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Russia has historically been India’s most dependable ally since independence. This long-standing relationship has contributed to making MBBS Russia popular among Indian students. An MBBS degree in Russia is a highly sought-after option for Indian students seeking to study medicine abroad. Since 1985, India has witnessed a steady stream of students heading to Russia to pursue medical programs, cementing its status as a top destination for MBBS education in Russia.
With over 4,000 Indian students flying every year to study MBBS in Russia, it’s evident that more than 50% of those seeking medical education abroad are choosing this exceptional country. Its reputed institutions further accentuate Russia’s prominence in providing high-quality medical education. As such, medicine in Russia has become a popular choice for Indian students aspiring to excel in the medical field on an international stage.
Of all the study abroad options available, Russia is one of the most economical places for MBBS abroad. Some of the important points to remember before finalising an MBBS degree in Russia or any Russian University are:
How many Indian students are pursuing MBBS education in Russia at the moment? The answer would be that there are almost 23000 Indian students in Russia for the MBBS program enrolled in various medical universities. Indeed, there are quite many medical aspirants in many countries. Nearly 70-80% of Indian medical students in Russia are studying at only 8-10 medical colleges.
If we compare the medical education systems in Russia and India, they are entirely distinct. Possible distinctions between the Indian and Russian MBBS Programs are highlighted; find the table below-
There are multiple advantages to studying at Russian Medical Universities for Indian students. A few are mentioned below-
Although there are multiple advantages to pursuing MBBS in Russia, certain challenges persist. To start, a few such problems faced by Indian students during their MBBS study in Russia are below:
Over 90 medical universities are accepting international students for general medicine programs in Russia (MBBS) in English, Bilingual, and Russian programs. Many Indian agents admit students to bilingual programs instead of English-taught MBBS programs. As per NMC regulation for FMGE 2021, if any chance a student pursues the Bilingual MBBS program, they will not be eligible to appear in the Indian Licensing Exam NEXT. So, if you are looking for MCI-approved Medical colleges in Russia, selecting a University that provides an entire MBBS course in the English language is extremely important. Only all 6 years of English taught MBBS from Russia are valid in India. Moreover, you should prefer a University with a good quality of education.
Approximately 18 universities deliver English Taught Programs, of which only 10 or 12 have a quality infrastructure, making them the top medical Universities in Russia recognised by MCI. You can select the Best Medical University in Russia based on their grading or find the Top 10 Medical Universities in Russia if you wish to refer to the University grade and check the availability of the Medicine Program in English.
In A common query arises when a student plans for MBBS education in Russia: Will I get Indian food in Russia, or is Indian food available at the medical schools in Russia? So here is the answer-
Every single University provides on-campus accommodation for its students.
Normally, the total cost of MBBS in Russia or any university consists of tuition fees, hostel fees, food, and other personal expenses. The lowest MBBS fees in Russia are for Orel State Medical University & Kabardino-Balkarian. Refer to the table below for the average cost of study in Russia or any Russian universities. Note: Certain expenses incurred during the first year only,
Most of your expenditure will shift towards the university tuition Fee. Despite that, you should not choose a university just because its tuition fee is low, as you may compromise the quality of the education.
MBBS Admission in Russia follows the same criteria approved by the NMC for an Indian medical aspirant to pursue MBBS in foreign nations. Few universities rely upon an additional condition, over and above the NMC criteria, to find the best student to study at their University. Below is the eligibility for MBBS in Russia
NEET Qualified: Students must be NEET Qualified in any of the previous 3 years
It is important to understand that the complete process takes around three months (3) from the application till arrival at the University. Nonetheless, students applying at the last moment may not find seats available or may even struggle to complete the process. In this case, students might arrive late at the university, which may result in a loss in their academics.
The National Medical Council’s 2021 regulation for the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE), or MCI Screening Test, has implemented specific guidelines for students pursuing MBBS or medical studies abroad. These guidelines establish eligibility criteria for appearing in the NEXT Exam in India. Key aspects of the NMC 2021 regulation include:
Indian students need to understand the medical education system in Russia to ensure they are eligible to appear in the licensing or NEXT exams in India. Medical Education in Russia follows a combination of the European system and the old Soviet system. You have to clear two stages in Russia before applying for the Indian Licensing Exam.
There is no separate internship system being followed in Russia, unlike India. State or Goss exam is conducted in the final year of the medicine course. The universities in Russia award the MD degree to the student who completes his or her 6 years of medical school after clearing this exam. The Goss Exam in Russia is equivalent to the NEXT Exam in India for an Indian Medical Graduate.
State or Goss Exam in Russia follows a three-step system.
1. Written test: This is a multiple-choice question (MCQ)-based exam, and all the questions are to be compulsorily attempted.
2. Practical Test: This is a patient diagnosis exam, where the patient’s history along with certain lab reports will be provided to the student. It is expected of the student to diagnose the disease and recommend treatment to the patient based on the given information.
3. Oral Exam: Faculty members will evaluate students based on their verbal proficiency. Typically, oral exams focus on clinical subjects to assess the student’s knowledge.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Goss Exam may be conducted in English or Russian, depending on the university, despite the medium of instruction for the course. The Goss Exam is organized at the university level; neither the Russian Federal Government nor its Ministry of Education is in charge of conducting it.
The Accreditation Exam or Medical License Exam in Russia differs entirely from the Goss or Degree or State Exam in Russia. This exam is conducted in 3 phases, namely-
1. Online Exam: This exam is conducted fully online, consisting of 40 questions. There is a pool of 800 Sample Questions for this exam, and most of the time, the questions are asked only from this pool. The criteria for passing the Medical Licensing exam is 50%. This exam is conducted once a year in June. To date, the medium of the licensing exam is Russian. For students to get familiar with Russian terminologies, universities must offer medical terminology classes.
2. Clinical Skills in Hospital: This exam is very similar to the Goss Practical Exam; the only difference is that a doctor takes this in a hospital. Patient history, symptoms, pathological, and other relevant diagnosis reports were provided to the student. They need to identify the disease and suggest a treatment plan.
3. Clinical Skills Online: This is again similar to the practical exam; the difference is that this is again an online exam where 12 questions are to be answered.
The entire exam is supervised and conducted under supervision. The result of the exam is declared within 1 week after the exam. Thereafter, the student is awarded a Medical License to practice in Russia. Once you clear the Licensing Exam in Russia, you will get a certificate and Registration ID from the Federal Agency. This certificate must be submitted to NMC as proof of Registration to practice as a physician in Russia, along with other Academic certificates of your Medicine course.
