Ukraine returnee students resume college after several months

CHENNAI: After facing several months of uncertainty over medical admissions and continuation of medical courses, Ukraine returnee students are now getting back to normalcy as colleges open in Ukraine. While some of the students have started returning to Ukraine, many others have moved to Armenia and Russia.

"My University is helping us to complete the degree through mobility programme of a list of approved universities. However, our seniors have got back to continue their classes. The online classes have been going well and there are no disruptions, like how bombings would impact our classes earlier. I will be going in January," said K Sneha, another Ukraine returnee student from Vinnytsia National Pirogov Medical University.

As many as 1,890 students from medical universities in Ukraine returned to Tamil Nadu after their studies couldn't be continued due to the ongoing war. "We had to select the colleges for mobility programme keeping the NMC Gazette and NMC Guidelines as they state that the medium of instruction should be in English. The duration of the medical course should not be less than 54 months and courses are about five years in Ukraine. The Armenia, Georgia and Russia are offering compatible courses and we hope that we will be able to complete the course as per the norms," says S Prabhakaran, another Ukraine returnee.

"The National Medical Commission did not offer any sort of assistance or help on inclusion despite several requests to the Union and State government. Since the courses are also lagging behind, we do not want to delay it further. After Russia opened the doors for admission of students like us, we have taken transfers from the current course to continue the medical course," says J Keerthi, a Ukraine returnee student from Salem.

The Russian consul general recently declared that they can continue education in their country. Several countries such as Armenia, Georgia, and Russia are offering now exchange mobility medical courses as Ukraine universities are also helping their students to move to other medical colleges in other countries to complete their course. Meanwhile, some of the students are going back to their own universities in Ukraine in December and January as the classes are getting back to normal.