<h3>APEMS – Assistance for Privately Enrolled Medical Students</h3>

Are you a freshly passed class XII Student? Or are you a teacher or parent to the fore mentioned category. If So, I would like to share you about What APEMS is, it's benefit, advantages of holding onto one, which place is better for you, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?, Does it discourage students from lower socio-economic background to take such a chances?.. Well you are going to see it!! 

APEMS stands for Assistance for Privately Enrolled Medical Students. By it acronym, and its name it is defined somehow to be looking like just assistance by which in that matter you are actually paying for your own course. This is completely wrong idea. In proportion to other international scholarship awards; APEMS sanction actually is a very generous scholarship offered very diplomatically, or rather I would say only those students who are well aware of it are delighted to take the chances. Those coming from poorer background are discouraged definitely just by the acronym and its name. I would like to say here that you shouldn’t be. Trust me I didn’t know about APEMS until I found out myself (which is only after announcement were made) asking few other seniors candidates; and I nearly threw the chance to some other. Thanks to those people!!! Now regarding the fee structure of a APEMS candidate and their expenditure;


In 2008, The Ministry of Education in order to fulfill the lack of human resources in medicines within the country passed a scholarship scheme called APEMS whereby a candidate selected for this scheme is provisioned the sum of Nu.300,000/- annually.For this matter, the colleges in Sri Lanka will charge a candidate the tuition fee of USD$5000/- annually which is roughly equal to Nu.225000/-. For the first two years, a candidate won't be getting any stipends. The tuition fee according to the college will be given and after the successful completion of second year, a candidate gets a stipend which is 70% of the total stipend given to Full scholarships students . Meaning after the completion of one's second year, a candidate will get USD $ 250 monthly. 


Now here is what comes the lighter part; if you are placed as a APEMS candidate to Bangladesh, there are quiet a good number of advantages with only one disadvantage which is very vague. First thing first; If you are placed as APEMS candidate to Bangladesh, you only have to pay Nu.25000/- per year(this applies only to Government owned Medical Colleges). Now here is the better part again, paying only Nu.25000 per year means after second year you will get a stipend of 250 USD $ a month ( 70% of 375 USD, which is total stipend given for full scholarship students). In addition to that, placing in Bangladesh would mean staying in hostel, and hence you don't have to bear the monthly rental charge, as in being placed in Sri lanka. More so your food is provided by hostel mess, and it is nearer to your home; you can visit it any time sooner. The only disadvantage is that a candidate being placed to Bangladesh will have to wait until the commencement of next January. However, comparatively, even those placed to Sri Lanka will have to wait till the end of September; this means it is just a matter of few months. Not so staggering!.


The above mentioned information applies only to MBBS candidates. Are you going to apply for Dental APEMS? or maybe you are forced to with one of your three inclusive subjects mark falling below 65%. Your will be bit surprised to know that the fee charged for dental student is much more than those charged to MBBS. While MBBS cost you USD$5000, studyign B.Sc Dental Science would mean another extra grand and half. Yes it is USD$6500 annually.(applies only to SAARC students). USD $6500/- will closely come to Nu.292500/- Just like MBBS candidate you will yet again have to pay for the monthly rental charge; travel fares, food and accommodation. Seems like you will be craved outta money? Not Quiet; you have another solution to this, to do dental Degree in Bangladesh will cost you Nu.35000/- annually. And yet you know after second year you get 70% of stipends entitled to full scholarship students. (70% 0f 375 USD) So just tick your placement to Bangladesh. You of course will have to wait until the next January. And you might wanna learn Bangla a bit. 


So if you are into medicines, through so called APEMS, choose wisely. Where you might be placed and where you might be studying would matter a lot to your family and yourself so much financially. And more so, students from lower Socio-Economic background can always apply; don't think you cannot pay; you don't have to!! you just have to be wise in your choices!! I hope this was useful.If you would like to read Kuenselonline forum on this topic CLICK HERE