Below is a reproduction of an article on medical education in Russia from StudyInRussia. This is reproduced as part of the work we are doing with Development Solutions Moscow to share study and learning opportunties, and best practice in enterprise.
Medical Educaton in Russia
Basically, medical training in Russia lasts six years and, as a rule, goes on as a separate form of education – specialist programmes. The exceptions are the dentistry and pharmacy specialities lasting five years and nursing – four years. In Russia, to become a general medical practitioner, it is necessary to complete a general medicine programme and obtain a basic medical education. To master a particular specialization, ophthalmology or nephrology, you’d need to finish an internship and residency as well. Depending on the specialization they may last 2-4 years. For example, to become a surgeon will take you 8-9 years. To practice medicine in their own country, international graduates of Russian universities need to through nostrification. It’s a legalization and recognition procedure for a diploma in their own or any other country. Legalization is not required if there is an agreement on the mutual recognition of diplomas between Russia and the graduate’s country. After completing the basic programme, students in Russia go through several more stages for subsequent specialization: internship, clinical or targeted residency.
An internship is a primary postgraduate medical education. Completing it is mandatory to become a medical practitioner. Internships are based on a great amount of practice under the guidance of the department’s head. Students can put forward hypotheses on the treatment and diagnosis of their patients. The internship is not included in the student’s work experience, since it is not a direct medical activity. International students can apply for an internship based on international agreements between health organizations, or on a commercial basis. The admission conditions depend on the university and the programme – it can include exams, testing or an interview. The duration of the internship is 1 year. Residency is an in-depth study of the medical speciality and the final stage of higher postgraduate medical education. The point of the programme is to obtain comprehensive knowledge of a specific speciality. Successful completion of your residency will allow you to work as a medical practitioner and launch a private practice. The residency lasts 2 years. There is also a targeted residency. Specialists enroll based on an agreement between a university and an institution that specializes in improving the qualifications of medical workers. The future doctors will go on for their practice in this medical institution. Studying in any type of residency will be included in your official work experience.
Graduates of medical universities interested in building a scientific career can continue their studies in PhD school. To be admitted, you need to pass speciality and English exams, provide the committee with a portfolio of scientific articles and successfully pass an interview. In Russia, you will have many options to get a high-quality medical education. Holders of Russian diplomas are successfully employed all over the world. Medicine is one of the most popular fields of education among international students. There are about 70 universities in Russia that train doctors, both specialized medical educational organizations, and special medical faculties in universities with a wide range of educational profiles. They train specialists in all areas of modern medicine, from general practice to radiology. International students can enrol on a commercial basis or on the Russian Federation scholarship. You can apply for a medical speciality immediately after high school or college. You will need to successfully pass exams in biology and chemistry and additional entrance tests, chosen by some universities, like the Russian language. Be sure to specify in advance the certification procedure and the necessary documents with the admissions committee of the university you have chosen.
Below we examine popular medical programmes of higher education in Russia. I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University is the oldest medical university in Russia. This specialized educational centre is famous for its traditions and fundamental education that students receive. There are more than 100 directions for international applicants at Sechenov University, taught in 7 departments. Faculty of Medicine is among them. Here you can become a specialist in general medicine. The medical and prophylactic faculty trains future sanitary doctors. The pharmaceutical faculty provides training in biotechnology and bioengineering. One of the most popular programmes at Sechenov University is Medical Biophysics. This specialist programme aimed at training highly qualified specialists in the field of biomedical research. Interactive technologies are actively used in the learning process, students work in modern laboratories and undergo practical training using simulation technologies. Graduates of this and other Sechenov University programmes are sought after by the medical and scientific organizations and national public organizations in the field of health protection all over the world. The university also has additional education programmes, including several short-term education courses for doctors. For example, you can to enhance your qualifications in the speciality of Anaesthesiology and Resuscitation. This 216-hour programme will help doctors improve their knowledge of specific anaesthesia techniques, anaesthetic and morpho-functional protection in surgery, anaesthesia and intensive care for patients with concomitant diseases. Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University is one of the federal Russian universities. The university offers more than 120 main educational programmes for international applicants, including medical programmes of various levels. Specialities, postgraduate studies and residency in obstetrics and gynaecology all the way to surgery. It should be noted that you can study the General Medicine speciality in English as well. IKBFU regards cooperation with 150 universities from all over the world as their priority. The University develops English-language programmes and regularly participates in large-scale international programmes: STEM, DIREKT, Erasmus, ALLVET, ARTEST. Far Eastern Federal University is a research centre with modern campus and an innovative research base. The university operates double degree programmes with American, Australian and other international educational organizations in the specialities of clinical medicine, pharmacy, clinical psychology, medical biochemistry and biophysics. One of the FEFU medical programmes is General Medicine. This programme trains specialists of international level in the field of diagnostics and treatment of human diseases. Kazan Federal University is known for its active interaction with educational organizations around the world. KFU runs a biomedical centre with specialized laboratories and a complex of translational medicine, as well as the Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology. The programmes in clinical, regenerative and translational medicine are considered highly developed. As well as dentistry, molecular biomedicine and biomedical engineering, pharmaceuticals and genomics. Novosibirsk National Research State University offers several programmes in cooperation with the Siberian Branch of Medical Sciences and the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The NSU Institute of Medicine and Psychology allows you to get an education in a chosen speciality, as well as internship and residency, including English-taught ones. The purpose of the institute is to provide a link between practical health care and advanced science. The educational centre has departments of medicine and psychology in the fields of classical medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, dermatovenerology, and oncology. For international applicants, NSU offers the General Medicine programme. It combines high-quality medical training of specialists in various fields of medicine and comprehensive education in the field of natural and human sciences. In the first two years, the programme is taught in English, at the same time students study Russian. From the third year, students are trained in hospitals and clinics, where it’s possible to communicate with their patients and mentors in Russian. Education at the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI will benefit applicants ready to study natural sciences in the context of medicine. The University Research Centre prepares students for the bachelor’s programme Medical Physics of this programme can pursue careers in areas related to medical physics, nuclear medicine, radiology diagnostics and therapy. You can take some educational modules at partner medical organizations, intern in research centres and laboratories around the world and study in a double degree programme. MEPhI has a department of pre-university training and additional courses specifically for international applicants. In 2021, MEPhI will start admitting the students for the General Medicine educational programme in the field of nuclear medicine. The training is based on interactive technologies using electronic phantoms and virtual models. Students will be able to receive an in-depth education in radio medicine, information technology and artificial intelligence.
The Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia leads several educational programmes within a medical profile: general medicine and nursing, dentistry and pharmacy, as well as residencies in most medical areas: surgery, paediatrics, psychiatry and dentistry. RUDN University actively cooperates with Russian scientific centres and clinics. This allows the student to practice and keep informed of new technologies and innovative educational methods while still in the learning. Among the popular programmes of the medical profile is residency in the Surgery programme. Students receive in-depth expertise of the methodological, clinical and medico-social foundations of medical sciences and acquire the skills for independent research work. Implementing innovative programmes, South Ural State University (National Research University) prepares specialists in such areas as the integration of medicine with bioengineering. After graduating, you can become a functional nutritionist, clinical psychologist or biotechnologist. Medical education is conducted at the SUSU Higher Medical and Biological School. Medicine is the most demanded subject among international applicants. More than 50,000 students from all over the world, Asia, CIS countries, Africa and the Middle East, study clinical medicine in Russia every year.
Published: March 4, 2021.
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