Ample opportunities to explore

Dear Madam,
I am an MBBS student and want to pursue Neuroscience or Psychiatry abroad. I recently read that there’s an exam to be taken to practise in other countries. Will I have to take this if I want to go abroad? Also, which countries are good to study these subjects apart from the US? Also, what are the exams that need to be taken? Lastly, are degrees taken abroad, especially Medicine, valid in India?
Shri

Dear Shri,
You have to take country-specific qualifying exams if you want to be able to practise. For UK, you need to take PLAB and IELTS exam. For Germany, C1 level of German language is required. You need to also take Approbation/Aptitude test. This is to check the knowledge of foreign medical graduates and compare their equivalence with German medical graduates. The test mainly consists of Internal Medicine and Surgery but also includes questions from Accident & Emergency Medicine, Pharmacology, Radiology, etc. It is usually for 60-90 minutes. Maximum three attempts are allowed.

For France, ECN Epreuve Classantes National and French language course at C1 level. For US, take the USMLE exam. For Canada, you need to take MCCEE, MCCQE part 1 and part 2. For Australia, take the AMC exam. For New Zealand, take the NZREX exam.
For Germany, France, US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, other than the exams mentioned above you also need to take an English test like IELTS, PTE, TOEFL. Degrees from any of these countries mentioned above are valid in India.

Dear Madam,
I am a third year Electrical and Electronics engineering student. I got admission into engineering by lateral entry by completing a diploma. Will I be able to take admission in US universities for MS in Computer Science? If yes, please suggest some good universities and exams needed to be taken to get admission.
A Student

Dear Student,
You can apply to universities in the US to pursue your MS in Computer Science. Ensure that you maintain a high GPA. Get good scores in both GRE and TOEFL iBT. Prepare an impressive resume and write a clear statement of purpose. Universities look for well-rounded, talented students who have an interest in research work and writing. Try and get some work experience while you are still in college. To register and take the GRE and TOEFL, visit www.ets.org.
Some of the good universities for MS in Computer Science are University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles, Georgia Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, University of Southern California, The University of Texas at Austin and Arizona State University.

Dear Madam,
I’m a third year BE Mechanical engineering student and I am planning to do my postgraduate studies in Germany. Could you elaborate on the admission process for German universities? What are some of the good universities to study Mechanical engineering? As I am not financially sound, what is the process for applying for a student loan?
A Student

Dear Student,
The good news is that most German universities offer free education. So, not being financially sound is not an issue. What you need to do is enrol for German language classes at the Goethe Institute. Although your entire programme will be taught
in English, you need to be fluent in German. Take the GRE and TOEFL. You can register for these tests at www.ets.org.

Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, Technical University of Munich, RWTH Aachen University and FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences offer many courses in Automotive and Mechanical engineering. If you are looking for a student loan for your living expenses, you can approach your local bank like SBI, HDFC Credila, ICICI etc.

Dear Madam,
I am a second year BSc student with subjects Chemistry, Botany, Microbiology. I wish to study Industrial Microbiology abroad. Can you please suggest a few colleges and the exams to be taken? Also, would a one-year Masters programme be helpful to advance my career?
Nishat

Dear Nishat,
Masters’ courses offered in UK, New Zealand and Australia are one year programmes. You need to take just the IELTS exam. You save on your tuition fee and living expenses when you complete your Masters in one of these countries.

Career-wise you have the same amount of scope as you would if you took up a two-year programme. Some UK universities also offer a two-year sandwich programme where you
will study during the first year and the second year will be a placement year.

Dear Madam,
I am a second-year BSc Agriculture student. I want to go abroad for a good job or research work. Please guide me on how I can
prepare for that.
Noor Pasha

Dear Noor Pasha,
There are ample opportunities to explore abroad. There are excellent universities in Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, UK and New Zealand for Agriculture and Horticultural Sciences. The admission requirement would be a good percentage in your Bachelors and an English language test like the IELTS.

Most of these programmes are largely research-based. It will help if you carry out some research work outside your regular coursework while you are pursuing your Bachelors and submit a synopsis of your work along with your application.

Some of the European universities that are popular for Agriculture are: Aarhus University, Denmark; University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna, Austria; Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary; Leibniz University, Hannover; Humboldt University, Berlin; Technical University of Munich.

In UK, universities such as the Nottingham Trent University, Newcastle University, University of Reading, University of Greenwich and University of Exeter offer a range of Agricultural programmes.

In New Zealand Massey university, Lincoln University and University of Canterbury are known for their programmes in Agricultural sciences.

Prof Uma Aswani is an educationist and consultant based in Bengaluru.
Send in your queries to Education, Deccan Herald 75, MG Road, Bengaluru-560001 or email us [e-mail] with ‘Study Abroad’ in the subject line.