MBBS in Russia

Last Updated on August 10, 2023 by Diya

Do you want to study MBBS in Russia? If yes, this article will be of help to you. Here, you will find everything you need to know about MBBS in Russia – application, admission, colleges, fees, eligibility, and more!

Russia has become a favorite destination among medical education aspirants from India. There are many reasons responsible for this trend! Studying MBBS abroad is not an easy task! A lot of planning (financial and college-wise) has to be done before you embark on this journey!   By the time you finish all the paperwork, secure admission, and reach your college (abroad), you will have spent a decent amount of money, resources, and time on it!

So, you won’t really want all these things to go to waste, do you?   Before securing admission into any medical college in Russia, aspirants must gather some basic information. Details such as – College rating, reputation, fees, teaching language, other expenses, etc will come in very handy to students as well as parents before securing admission!   Through this guide, I want to educate my readers and provide them with important details regarding the MBBS program in Russia. Let’s start!

The emergence of Russia as an MBBS hub

In India, MBBS is a very popular choice among PCB group students. Indian parents are very well known for their obsession with this course!   As a result, the number of medical aspirants is simply increasing with each passing year in India. There’s a huge gap between the number of medical seats and the number of aspirants vying for those seats!   In India, there exist two main types of medical colleges –

1. Government Medical Colleges.
2. Private Medical Colleges.

Government Medical colleges are very popular among MBBS aspirants in India. They are known to charge really low fees! There are two types of Government Medical Colleges –

1. State Government Operated Colleges.
2. Central Government Operated Colleges.

As I mentioned before, Government Medical colleges charge incredibly low tuition fees. Apart from that, they also provide subsidized hostel facilities, canteen facilities, and other benefits.

Self Financed Medical Colleges, on the other hand, are well known for their exorbitant tuition fees! Yes, they do provide scholarships to deserving candidates. But for a normal student, the tuition fees charged are pretty high! Most middle-class families in India won’t be able to handle this tuition fee, hostel fees, and other expenses!

The medical admission process in India is merit-based (through medical entrance exams). There exists a donation-based admission process too, but that’s in cases of Self Financed Colleges!   It means that if you want to bag a Government Medical seat in India, you must score pretty well in the relevant medical entrance exam. It may sound easy, but it is a difficult task to accomplish!

Thanks to the skewed ‘number of medical seats to number of aspirants’ ratio, many MBBS aspirants are left behind! The competition is so stiff that they fail to secure admission into a Govt medical college! And they are not financially equipped to pursue MBBS in a Self Financed College!

In these circumstances, Russian MBBS colleges are a boon for these aspirants. The tuition fees charged by Russian medical colleges are relatively lower (than what it is in Indian Self Financed Colleges).

Apart from that, many Russian Medical colleges have decent infrastructure, decent faculty, and good curricula. All these things make Russia an ideal alternative for Indian medical aspirants!

The admission procedure followed by Russian Medical Colleges is a bit relaxed when compared to Indian Colleges! Competition out there is not as stiff as it is in India!   Let us check out the main advantages of pursuing an MBBS in Russia.

Advantages of pursuing MBBS in Russia

Relatively easy to get admission

As I mentioned before, competition for medical seats in Russia is remarkably lower than it is in India. As a result, it is relatively easy to get admission into these colleges!   It is not uncommon to see students with mediocre performance (in exams) in India managing to secure admission into Russian Medical Colleges!

With a decent academic score and the help of a good overseas educational consultant, one may get admission into a Russian Medical college with relative ease!   ‘Direct admission process’, without any entrance exam, is a major attraction that draws students from around the world to Russia!

Low fees and cost

This is the main reason why many Indian students move to Russia for pursuing MBBS!   As I mentioned before, only Government Medical Colleges will help you pursue MBBS at a low cost in India. And managing to get a Government college seat is not an easy task.

Self Financed Medical colleges in India seek huge donation fees (not in all cases though) and tuition fees for admission! So Russia happens to be a good destination for those looking for low-cost MBBS!

The average tuition fee in Russia is 3-6 Lakhs per year. Tuition fees may vary from one college to another. Students and parents must also understand that other expenses are also involved – hostel, canteen, safety deposit, etc.

Thriving Indian student community

Indian students have been going to Russia for medical education since the early 2000s. But this trend became more prevalent in recent times.   The flow of Indian medical students to Russia has increased by as much as 10 times in the past 3 years!

Approximately 2500-3000 Indian students immigrate to Russia for pursuing MBBS each year. It means that there’s a thriving Indian student community there!   Freshers will find this community very helpful. It is a driving factor behind why Indian students prefer Russia over other countries.

Availability of good colleges and faculty

Russia is home to some of the best Medical colleges in the world. But not all Russian Medical colleges are world-class though! Readers are supposed to check the background and reputation of a college before securing admission!

What I’m trying to say is that there are decent medical colleges in Russia. They have experienced faculty and good infrastructure. These colleges provide good residential facilities and an overall good staying experience!

NMC and WHO recognition

Many Medical Colleges in Russia are rated and recognized by the WHO (World Health Organization) and NMC (earlier, Medical Council of India). I suggest my readers check MCI’s website and find the list of approved medical colleges in Russia. Make sure that you secure admission in one such rated and recognized institute only!

In short, there are many MCI-approved and recognized colleges in Russia.   Just like a coin has two sides, MBBS education in Russia also has two sides. It is now time to check out some disadvantages associated with it.

Few disadvantages and things you should be careful about

Not all colleges are recognized by MCI

There are many medical colleges in Russia. But not all of them are recognized by the MCI. Being Indian students, it’s better to pursue the course from colleges that are recognized by the MCI.   Before securing admission, you must check with MCI’s website and validate the status of the college!

Fake agents and false promises

Russia has emerged as a hot destination among Indian medical aspirants. The flow of students to Russia has increased so much that unscrupulous elements have sensed an opportunity to cheat students and parents here!   It is not uncommon to see greedy agents and consultancies selling wrong promises to gullible parents and students. Some tactics that they employ are –

• Pitching poor quality colleges as recognized ones.
• Overcharging fees.
• Lying about fees.
• Lying about the medium of learning.

I urge my readers to be careful about traps like these. Always seek the help of a reputed overseas educational consultant for MBBS admission in Russia!

Medium of learning

In Russia, there are three main types of MBBS programs based on the medium of learning. They are –

• The program is taught in the Russian Language.
• Bilingual program (first 3 years in English and last 3 years in Russian).
• The program is taught fully in English.

The problem is that full English programs are offered by few Russian colleges. And they charge relatively higher than other colleges!   Colleges offering the course fully in the Russian language charge the lowest fees. But then that’d pose problems for Indian students (unless they learn Russian). So due to these factors, you will either end up paying a bit more or must start learning Russian!

Climate woes

In Russia, winters can get terribly cold! So, you should be prepared to brave these conditions in Russia! But if you are determined enough, it shouldn’t be a problem!

Longer course duration

MBBS program in Russia is 6 years long. 6 long years, excluding the 1-year internship that a student must complete in India. So in total, it will take 7 years!

Need to clear MCI Screening Test/FMGE

After completing the MBBS program in Russia, you just can’t return to India and start practicing! You can’t put your Degree to use until you clear your MCI Screening Test/FMGE!   For many graduates from Russia, this screening test proves to be a real obstacle. With preparation, one may crack this test easily!   Let us check out the course details now. In the next section, you will find the following details – course duration, eligibility, and medium of learning.

Course details

Duration

MBBS program in Russia is 6 years long. And this period doesn’t include the 1-year internship that you must complete (after returning to India).

Eligibility Criteria

10+2 passed with PCB (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics) subjects. Minimum aggregate marks criteria may exist. It’s usually around 50-60% aggregate marks. Students must have completed 17 years of age at the time of admission.

Medium of learning (teaching language)

In Russia, there are three main types of MBBS programs based on the medium of learning. They are –

• The program is taught in the Russian Language.
• Bilingual program (first 3 years in English and last 3 years in Russian).
• The program is taught fully in English.

How to Apply for MBBS in Russia?

You may either apply yourself or seek the help of a reputed overseas educational consultant. These are the steps involved in the application process –

• College selection (from a list of MCI-approved Colleges).
• Obtaining application form/document.
• Submitting application form with all required documents.
• Receiving admission offer from College.
• Getting Ministry approval.
• Visa stamping.
• Departure to Russia.

Admission process [2023]

Most colleges follow the direct admission process. But documents and academic qualifications (10+2, 10th pass, etc) will be checked.  The candidate must also qualify NEET-UG entrance exam.

Colleges

Here’s the list of colleges approved by MCI –

• Ryazan State Medical University.
• Altai State Medical University.
• Amur State Medical Academy.
• Astrakhan State Medical Academy of Federal Agency of Health Care and Social Development.
• Astrakhan State Medical University.
• Bashkir State Medical University.
• Buryat State University.
• Chita State Medical Academy.
• Crimean Federal University.
• Dagestan State Medical University.
• Far Eastern Federal University.
• IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University.
• IM Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy.
• Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University.
• Ingush State University.
• Irkutsk State Medical University.
• Ivanovo State Medical Academy.
• Izhevsk State Medical Academy.
• Kabardino-Balkarian State University.
• Kaluga State University.
• Kazan Federal University.
• Kazan State Medical University.
• Kemerovo State Medical Academy.
• Khakassia State University.
• Kirov State Medical Academy.
• Kislovodsk Medical College.
• Krasnoyarsk State Medical University.
• Kuban State Medical University.
• Kursk State Medical University.
• Maikop State Technological University.
• Mari State University.
• Mordovia NP Ogerev State University.
• Moscow State Medical and Dental University.
• Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry.
• National Medical University.
• National Research Nuclear University.
• Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy.
• North Ossetian State Medical Academy.
• North Western State Medical University.
• North-Caucasian Federal University.
• North Eastern Federal University.
• Northern State Medical University.
• Novosibirsk State Medical University.
• Omsk State Medical University.
• Orel State University.
• Orenburg State Medical University.
• Pacific State Medical University.
• Penza Basic Medical College.
• Penza State University.
• People’s Friendship University of Russia.
• Perm State Medical University.
• Perm State Pharmaceutical Academy.
• Petrozavodsk State University.
• Rostov State Medical University.
• Russian National Research Medical University.
• Russian State Medical University, Moscow.
• Russian State Social University.
• Saint Petersburg State Medical Academy.
• Saint Petersburg State Medical University.
• Samara State Medical University.
• Saratov State Medical University.
• Saratovskiy State Medical University.
• Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy.
• Siberian State Medical University.
• Smolensk State Medical University.
• South Ural State Medical University.
• Stavropol State Medical University.
• Tambov State University.
• The Belgorod State University.
• The Chechen State University.
• Tula State University.
• Tver State Medical University.
• Tyumen State Medical University.
• Ulyanovsk State University.
• Yaroslavl State Medical Academy.

For an exhaustive list of colleges and universities, check out the official website of MCI.

MBBS Fee Structure in Russia

Fees charged for the program may vary from one college to another. Tuition fees depend upon the following factors –

• Medium of learning (Russian, English, or Bilingual).
• Scholarship status of the student.
• Type of college (Government or Private).
• Rating and reputation of the college.

Based on these factors, tuition fees could be anywhere between 2,00,000 INR to 6,00,000 per year. Readers should check the institute’s website or brochure to find the exact tuition fees.   Apart from tuition fees, a student also has to bear other expenses such as hostel fees, mess fees, safety deposit, etc. Readers should check the institute’s website or brochure to get details about additional expenses!

Additional expenses

Additional expenses consist of –

• Hostel fees.
• Books and stationery.
• Canteen fees.
• Clothes.
• Safety deposit.

MCI Screening

If a student chooses to return to India after completing the course, he/she must pass a screening test conducted by the MCI. MCI has set up this test with the aim of gauging the quality and competitiveness of Doctors returning from Russia.   Apart from that, graduates returning from Russia must also complete a 1-year internship in India.

Higher studies (MS and MD)

After passing the MCI screening and internship, graduates may prepare for MS/MD entrance exam (NEET PG) and pursue it in India.   If you want to pursue MS/MD in the USA, you must pass the USMLE exam (parts 1 and 2).

Important Dates

• Applying for admission: June and July each year.
• Obtaining admission offer: July-August.
• Ministry approval and Visa: August-September.
• Course commencement: September-October.