India, Oct. 20 -- India's medical education system is expanding, but the demand for medical seats continues to be much larger than the supply. For 2026-27, the National Medical Commission's (NMC) seat matrix lists 136,939 MBBS seats across 823 medical colleges. At the same time, about 22.79 lakh students registered for NEET-UG 2026. The numbers explain why an increasing number of Indian students are looking at medical education outside the country.

Studying medicine abroad is no longer simply a choice made by students who have missed out on a seat in India. For many families, it is now one of several options considered at the beginning of the admission process. The decision, however, requires considerably more thought than comparing tuit...