BY RAJA HAMOOD UR REHMAN
I am going to start from the beginning; how I got admission in the International Medical University (IMU) after successfully attempting my MUDCAT 2019, NUMBS and FAD.
It was the time to decide whether to do MBBS abroad or stay in Pakistan and do something else. I first chose Pharm-D as my professional degree. I got admission in Hamdard University Islamabad, but due to some family issues, I missed my last day for of fee submission. After a long discussion with my parents, I decided to go to Kyrgyzstan for MBBS. So, the story starts from here.
I contacted a college fellow of mine who was studying in IMU in Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan. He asked me to send him documents and he would assist me in getting admission in the medical university.
I had to pay US $ 2700 excluding airfare before joining the university. My friend helped me in getting medical and police certificate from DHQ Mirpur and from SSP office Mirpur. After three days, I got my admission letter. I was asked to pay another US 300 dollars in advance in the name of getting an invitation letter.
I was very happy because I got admission in a medical university. My friend told me to ask other friends whoever wants to become a doctor to contact him. I was a bit confused. Anyhow, I contacted one of my school fellows. He was quite willing. We talked to our agent (my college fellow) and he got his package in US $ 3000.
After a month we both got our invitation letters from the ministry of education of Kyrgyzstan. We booked our flight and reached Bishkek on November 7, 2019. My college mate received me at the airport. He first took us to a hostel named Akhunbaeva hostel.
There was no space for any new-comer. Then he took us to a nearby hostel on Karadarynskys street. We had a rest there for an hour or so. After that they shifted us to Sylmbekov University hostel. We stayed there for at least a week.
For the first two days, we were without blanket in freezing temperature of 3 degree centigrade. They took us to sign a contract with the university after a week. Our classes started on Nov 24, 2019. They started by conducting language class once a week.
There were 10 groups of 25 students each in the lecture hall. The teacher would give lecture just by reading the slides. There were 1400 students enrolled in the International Medical University, but hardly any trained teachers were there to conduct the classes properly.
Most of the times, our teachers were changed without any reason and the next teacher would be starting his lecture from the start of the course subject. There was a Pakistani teacher as well who himself was the student of International School of Medicine. He mostly postponed our lecture and only taught us about anemia.
When the time for examination came, they promoted us on the basis of our modules only. We only had exam for biology, in that too, Invigilators (students of other groups) helped the students in writing answers.
Now the next semester starts. Our groups were changed and we were transferred to other groups. In the meanwhile, Covid-19 pandemic started and the classes were shifted to online mode.
We had 1 class of each subject. There was a Pakistani teacher for bio-Chemistry who took 3 classes and then started threatening us to fail in the exams.
Our exams for the second semester started, however I noticed that my exams record was not appearing on the university’s website. I came to know that our contractor didn’t submit our fees to the university which he demanded from us in December before the end of the first semester.
I had paid the fee on 11th January 2020. When I asked him about my fee, he said, I should not bother him; and that I will be promoted to the next semester automatically.
To our surprise I was promoted in September 2020 to the third semester. Due to Covid-19, we were set to come home back. When I demanded my passport from my contractor, he demanded $ 400 dollars, 300 dollars on pretext of hostel dues and 100 dollars for some unknown health insurance.
Anyhow after tough negotiations, I paid him $ 100 dollars and got my passport from him. Some people advised me to approach the embassy and lodge a complaint against these contractors but the reality is that these people have contacts inside the embassy and they later target the complainant.
I got my passport and came back to Pakistan. In Pakistan, me and my friends decided enroll in some other university by migration certificate from our current university. When we contacted our contractor in this regard, as our educational documents were with the university (taken at the time of signing contract), he said that he will assist us and later he didn’t reply.
Many people criticize Pakistan Medical Council for blacklisting the medical universities of Kyrgyzstan but the reality is that Kyrgyz medical universities have zero standards except two or three.
These universities give contracts to Pakistani or Indians to attract students from their respective countries and in return, paid heavy commission. Those who could be lured, are asked to invite other friends for admission.
I would request you all to please don’t get trapped by the contractors or so-called consultants who are making money at the cost of agony of young students who undergo physical and mental hardships besides wasting thousands of dollars of their parents’ hard-earned money besides wasting their precious time.
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