Russia is one of the largest developing countries if we talk about the education system. From the literacy rate to providing the best education the Russian government takes special measures and follows the international curriculum for education. Aspirants for MBBS in Russia from around the globe always try to seek opportunities to study in Russia, as Russia is known to have a robust education system that is primarily provided by the state and maintained by the ministry of education.

General Practitioner Graduate Programme lasts for 6 years that includes a 2-year specialty training option. Many Russian universities have research centers on their premises for the concerned courses.

Therefore, it is important to focus on all the expects before applying at any Russian University or institution. Though, when it comes to quality medical education, Russia always holds a lofty rank in the list. Here are the top colleges in Russia for medical education:

Top Universities for MBBS in Russia

I.M. SECHENOV first medical university

 I.M. sechenov first medical university is situated in Moscow city and it represents the largest medical scientific and clinical body in Russia. It is one of the most prestigious medical universities of Russia, it was established in 1758. It has celebrated its 260^th anniversary recently. Many scientists and physicians have already worked with the university who have a significant contribution in the medicine world.

Tver State Medical University

 the university is a leading name in the Russian universities offering medicine education. It is running from the past 70 years and has played a vital role in the development of medical science and training. TSMU was the first university to offer English courses among all other universities in Russia. The university is recognized by various countries and groups such as MCI, WHO, UK, USA. It also trains medical specialists for foreign countries.

Orenburg State Medical University

 The university was founded in 1944, situated in the city of Orenburg which is very near to the border with Kazakhstan. Orenburg university is considered to be the best in Russia with over 200 specialists passing every year to serve all across the globe. They offer about 54 subjects during the training programme and have a large number of people working at the university. Research work is also included for the students to learn better.

Perm state Medical University

The university was found in 1916 and has played a pivotal role in the contribution of medical education and scientific research. There is a national research unit in the premises itself for the students. It has over 40 laboratories, 150 classrooms, 11 buildings in the premises for the students. The university also offers a distant learning course for international students.

Siberian state medical university

 The university is very reputed for the outside world because of its academic history. Many well-known physicians in the world are alumni of this university which shows the quality education that the university provides. The oldest department of the university is General Medicine. It has 29 theoretical and clinical divisions. More than 5500 students from different regions of the world have been graduated from here.

Check out the list of MCI Approved Medical Colleges in Russia 

Eligibility Criteria:

• The student shall complete the age of 17 years on or before 31^st December of the year of admission.
• The candidate must secure 50% or more marks in their 12^th standard from the Science stream (chemistry, physics, and biology) in CBSE, ICSE or any equivalent board.
• According to the latest rule by the board of governors (medical council of India), Indian medical aspirants who want to study in Foreign Medical universities need to qualify NEET.
• There are no entrance examinations and the admissions are strictly on a first come first serve basis.

Documents required for application in Russia

• Duly filled in the admission form.
• Scanned copy of mark sheet of class 12^th and 10^th.
• Scanned copy of NEET result.
• 6 passport size colored photographs in white background.
• Scanned copy of passport (first and last page).

Admission procedure and fees structure

• Call office representative for the free counseling session at the initial stage for all the detailed information you need regarding the eligibility criteria, various universities, course fee structure for MBBS in Russia, admission process, credentials and facilitation fee of Continental education consultants.
• After this, the student should submit his/her filled in admission form along with a scanned copy of the 10^th and 12^th standard certificate and mark sheet.

At this primary stage, the student has to pay an initial amount of 20,000 for university application/registration fee either through a demand draft or Bank Transfer the said amount to the company account.

• Such an application is forwarded to the concerned University. Within two weeks the university will issue an admission letter confirming the reservation of the seat. The letter of admission is given to the student. At this stage, the student is expected to make a payment of 40,000.
• Next, CEC will apply for the INVITATION LETTER which is an official document issued by the ministry of foreign affairs of Russian federation. It takes around one month to seek the Invitation Letter. By the time, the student is supposed to submit his/her original passport.
• After receiving the invitation letter and original passport, CEC will apply for a student visa from the Russian embassy or consulate. Once the Visa is ready, the student is informed about the date of travel. The student shall make the necessary foreign exchange for the tuition fee to be paid to the University on the arrival to Russia for his/her living expenses. At this stage, the student is expected to make a payment of Rs. 40,000.
• The student needs to ensure that all the necessary documents are collected as they are expected to present it on their arrival in Russia.
• The next day after your arrival to Russia, a representative from CEC will help you pay the college fees and administrative fees in the university.

Study in Russia for Indian students

Studying in Russia is beneficial for Indian students as there are no entrance exams or special visa required to study there. Most of the Indian choose Russia as a country for study because it has many programs and specialization. There are two language courses offered in Russian universities English and Russian. But at some point the universities also offer a 3+3 year course in which they teach in English but once the students get familiar with the Russian language talking to the locals they can opt for Russian. No donations are asked and the courses offered have worldwide recognition in the medical field. Russia is consistently on top rank in the highly ranked universities. Russian universities also offer innovative educational programs, the courses also facilitate them in the field of education, contemporary and scientific methods. On the other hand, education in Russia is also very affordable and students even get full scholarships. The cost of living and tuition fees is also low.

How studying in Russia is different for an Indian student

Studying in abroad is always a whole new experience for any student, starting from taking classes to adapting at a new time zone or food habits. But the major problems one can face starts from worrying about their financial constraints, though Russia is affordable as compared to other countries the student still has to keep his monthly budget in place. Another difference could be of language as the locals stick to their own language rather than talking to the student in English. To prevent themselves from this the students can go for a crash course or learn the basic sentences used in daily life to help them. Finding accommodation could be a huge task for a foreign student as they won’t be getting the same acceptance as the native students. On the other hand, finding accommodation could be a time taking task as you will be taking care of the factors such as vicinity to the campus, the rent should be in your budget, privacy, commutation, and healthy food availability. Taking help from native friends, or locals could help you manage.

The one thing that is untreatable is the homesickness you might feel in a foreign country. To get rid of it you should be mentally prepared, or it could last for more than a few weeks. In the meantime, you will get familiar with the new environment and the homesickness will be cured. Nobody likes to get out of their comfort zone and adjust into some new place, it is often hard and painful especially if you’re a student. If you go out in a new country you will definitely miss your family and friends, you’ll miss the social life you had back in your country. But you have to make a positive affirmation and make up your mind that all this sacrifice that you’re doing is going to pay off in the future.

The difference between the time zones can really be difficult for some people than others due to their biological cycle. Your body may take some time to adjust, you can feel dizzy or even fall sick but it will last hardly for a week, your biological cycle will adapt to the new environment very quickly. The traditions are also different from ours, but Russian people are very supportive and benevolent so it is not much of a problem for international students.

Food is definitely the one big thing you’ll miss a lot. Indian cuisines are a lot different from all the type of food available in the continent, it is delicious and pleasure-giving. Nothing can match the awesomeness of Indian cuisine. The restaurants and the PG food can be good but it won’t match the level of the home-cooked food or the local restaurants and stalls in India. Moreover, the food will definitely be expensive than the home country.

The teaching methods would be different from India so you may find it difficult to understand in the initial stage. In India, we mainly focus on the lecture-based knowledge, but in a foreign country, they basically rely more upon the case-based study. So at some point, you may lack in performance in some areas despite performing great in tests and written examinations. But these schools and colleges are ranked internationally for valid reasons.