As we all know, Russia has become a top destination for Indian students to study MBBS. there are many advantages of doing MBBS from Russia, but there are also some disadvantages which students must keep in mind while taking admission, so today in this blog we will try to know what disadvantages there are of doing MBBS from Russia, our full effort will be that we cover every topic of the disadvantages of studying MBBS in Russia which you should know before taking admission.
Language problem
- Bilingual course: According to the Indian Embassy Russia, 80% of universities of Russia which conduct the MBBS course are bilingual, meaning the first 3 years of the course are in English but the next 3 years of the course are conducted in Russian language, which are mainly clinical subjects.
Although after the new NMC’s FMGL regulations, most universities of Russia started claiming that they conduct the course in English medium, but the truth is that most colleges do not even have teachers who can speak English for clinical subjects.
- Language problem during clinical rotation: In most universities of Russia, after the 3rd year, students are taken to the hospital for practice so that students can interact with the patient and students’ practical skills can improve, but most people of Russia speak in the local language meaning Russian, due to which students face problems in talking to the patient.
- Change in accent: Even the teachers who speak English have a slightly different accent, which is slightly different from the English spoken in the Indian community, due to which students face problems in understanding.
- Communication difficulty: Most people in Russia prefer to speak in the Russian language, because of which while traveling in the bus, while doing marketing, and for other work also, knowing the Russian language becomes necessary.
- Compulsory to learn the Russian language: In most universities of Russia, from the 1st semester to the 6th semester, Russian language is compulsory to study as a subject.
According to the Russian Education Ministry, for international students, learning Russian language till the 3rd year is kept compulsory so that students can easily communicate with the patient in the hospital, and while traveling in the bus or market there should not be a language gap.
Indian students who want to do MBBS from Russia or are doing MBBS from Russia, for them learning the Russian language has become almost necessary, because according to NMC’s FMGL regulations, if any student is doing MBBS from Russia then he must have a license to practice as a doctor in Russia, and the Russian government takes a licensing exam to practice as a doctor in Russia which is conducted in the Russian language.
Cold climate
Indian students are used to living in a tropical climate, while in most cities of Russia there is cold weather. Because of this, Indian students have to face many types of difficulties in adjusting to this climate. Let us understand in detail how the cold weather of Russia becomes a challenge for Indian students who go to do MBBS.
In most cities of Russia, for about 8–9 months of the year the temperature remains in minus, and for 6–8 months snowfall happens, which is quite different from the Indian climate. Because of this, students have to face many difficulties while going to class and during travel.
Let us tell you that in Russian universities, classes start from 8 AM, and students have to leave for college in the freezing morning temperature. In our last 15 years of experience, we have seen that Indian students who go for MBBS in Russia gradually adapt themselves according to this weather. Slowly the cold weather does not remain a big challenge for them, and often it is also seen that students start enjoying this cold weather along with their MBBS journey.
Clinical exposure and education quality
Clinical exposure: Indian students who are thinking of doing MBBS from Russia, if they do not pay attention to some important things at the time of taking admission, then their medical career, time and money—everything can get ruined. Let us understand this in simple language.
- If any student is thinking of doing MBBS in Russia, then while selecting the university it is very necessary to see how the clinical department of that college is. Is a dead body available there for practical? Does the college have a well-equipped lab? Are there departments like gynecology, surgery, pediatric, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopedics available in the college for the practice of clinical subjects? And if these departments are available, then are the necessary equipment for students’ practicals also available there?
- Before taking admission, students should confirm all these things. Otherwise, they will obtain the degree, but they will not be able to become a good doctor, nor will their clinical skills become strong.
Education quality: Becoming a good doctor is your dream, and you want that after doing MBBS from Russia you can pass the FMGE/NEXT exam in the first attempt, successfully practice as a doctor in India, and also do PG from a good branch. Therefore, getting good education in your MBBS college becomes extremely necessary.
- Let us tell you that in about 70% of universities in Russia, the quality of education is very poor. There are no sufficiently trained teachers who can provide students with high-level medical education.
- It has been seen that many teachers do not know proper English, and they are not able to deliver lectures to students in the English language properly. Because of this, students’ concepts do not get clear, their attention keeps moving away from the subject, and gradually the subject becomes weak. Its direct effect falls on the student’s FMGE result, and this is considered a major disadvantages of studying MBBS in Russia.
Low FMGE passing percentage
Before thinking of doing MBBS in abroad, this concern remains in the mind of students that after completing MBBS, will they be able to clear the FMGE exam? And if they are not able to pass the FMGE exam, then what will happen?
Let us understand why the FMGE passing percentage of students coming after doing MBBS from Russia remains so low, why only 15–25% students are able to pass this exam, and what such shortcomings are there in the education of Russian universities due to which 75–85% students fail in FMGE.
Why is the FMGE passing percentage low for students who have done MBBS from Russia?
If students, because of the wrong guidance of consultants, select a wrong college—such as a bilingual college, whose FMGE passing percentage of the last 5–8 years is less than 35–45%, and where English-speaking teachers are not available—then because of this the basic subjects of students keep becoming weak. This becomes the main reason why 75–85% students fail in FMGE.
If students, at the time of taking admission, select a good college where for the last 10–15 years MBBS studies are being conducted in the English language, where well-trained English-speaking teachers are available who can teach students in proper English, where the college has a well-equipped hospital and clinical department for clinical practice, and whose FMGE passing percentage of the last 10 years has been good—then such students, after completing MBBS from Russia, can easily clear the FMGE exam.
Taking more time in the course as compared to MBBS in India
As we all know that in India the duration of the MBBS course is 4.5 years and after that 1 year internship has to be done.
If we talk about doing MBBS from Russia, then according to the new NMC’s FMGL regulations, along with 54 months of MBBS studies, 1 year separate internship from the same college of Russia has become mandatory. Therefore, doing MBBS from Russia can now take 6–7 years of time.
Apart from this, there are many other rules which NMC has mentioned in its NMC Gazette 2021. It is believed that Russia or any country is not fully fulfilling all these guidelines.
Clarity on these guidelines will come when the students who went to Russia to do MBBS after 18 November 2021 will get the degree in 2026–27. Then it will be seen on which rules NMC applies strictness.
Food and accommodation
During the 6–7 year MBBS course, most Indian students prefer to stay in the college hostel. In some colleges private Indian mess is available, but in some universities the facility of Indian mess is not available. In that condition, either students cook food themselves in the hostel kitchen, or some students stay in a flat outside the hostel and there also they have to cook their own food.
Because of the cold weather, green vegetables are less available, and even if they are available, they are very costly.
Green vegetables are less available because of the cold weather.
Especially those students face more problems who are vegetarian.
Students who cook food themselves have to carry Indian spices, chips, pickle, namkeen from India because these things are not available easily in Russia.
Fake information by agents
Indian students are often given wrong information about Russian universities by Indian agents, because of which students do not get correct information about the college. Because of this, many students, after getting influenced by these agents, take admission in bilingual colleges or in such colleges whose FMGE passing percentage is very low.
If you want to avoid these things and want to select a good Russian university, then Rus Edutech can help you. All the information given by us will be genuine, because Rus Edutech provides bond paper facility, meaning the information given by Rus Edutech will be mentioned on bond paper.
Conclusion
We learned above about the disadvantages of studying MBBS in Russia. After knowing this, you can also understand that if you get the correct information about the college and you do MBBS from a good university of Russia, then you can become a good doctor.
I want to tell you that even after so many disadvantages, every year thousands of students go to Russia to do MBBS, and for the last 40 years Russia has remained a top place for the MBBS course among Indian students.
The students who select a good college — such as the college whose FMGE passing percentage is good, which conducts the MBBS course completely in English medium, and which has a well-equipped hospital for practicals — they become a good doctor after coming from Russia and in India they can easily pass the FMGE exam and practice as a doctor.
