'Russia completely safe for foreign medical students'

CHENNAI: As the government medical universities in Russia are set to offer over 5,000 medical seats to Indian students for the academic year 2023-24, the Russian Medical Universities are confident that the political situation in the country will not impact the medical education sector or the admissions of foreign students in Russian Universities.

Talking about the safety concerns of the Indian parents with respect to enrolling students in medical students in Russia, Avdeev Oleg Nikolaevich, Consul General, Consulate General, Russian Federation in Chennai, South India, said that the political situation in Russia will not impact the education sector.

"We believe the students are completely safe and the political situation will not impact the enrollment of students in Russian medical Universities. The students even went to our Universities last year and have been studying there safely. The political scenario did not affect the education of the students. We are sure that the students are safe and we have a healthy environment to offer to the students, " he said.

The first phase of the All-India Russian Education Fair 2023 will undertake spot admissions for these MBBS programs at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in the city on May 13th and 14th 2023.

"Russian universities have a long-standing reputation for providing high-quality medical education that is recognised globally. With a comprehensive curriculum, experienced faculty, and advanced facilities, Russian universities offer a robust learning environment for Indian students pursuing medical education in the country."

The universities participating in the Education Fair include Volgograd State Medical University, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kazan State Medical University, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Kursk State Medical University, Moscow Aviation Institute and Moscow State Regional University. It will be held in Madurai on May 16 at The Madurai Residency Hotel; Trichy on May 17 at Femina Hotel; Salem on May 18 at GRT Hotel Zibe, and Coimbatore on May 19 at The Grand Regent.

He added that the cost of higher education is relatively cheaper because it is highly subsidised by the Government of the Russian Federation. Governmental support and adaptation programmes for international applicants are constantly evolving. Universities also provide assistance as many have special adaptation programs and support systems for Indian students.

The university representative from Russia said that they adhere to the changing norms and guidelines of India's National Medical Commission (NMC) to ensure that their MBBS programmes are well recognised in India. At least 25,000 students are studying in Russia and each year, 5,000-6,000 students join medical and technical University.

Indian students who have cleared National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and who have a minimum of 50 percent marks in the relevant core subjects/degrees (in the case of SC/ST and OBC students, the minimum marks is only 40 percent), can apply for MBBS programs in Russia. Tamil medium students can also apply. There are no pre-qualifying exams like CET, IELTS, etc. for admissions to universities in Russia. For details about the programs and fair, students can call: 9282221221.