In many countries, including the Philippines, students are not directly admitted to medical programs. Firstly, they must complete a 2-3-year BS course or Associate's Bachelor's degree. Then, they are expected to pass the NMAT Exam, similar to the Indian NEET Exam, to pursue the MBBS course at a Philippine Medical College. Post NMC Regulation 2021, which was considered effective upon its publication on 18th Nov 2021, all the students who were pursuing the Bachelor of Science (BS Course) or did not start the MD course were assumed to be a non-recognized program. The reason was straightforward: the length of the Program was 4 Years, and Indian Students were also not allowed to register for a License. (refer to NMC criteria in the below section)