There were 237,000 foreign students in Russian colleges at the beginning of 2016 according to a study done by the Higher School of Economics where the Medical field is one of the areas that enjoy high demand among Indian students.
The first medical school in Russia was supposed to have been set up in the 17th century & more than 70 Russian universities provide medical education at present where higher education and affordable fees make Russia to be one of the favorite destinations to study medicine abroad.

The infrastructure of Russian Medical Universities

Campus	The campus of Russian Medical colleges is expansive, modern and at the same time traditional with all the essential facilities.
Lecture halls	The lecture halls in Russia are both traditional, Modern & up to the mark.
Classroom	The classroom of Russian medical colleges is moderately structured with all essential facilities.
Practical labs	The traditional labs in Russian medical universities are well maintained with essential requirements. Cadavers are available for the students to study anatomy.
Library	The libraries are well stocked with all basic books in international languages are available for the students and also has a great environment for studying. Many universities do not have updated books & do not have enough English books to provide all the students in need.
Affiliated hospital	Most of the universities have well-equipped good hospitals with a fair amount of patient flow with highly proficient doctors offering a good hands-on experience for the students.
Internet	Paid Internet widely available inside the campus & Hostel.
Hostel	Many universities have hostels that are moderate and good. Some universities have bad & old hostels buildings with common baths and toilets.
Canteen	Economical, hygienic Russian and Continental food is available in college canteens which are called “Stolovaya”. In some universities, Indian canteens are run by Indian contractors.

Traditional Infrastructure of a state medical university:

NB: This video from KSMU is not for the marketing purpose of the university & this video is used only for the purpose to show the infrastructure of the Russian universities.

Academics in the Russian Medical Universities

Duration	6 years MD course and after passing the FMGE exams have to undergo a 1-year compulsory internship in India. Russian internship is not approved by MCI.
Premedical course	For the English medium: there are no pre-medical courses required. For the Russian medium: if you are studying medicine in the Russian language 1-year preparatory course otherwise known as “Podfak” is mandatory.
Criteria of entrance	High school/+2: >50% in each Biology, Chemistry & Physics required by most of the universities however some universities require higher scores for admission. NEET UG: Required only for some universities but it is mandatory as per the norm of the Indian government to study medicine.
Language requirement	Average English knowledge is required (No need for IELTS/TOEFL)
Entrance exam/interview	Mandatory in many universities for admission but in some of the universities, it is not practiced. The quality of the exam varies per university. Most conduct the exam after the arrival of the students in Russia however some are conducting an online exam prior to the admission process.
Medium of teaching	The First 3 years in English except for few universities that conduct for the entire 6 years in English however many universities have been taking the necessary steps to conduct a complete English medium Course since 2018. 6+1 years Russian medium courses are available too (MCI approves the Russian medium course) Additionally, they teach you Latin which will be very helpful in understanding the medical terminology. This is a unique feature in Russia and eastern Europe which we strongly recommend to take it seriously.
Updated curriculum	Mostly outdated however Ministry of Health has updated the curriculum in 2019 to be implemented in many universities.
Availability of Updated textbooks	The syllabus textbooks are mostly not updated to fit international standards. Only some universities recommend updated foreign textbooks.
The necessity to read textbooks	Moderately encouraged.
Strength of a class	Fair student-to-teacher ratio: <10 students per teacher before 2010 however due to the increase in the intake of students & scarcity of teachers 15-20 are allotter per teacher nowadays.
Proficiency of faculties	Very good but many have a language barrier even in bigger universities.
Lectures	PPT based conventional (No special tools like 2D/3D).
The efficiency of Classes & practicals	Efficient & interactive (viva based).
The pattern of the theory exam	Viva & MCQ based/written in some subjects.
The pattern of the practical exam	Viva based on spotters/skills/procedures.
The efficiency of the evaluation system	Good (sequential evaluation/class) Relatively biased (class/practical performance & even the final exam performance are mostly in the hands of one teacher)
Attendance & discipline	Strict in most universities
Research labs & exposure	Average
The necessity of local language at the clinics	Highly Necessary
Clinical exposure	Low due to the non-involvement of the students, language gap & less patient flow
Hands-on exposure	Low due to non-involvement of the students, language gap & lack of time for teaching faculties (15-20 are allotter per teacher nowadays)
EU accreditation of the degree	Only in very few universities
European Credit system	Only in a few universities
Bologna Agreement	The process is underway.
Average FMGE pass %	< 15%

Traditional Anatomy class in a Russian medical university:

Financials in the Russian Medical Universities

Affordability	Economical with a medium budget. Starting from around 20 lakhs
Capitation fees/Donation	No
Tuition fee/year	Starting from around 3 Lakhs (except for universities in Moscow & St. Petersburg)
Hostel fee/year	About 50,000 to1 Lakh per year (except for universities in Moscow & St. Petersburg)
Expenditure /month	Depends on the city you live (20,000 – 40,000 INR)
Part-time work	Very difficult to get in smaller cities but Possible to get in bigger cities & mostly in the restaurant industry. Anyways if you want to score well in your academics this is not recommended.
Overall expenditure for completing the course with transport	The total budget required to complete your MBBS degree will be around 30 to 40 lakhs inclusive of your travel & nominal personal expenses.

Others

Security in campus	Security protocols are in place, no one can enter the hostels or college buildings without proper documents. It is guarded by guards called “Ohrana” in Russian. There are separate hostels for girls or a separate floor is dedicated to them in many universities.
Extracurricular activities	Students can use the in-house facilities like the Gym, can participate in various sports activities, academic competitions, Cultural activities & Associations activities in the college.

Rating lists of Medical Institutions in Russia as per the Indian Embassy

Ratings are based on the inputs provided by the Ministry of Education & Science and the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation as well as the ratings by European Standard ARES, RA Experts, and Forbes Rating.
List of Institutions falling under the Ministry of Healthcare
1. The First Moscow State Medical University named after Sechenov
2. The First St. Petersburg State Medical University named after Pavlov
3. Russian National Research Medical University named after N. I. Pirogov
4. Kazan State Medical University
5. Siberian State Medical University
6. Voronezh State Medical University named after Burdenko
7. Ryazan State Medical University named after Pavlov
8. Kursk State Medical University
9. Volgograd State Medical Univeristy
10. Altai State Medical Academy
11. Astrakhan State Medical University
12. Bashkir State Medical University
13. Irkutsk State Medical University
14. Kuban State Medical University
15. Orenburg State Medical University
16. Rostov State Medical University
17. Saratov State Medical University
18. Northern State Medical University
19. Smolensk State Medical University
20. Stavropol State Medical University
21. Tver State Medical University
22. Dagestan State Medical University
23. Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical Academy
24. Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy
25. Perm State Medical University named after E. A. Vagner
26. Yaroslavl State Medical University
27. North Ossetian State Medical Academy
28. Kemerovo State Medical University

List of Institutions falling under the Ministry of Education & Science
1. Russian People’s Friendship University
2. Crimean federal university named after V. I. Vernadsky
3. Kazan (Volga) federal university
4. Belgorod State National Research University
5. Penza State University
6. Far Eastern Federal University
7. North-Eastern federal university named after MK Ammosov
8. Novosibirsk National Research State University
9. National Research Nuclear University “MIFI”
10. Orel State University
11. Tula State University
12. Tambov State University named after G. R. Derzhavin
13. Mari State University
14. Mordovia State University named after NP Ogarev
15. Ulyanovsk State University
16. Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University
17. Chuvash state university named after I. N. Ulyanov
18. Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after H. M. Berbekov
19. Chechen State university
20. Pskov State University

Important emphasis:
1. The rating provided by the specified organizations is determined by various factors & academics is not the single predominant factor.
  - European Standard ARES: The ranking is to assess the ability of universities to provide students with the necessary knowledge, participate in research activities, and actively communicate with future employers. The rating is processed automatically, completely excluding the involvement of the human factor.
  - RA Experts: The financial ranking for banks, insurance companies, leasing companies, microfinance companies, executive companies, pension funds.
  - Forbes Rating Vuzov: The rating methodology takes into account not only the quality of education, but also statistical data on the employment of graduates, their demand in the regions, and the number of entrepreneurs among them.
2. The rating is almost exclusively concerned with the Russian students or students in the Russian medium.
3. Students recruitment consultants & agencies usually over-exaggerate the listing for the promotional purpose without comprehending the intricacies of the rating system by providing false information!
4. Parents also usually overestimate or blindly rely on the ratings without insight.
5. The list of ratings has no correlation with the academic/clinical performance of the foreign students in the international/screening exams around the world (Compare the University rankings & FMGE pass percentages in the table below).

Universities	Rating (Ministry of Healthcare)	FMGE India Pass %
Universities	Rating (Ministry of Healthcare)	2015-18	2019
The First Moscow State Medical University named after Sechenov	1	7.41%	13.79%
The First St. Petersburg State Medical University named after Pavlov	2	0.00%	10.00%
Russian National Research Medical University named after N. I. Pirogov	3	2.88%	4.17%
Kazan State Medical University	4	15.11%	33.13%
Kursk State Medical University	8	13.24%	34.42%
Smolensk State Medical University	19	23.81%	39.15%