MBBS In Russia? What You Must Know About Medical Colleges In Russia For Indian Students

Of the 54,924 Indian graduates to write the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) in 2022, 6,069 had completed their MBBS in Russia. These students had graduated from 62 institutes after pursuing an MBBS course in Russia – the second-largest section of the 470 foreign medical colleges from where FMGE examinees for that year had emerged. .

But what is the scope of studying at the best MBBS colleges in Russia for Indian students? The National Medical Commission requires foreign medical graduates to clear the FMGE– a licensure test that allows them to practise modern medicine in India or pursue further medical education.

In 2022, out of the 6,069 Indian graduates who pursued medical study in Russia, only 1,548 passed the exam. That's a passing rate of 25.50 per cent. The highest success rate for Indian students who earned a medical degree in Russia and took the FMGE was in 2022. It was also the year that saw the largest group of Indian students taking the FMGE after an MBBS course in Russia.

Medical Colleges in Russia for Indian students

The number of colleges for MBBS in Russia from where Indian graduates appeared for FMGE has shown a positive trend. The number of institutes where Indian students completed their medical degree in Russia increased from 36 in 2019 to 39 colleges in 2020. The pass percentage in FMGE, however, took a dip.

The table below shows the number of colleges from which Indian graduates appeared for FMGE from 2019 to 2022.

Medical Study in Russia: FMGE Participants

The pass percentage for FMGE from Russian medical institutes was the lowest in 2020. After 2020, the pass percentage in the exam for graduates of Russian institutes has seen a steady increase.

Indian Graduates from Medical Colleges in Russia: FMGE Results

By 2022 this pass percentage rose to 25.50 per cent. This is a little more than the average pass percentage of 23 per cent in FMGE 2022.

MBBS in Russia for Indian Students

Only one of the above-mentioned 62 colleges for MBBS course in Russia meets all the parameters of having accreditation, a hospital for practical training, an official website and a global ranking. Russian University for MBBS is not available as the college websites are in the official language of the country and may not show up on English-dominated search engines.

In this article, Careers360 has analysed the colleges that Indians attend to study MBBS in Russia. Furthermore, we have compared the Russia MBBS fees for Indian students of the aforementioned ten colleges. None of these 10 Russian medical colleges cleared the checks.

The following table shows the performance of the chosen 10 colleges for MBBS course in Russia on the basis of the maximum number of Indian graduates appearing for FMGE in 2022. Fields for which data was not available are blank. As per the conversion rate in April 2024, MBBS Russia fees have been stated in Rupees.

Top 10 Medical Colleges in Russia for Indian Students

Note >> All the above-mentioned colleges have a fully functional website

>> For ease of the reader, we have converted Russia MBBS fees in rupees

>> Whether the college insists on NEET or not, all Indians must qualify the NEET and secure NMC’s permission to study MBBS abroad. Without it, they can never practise in India.

>> Only Kazan State Medical University was ranked by global ranking institute

>>Volgograd State Medical University and Tver State Medical University were associated with a hospital.

Russian University for MBBS: Accreditation

Accreditation is an authentication certificate showing that an educational institution meets high-quality standards. It's granted after a thorough check by national or private accrediting organisations. Four of the 10 above-mentioned colleges for medical degree in Russia are accredited by -the general accreditation bodies of the country. These are

• Stavropol State Medical University: 548 Indian graduates appeared for FMGE; 70 passed.

• Smolensk State Medical University: 461 Indian graduates appeared for FMGE; 161 passed.

• Kazan State Medical University: 368 Indian graduates appeared for FMGE; 151 passed.

• Kursk State Medical University: 336 Indian graduates appeared for FMGE; 83 passed

All but Stavropol State Medical University is accredited by the Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating (IAAR). Stavropol State Medical University is accredited by the National Centre for Public Accreditation.

Ranking of Medical Colleges In Russia for Indian Students

Russian institutions do not appear to fare well in global rankings such as Quacquarelli Symonds(QS), The Times Higher Education (THE), Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

Of these top medical colleges in Russia for Indian students analysed here– only Kazan State Medical University is ranked by a global ranking agency. This Russian university for MBBS has been ranked by THE in the rank band of 1201–1500.

MBBS Course in Russia: Internship

As per the National Medical Commission (NMC), Indian medical colleges must have links with functional hospitals to give practical training to medical students. Careers360 could confirm that only two of the ten colleges for MBBS in Russia for Indian students are affiliated with such hospitals. These are

• Volgograd State Medical University

• Tver State Medical University

Volgograd State Medical University has clearly mentioned a year of compulsory internship on its website. We could not find information related to the internship at Tver State Medical University on its official website.

Medical Study in Russia: Duration and Degree

In India, students undergo five-and-a-half years of medical education, including a year of practical training, to earn an MBBS degree. However, the duration and degree for medical undergraduate programmes vary from country to country. The ideal duration for a medical degree in Russia is six years. Indian students earn a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree after medical study in Russia.

Medical Colleges in Russia for Indian Students: Official Websites

A fully operational college website offers information about admission procedures, course structure, faculty members, facilities, and other pertinent details for potential students.

All of the above-mentioned top 10 medical colleges in Russia for Indian students have a fully functional website. There might be a chance that the websites of certain colleges to study MBBS in Russia might not function properly on English-dominated search engines.

Medical Colleges in Russia for Indian Students Fees

In general, private medical colleges in India charge an annual fee of around Rs 17 lakh. This is considerably higher than the MBBS in Russia fee structure which ranges from Rs 8,18,539 to Rs 1,35,895 lakh per year. This stark difference in fees is the reason why many NEET-qualified medical aspirants opt for MBBS programmes abroad.

Careers360 compared the Russia MBBS fees for Indian students with the annual cost of MBBS in India. In the analysis, it is found that among the top medical colleges in Russia for Indian students the Institute Of Tambov State University Named After G. R. Derzhavi—charges the lowest MBBS fees in Russia. The pass percentage for Indian graduates for FMGE in 2022 is 33.17 %-much higher than the average pass percentage of 23%

MBBS in Russia Eligibility for Indian Students

In India, every aspiring medical student needs to pass the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) to get into a medical college. However, this is optional to pursue a medical degree in Russia. Careers360 has analysed the eligibility criteria for admission to above mentioned 10 medical colleges in Russia for Indian students.

Eight of these 10 colleges admit students MBBS in Russia without NEET. Smolensk State Medical University and Kazan State Medical University are the only two colleges that have made NEET compulsory for MBBS in Russia for Indian students.