Medical education in Russia

Admission requirements for medical studies in Russia

Applicants must have at least a diploma (12 years) and obtain at least 50% of the physics, chemistry, and biology scores in the entrance exam to be admitted to a medical university in Russia. International students should first enroll in pre-medical courses known as Podfect and then take the entrance exam to increase their chance.

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Topics reviewed in this article:

• Medical universities in Russia
• Required documents for admission in Russian medical studies
• Costs of medical studies in Russia
• Other medical disciplines in Russia
• Obtaining a Russian medical study visa
• Working after graduation in Russia

Medical universities in Russia

The following table lists the most famous Russian universities along with tuition fees:

Required documents for admission in Russian medical studies

The general requirements for studying medicine in Russia are as follows:

• Original 12-year diploma with the official translation
• Translation of 12-year diploma transcripts
• Print an account to prove one’s financial assets is enough to live and study medicine in Russia.
• Strong motivation to study in Russia
• Student insurance (valid for at least one year)
• Providing a language certificate according to the type of university and college

Costs of medical studies in Russia

The average cost of pre-medical study in Russia is 9,700 dollars for a year. The table below shows the average cost of medical education in Russia and paramedical disciplines in English and Russian.

Other medical disciplines in Russia

Applicants for medical education in Russia can enter fields such as pharmacy, dentistry, and nursing in addition to medicine based on their scores in the entrance exam.

• Pharmacology

Studying pharmacy in Russia usually takes six to seven years. The cost of studying pharmacy in Russia is between 5,500 and 7,500 US dollars.

• Dentistry

The conditions for entering the field of dentistry are the same as for studying medicine in Russia. This study takes five years, and its annual cost varies from an average of 170,000 to 430,000 rubles (3,000 to 7,500 dollars) depending on the city, university, and curriculum details. Russian universities offer dental programs in Russian and English. Dental graduates can become specialists only after completing an internship.

• Nursing

Nursing is the only undergraduate program in Russian medical universities. The duration of nursing education is four years. The average annual tuition fee is 90,000 to 100,000 rubles (1,500 to 1,700 dollars). Besides, there are six-year nursing courses in Russian and English. The cost of specialized nursing courses is 80,000 to 400,000 rubles (1,400 to 7,000 dollars) per year.

Obtaining a Russian medical study visa

By obtaining admission from Russian universities, one can apply for a medical study visa. The applicant must submit the following documents to receive admission:

• Completed application form for admission
• Copy of passport (valid for at least two years)
• Copy of diploma (with transcripts)
• The invitation fee is 400 US dollars.
• The courier fee is 100 US dollars.

The person can send documents by email or fax. Note that the documents must be scanned correctly and must be easy to read. Invitations are issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry and take 35 to 40 days. After receiving the documents and payment receipt, the main invitation, acceptance confirmation letter, and visa support letter will be sent by courier. Then, the student must go to the nearest Russian embassy or consulate in one’s home country and apply for a student visa by submitting a letter of acceptance. The general conditions for obtaining a student visa are as follows:

• Completed Russian visa application form
• Letter of acceptance and invitation
• International passport (valid for at least two years) and ID card translated into the Russian language.
• Translation of diplomas into Russian (approved by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country of origin)
• A Russian-language medical certificate certifying that you do not have HIV (AIDS) issued by an official organization in your country of residence
• Two pieces of the passport photo (4.5 * 3.5)

Working after graduation in Russia

International students must leave Russia after completing their studies unless they have received a work permit or work visa. Under these conditions, if a person has studied at a Russian state university and has worked in one’s field for three years after graduation, one can apply for Russian citizenship. Medical students can practice medicine in their own country after passing the WHO tests; it means that they are certified or approved by a Russian medical degree.

Disadvantages of medical studies in Russia

The disadvantages of medical education in Russia are as follows:

• The climate in Russia is pretty cold and, this will make life difficult for other students and Asians.
• Russian university diplomas are not highly approved among European and even Asian countries.
• Russian is one of the most complex and difficult languages ​​in the world to learn, and this will make it difficult for the students’ everyday life in this country.
• Russia is not a member of the European Union and the Schengen area, so it is not possible to travel to European countries without a visa with this passport and residence.
• The rate of corruption and unemployment in Russia is high since it is not a great country to work and live, after studying.