Medical students, uprooted from Ukraine, find options in other countries

Medical students who had been forced to give up their studies in Ukraine following the ongoing war in the region, are now pursuing MBBS in countries like Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia and Uzbekistan and even Russia.

Every year, many students opt for pursuing MBBS courses abroad because of limited seats in government colleges and high fees in private colleges in India.

Agencies assisting students claimed that around 2,000 students from Uttar Pradesh used to go to Ukraine for MBBS every year.

They are now turning to these countries to complete their studies – more so, because these countries adhere to the criteria set by the National Medical Council (NMC) Gazette Guidelines.

These guidelines stipulate that the entire medical course must be taught in English, the MBBS programme must be at least 54 months long with a 12-month internship, and the medical curriculum must be comprehensive.

A new NMC rule also mandates that the entire MBBS course and training must be completed at a single institute and location, making these countries attractive options for Uttar Pradesh students.

Ashish Singh, the director of an agency that assists students study abroad in Lucknow, explained that studying MBBS abroad holds appeal for state students due to the limited number of seats in government medical colleges and the high fees charged by private institutions here.

Russia is a particularly favoured destination, with 30-40 per cent of total students opting for medical universities there.

He said that Russia is a developed country with a significant government investment in education.

"This translates into low-cost MBBS studies in Russia. Some of the top 100 medical universities are also located here," he added.

"Every year, we send around 200-250 students from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh to different universities in Russia," he added.

Another consultant of an agency sending students abroad, particularly, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the UK for MBBS, said that the affordable fee structure in these countries makes them the primary choice for middle class students.

"In contrast to the West, where MBBS can cost around Rs 2.5 crore, these countries offer the same five-year course for Rs 60 lakh including accommodation," he added.

The other advantages include less crowded classes, ensuring individual attention and opportunities to clear doubts.

Many students from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India, come to these countries for education, with Karaganda Medical University alone having over 250 students from the state.

(With inputs from IANS)