.

I will be paying $17,500 US for 5 years.

It would have been a lot cheaper in certain European Schools...but I would have also had to learn the language there. I realized that I need to put as few barriers in my way as possible, one of which would be needing to learn a new language in order to learn class material.

The cost of living is of course really cheap.

I will be spending around 500$ for the cheapest dorm room (per year)
500$ per year on food from the cafeteria and utility charges for the dorm (per year)

medical is covered by the school, since you will go to the school hospitals for your medical care.

I am really not sure about the rest of my budget, as I will find out how it works after being there.

I hope this info was helpful. Also I invite anybody to correct what I have written here, in case they feel that what I have said is misleading or incorrect.

Thanks,

Mike

[Ranmal]

Hello All,

Just an update on my experiences thus far. I am happy to say that every single person I have personally encountered has been kind and encouraging. Everybody in the city speaks at least a smidgen of English, which is comforting.

It is fair to say that with an evidently high concentration of students from abroad, Manipal has come to be a small Indian town with an International scope.

Just the other night I was sitting around the table at a local restaurant, when someone mentioned that there is class on Saturday!!

So...that means your weekends are only one day over here :)

Probably it is because of the 2 hour lunch break every day :)

I just completed registration yesterday, and I have been using today to run around and get my stuff together.

The dorm I am in has A/C rooms for individuals, each with an attached bathroom. I have an internet connection, which I pay 500//= a month for, and it is just as fast as the network connection I had at work in Toronto.

In fact, I am writing you from my room right now.

Ok...gotta go to another meeting.

School starts on the 2nd!

Ranmal

[raindropz]

Hi there.

I would like to find out about whether or not Kasturba Med College is accredited for the state of California. It would be great if you could reply back. Thanks. =)

-Jagdeep

[Ranmal]

Hi...

As far as being accredited for the state of California...the best I can give you is the following:

A degree from KMC Manipal is recognized by

1) World Health Organization
2) British Medical Council
3) Malaysian Medical Council

There are two current 'twinning' programs...one with Malaysia, and the other with a school in the West Indies.

There are people in my dorm from all over the world. States and Canada included. But for the most accurate info, please talk to Dianna Britto.

Her e-mail is foradmissions@manipal.edu

[raindropz]

Thanks for the info. Ranmal. How are you liking it down there?

[Ranmal]

Hey!

I am really liking it a lot. The township is really the school, so there is very little to do around here except study...

You will get certain hangouts, but nothing really attention grabbing...

I am adjusting to the accents of my professors gradually. To be honest, I am more prepared than the average Joe, becuase my parents both have accents.

There are plenty of support services for the student to take advantage of...
Dental School for taking care of your teeth
Hospital for all your emergent/nonemergent medical care issues
counseling
A variety of cafeterias
pools to swim in
weight rooms
etc

But the one thing you have to keep in mind is that this is India

You can't come here expecting for it to be like what you would normally perceive as acceptable in the states.

I find the change in environment as a stimulating experience...yet others may not.

The education is quality, the faculty is extremely knowledgable, and the resources are available....

I really am glad that I came :D

[raindropz]

Hey,

Did you get an admission through the AUA/KMC twinning program? If so, can you tell me about the admissions process. I don't have my 90 credits completed yet, but I wish to attend KMC for the Sept. 2005 term. Should I send in my app. right now or after the completion of my remaining courses? Any advice would certainly be beneficial. Thanks Ranmal.

-Jagdeep

[Ranmal]

Hey...

sorry for the lack of an immediate response...been studying hard!

I would again suggest that for any admissions questions, that you please contact Ms. Dianna Britto at foradmissions@manipal.edu

She will give you all the details you need.

And no, I didn't apply through the twinning program.

My education will be here in India for the 4.5 years of class work and an extra year of internship in local hospitals

Thanks
Ranmal

[dkochanik]

I would like to congrad anyone who makes it into medical school. I had written to Manipal and im waiting for my responce.. :D

[Ranmal]

Just wanted the board to know that I am still checking in between my studies. I have noticed that there have been quite a few questions arising regarding Manipal...
So feel free to ask away.

[vaneetr]

I think all you dumb ***** should maybe study for once in your life and stop looking for short cuts into medschools! (going out to your US students)

[Ranmal]

Hey everybody,

I just wanted to comment about the last post.

Regardless of who we are, where we come from, our strengths, weaknesses...

we all have the same desire to fulfill the same calling.

This calling is one that require a great deal of professionalism. Sometimes it is difficult to meet those expectations, but we must try to treat each other with RESPECT, DIGNITY and we must allow our actions to exemplify INTEGRITY.

These aren't things that I made up...neither are they things that I always do...but I know that they are essential to becoming a succesful physician in whatever field you may choose to specialize.

The last post was right in his/her's implication that 'hard work' is required. We all have the same brain, with the same capabilities. The only difference is the way people use it. Some choose to use their brains with more discipline, which leads to more successes, while others may have not yet learned the value of a disciplined approach to school.

The only fault I have with the last post is the way it was worded. It was crude and insensitive. The content was positive but the delivery tarnished the value of the message.

Anyhow, I want to encourage anybody that opened up this page.

It means that you want your dreams so badly that you are willing to go through the trouble of searching up some references on the web, going through numerous topics, and finally ending up here to read this.

I believe you are reading this for a reason. The same reason a year ago I was doing the exact thing you are doing now. Searching for a future, and a fulfillment to my dreams.

I couldn't achieve this in my home for a variety of reasons. A variety of weaknesses that don't need mentioning. But the fact I have weaknesses does not relegate me to an unfulfilled life. So now I am here in India, studying subjects to fulfill my dream. I will become a doctor. You too will become a doctor.

Don't ever allow negative words to inhibit your progress. Seek now to act with the professionalism your future calling demands, and rise above distractions so you can focus on the end objectives.

Good Luck!

Ranmal

[tmudi]

Hello Ranmal,

I am interested in applying for medical schools in India primarily for the reasons of finishing medical school earliest as possible and under the high academic standards of Indian education. I currently reside in the US and am studying as a senior in one the nation's best high schools, a boarding school known as Deerfield Academy located in Deerfield MA. The school is very prestigious as around 40 percent of the students tend to go to the Ivy leagues and the others fare out in well distinguished schools. Thus, I have a great chance and likelihood of possibly attending Johns Hopkins, Cornell, or UMichigan-Ann Arbor next year.
Thus, I can attend a very top undergraduate program if I have the interest. However, after discussing with my parents and my sister, who is a senior at Wakeforest, I've learned the futility of the undergraduate education here in the US. The 4 years and courses you take in undergrad do not benefit you for grad school. So why not just go straight to grad school in India, get your medical degree, and come back to the states for residency? My goal is to become a surgeon and I want it to do it in the most efficient way. This leads to several questions about applying to medical colleges in India.

1.) I am considering KMC, AIIMS, Vellore, and JIPMER. I understand KMC has NRI quota in which you do not have take an examination because it is based on reservaton of seats. Do the other schools have the same policy?

2.) I realize KMC is ranked 3rd on best medical schools. How does KMC compare with AIIMS and Vellore CMC?

3.) What is the admission process? What does the college base your grades on? Do the colleges recognize the high schools you are in? I went to a private high school before I went to the boarding school and in that private high school I received a 98 average. However, int he boarding school, where the highest grade recieved is a mere 93, and in which I have an 87 average, will KMC recognize these discrepancies?

4.) After viewing the KMC site, I realize because of its high foreign acceptance rate, it is a very diversified school such an American college. How is the community over there? I would like to know how the environment, weather, safety, food, extra-curricular, sports, and life is like out there?

5.) After doing the basic sciences at KMC for 3 and half years, does KMC have clinical sciences to do in the states? Since I would like to be a doctor in USA, I would like to work in the hospitals and deal with the medical problems over here.

This is my final and very important question because it really focuses on the end-result of a school from Indian colleges as KMC. An Indian medical school can really benefit me. I realize I can go 8 years in America, take the MCATS, and go to a top-ten medical college. Or I can go 5 and a half years and finish everything in India with an MBBS degree. I would like to know the success and acceptance rate of those who graduate from KMC and wish to do residency in the United States. I will definitely work hard and use the KMC facilities and academics to the fullest. However, I would like to prety much know that is it worth it in the end when I hope to work as a surgeon in the USA. Will US hospitals recognize the prestige of the college I graduated from and accept me. Otherwise, I can choose the longer, perhaps less academically challenging path of doing med school in America.

Thank you very much for your time and good luck this year.

[sean]

Hi tm,

You might want to consider going to a 6 year medical school in the US instead of going to a foreign school. You can apply right out of high school just like when you go to the Indian schools. Just something to consider as it may make it much easier to get a residency in the future.

[tmudi]

What are some top colleges that offer 6-year medical programs in the United States? Also, how does the admission process work for these colleges unlike applying for undergrad?

[anyone]

to those who ant to join i suggest that you might want to check else ware first like the top carib. schools and only after that manipal. I did my MBBs there and have passed out recently but not on time. npartiall my fault and rest KMC fault. When i joined there in 96 I thought it was a not so bad place. then i failed 1st year. ok my fault, ut later i started to other things like people who dont go to class end up getting attendence not showing up for test and getting internals etc. but i did not care i was in india these things are common here. But on entering second and final year many of the teachers will start dishing out on nri students from US they will ask why we did not go study in US what our marks where how muh we paid etc.For all the problems that go on in manipal we end up getting the blame.people from US are ususally a quiet bunch compared to Biharis. during intership this was even more pronounce, forget me i just scraped by but NRI s who did better were also ill treated eventually wee all started to hate this place. corruption does exist so does lot of discrimination. The best people to ask their opion of manipal is the senior students- they will not give a very good opinon. Lot of parents who had approched the administeration have also a poor image of this place. all said and done there are worse places in manipal But manipal is not what the staff claims it to be
anyone

[sean]

I personally only know of a couple of these (UMKC and NEUCOM) but there are undoubtedly others. U might want to do a search on Google or Yahoo. They tend to be expensive but u might want to look into them.

[flutterby]

oh gosh..i have finished school at manipal, doing my housemanship in the states..there were times when i felt the isolation, but like any rough patch in life, it is over and now i am back here. it was a quick 5 years..i was one of the oldest students in the batch, 24 years old, with a college degree from an acclaimed University in the States. i loved my friends in Manipal soooo much. i hated a lot of things about manipal, but when it was all over with, i realized that it was just another phase of my medical career. since then, i have NOT encouraged people to go if they had another option, such as a viable chance of school in the States. However, as far as medical schools in India are concerned, I do not believe that there is more corruption in Manipal. I never saw an exchange or bribery take place, and I was always under the assumption that they wanted to be legitimate as possible. Congratulations on your admission, and I wish you good luck. I know it is very hard to get into school there, and they require AP courses or college level courses to be considered as a candidate. I also know that my cousins who are in school there are having a great time, and getting to know India and Indian culture. Don't worry about the aforementioned "cesspool" of lies and cheating..it exists in every institution. Some are just better able to hide it. People who are bitter about their experiences in India should look in the mirror and ask themselves what happened. I know its hard to adjust, but I had traveled a lot and seen much of the world before I made the decision to go there. AND, its over with now, and the people in Manipal have been great about contacting me through Email, helping me with transcripts, etc. I have already passed Step One, just took Step 2, and have scheduled CSA. Life moves on with or without you. Just go with the flow, and you will be fine. GOOD LUCK TO YOU! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR DOUBTS LET ME KNOW.

[splendorvk]

AUA is best in Caribbean, Manipal is best in India.