Amongst the several thousands of victims of last weeks Sichuan earthquake are also many Indian medical students. The frightened students have been asking the university to help them return home and postpone their exams due in June.
The Indian embassy estimates that there are approximately 6,000 Indian students studying medicine in China. They come to China as a cheaper option to the U.S or U.K. due to the limited availability of seats in medical universities in India. With the medium of instruction in English, the deal is a win-win situation. Many students also say that the quality of medical educaton in China is ahead of India. Besides the privilege of living abroad, the students enjoy learning Chinese. A majority of the students goto medical universities in Tianjin or Hangzhou.
Money being the driving force for these students, Chinese universities charge Indian students US$3,300 a year for tuition on an average. Another US$1,000 is needed for board and lodging. This is a fourth of what one would spend in India.
