Financial barriers and inequity in medical education in India: challenges to training a diverse and representative healthcare workforce

Figures & data

Figure 1. Summary of the three major financial barriers to medical education in India, which limit the training of a diverse and representative healthcare workforce.

Table 1. Attendance costs at popular coaching institutes for the medical school entrance examination (NEET-UG) with prices detailed as listed on the official institute websites [50–58].

Coaching Institution	Mode of Teaching	Tuition Costs (INR) for 24 months
Aakash Institute	Online	~170,000
	In-person	~360,000
Allen Institute	Online	83,999
	In-person	~226,000
Unacademy	Online	95,999
	In-person	~300,000
Toppers Academy	Online	~120,000
Margshree	Primarily In-Person	~165,000
Physics Wallah	Primarily Online	~60,000
Resonance	Online	~115000 &
	In-person	~117,000–197,000

Table 2. Attendance costs at popular coaching institutes for the residency entrance examination (NEET-PG) with prices detailed as listed on the official institute websites [78–84].

Coaching Institution	Mode of Teaching	Tuition Costs (INR)
		6 (+1/2 months)	12 months	24 months
DAMS Classroom Regular Program	In-person	NA	75,000 (60,000)^#	NA
DAMS eMedicoz	Online	NA	36,000^#	NA
DBMCI Classroom Regular Program	In-person	120,000	NA	NA
DBMCI E-Gurukul	Online	NA	66,375	95,875
Prepladder	Online	41,000 (24,799)	55,000 (33,799)	77,500 (44,499)
Marrow	Online	39,999 (29,999)	44,999 (34,999)	60,999 (50,999)
Unacademy	Online	21,000	31,500	42,000
Speed Institute	Online	30,850	35,850	52,850

Table current as of November 2023.

*Numbers in brackets represent prices after an automatic discount was applied by the institutions on the checkout page.

^#Data for tuition fees of in-person classes was not available online and was acquired through personal inquiries from attendees and the institute

Figure 2. Multidimensional increases in inequities in medical education secondary to recent and forthcoming changes and educational trends in India.

Flowchart showing the recent and forthcoming changes in Indian medical education system and their impact on inequity.