Medicine and Health Studies in Russia

Which healthcare programmes are available in Russia?

Health sciences are among the fields most researched by Turkish students who choose Russia. Our partner sources cover general medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and nursing separately; on this page we have brought all five together under one roof so that you can compare them easily. Programme lengths, language of instruction options, the general course structure, sample fees and the recognition rules that come into play when returning to Turkey are set out below, heading by heading.

A quick reminder before we get to fees: Russian universities sometimes announce amounts in roubles and sometimes in dollars. The figures below are the annual tuition fees shown in the department tables in our partner sources; they may change with exchange rate movements and universities' decisions for the new term. We strongly recommend confirming the current amount with the university before enrolling.

General medicine: a six-year journey

The General Medicine programme lasts six years in Russia. The first three years are devoted to courses that lay the scientific foundation of medicine: anatomy, histology, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology and medical chemistry are the main focus of this period. From the fourth year onwards, students take part in clinical rotations in university hospitals under the supervision of faculty members, in particular internal medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, emergency medicine and neurology. Simulation centres and laboratory work are also a fixed part of the curriculum.

Russian or English?

The Russian-taught programme is the most common and generally the more economical option. Students who do not speak Russian first complete a one-year preparatory (podgotovka) course. English-taught programmes are offered at certain state universities; although theoretical courses are taught in English, you are expected to learn basic Russian medical terminology so that you can talk to patients during the clinical years. In short, even if you choose the English-taught programme, it is hardly possible to stay completely away from Russian.

Sample annual fees from the sources

• General medicine in Russian: Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy $2500, Kazan State Medical Academy $5450, Novosibirsk State University $6500, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) $9450, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University 1,250,000₽.
• General medicine in English: Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University $4500, Kazan Federal University $8750, RUDN $10,900, Saint Petersburg State University 546,500₽.

Dentistry: five years and intensive manual skills

The dentistry (stomatology) programme lasts five years. The first two years are devoted to dental anatomy alongside the basic medical sciences; during this period students build manual skills by practising cavity preparation and fillings on model teeth in phantom laboratories. From the third year, hands-on work with real patients begins in university clinics in restorative treatment, endodontics, periodontology, orthodontics, prosthodontics, paedodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery.

A one-year preparatory course is again standard for the Russian-taught programme. In English-taught programmes, theoretical courses are taught in English, and additional Russian lessons are offered for the clinical period. Examples from the department tables are as follows:

• Russian: Kazan State Medical Academy $5450, Kazan Federal University $6350, RUDN $9450, Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University 460,000₽.
• English: Pavlov State Medical University $4500, Kazan State Medical Academy $8200, Sechenov $8500, RUDN $10,900.

Pharmacy: from the laboratory to the pharmaceutical industry

The pharmacy programme generally lasts five years. The first two years cover courses such as general, organic and analytical chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology and medical botany; in later years pharmacology, pharmaceutical technology, toxicology, pharmacognosy, clinical pharmacy and drug quality control take centre stage. Internship placements include pharmacies, pharmaceutical plants and research laboratories. According to the sources, most English-taught pharmacy programmes do not require a preparatory year, while the Russian-taught programme includes a one-year preparatory course.

• Pharmacy in Russian: Kazan Federal University and Kazan State Medical Academy $4600, RUDN $5500, Moscow State University 443,000₽.
• Pharmacy in English: Kazan Federal University $4600, Sechenov $5500, Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy $6600.

Nursing and veterinary medicine

Nursing is a four-year programme taught largely in Russian; a one-year preparatory course is generally compulsory for international students. The first two years cover anatomy, physiology, microbiology, psychology and medical terminology; the last two years cover internal medicine, surgical, paediatric, obstetric, emergency and intensive care nursing, as well as public health. The source table shows annual fees of $1800 for Kazan State Medical Academy, $3700 for Pavlov State Medical University, $5450 for RUDN and 430,200₽ for Saint Petersburg State University.

Veterinary medicine lasts five years and is again predominantly in Russian. The foundation period covers chemistry, biology, veterinary anatomy, zoology and genetics; in the advanced years, pathology, pharmacology, surgery, infectious diseases, parasitology, animal nutrition and reproduction come to the fore. Practical training takes place in veterinary clinics, on farms and at research centres. The department table in our partner sources lists only RUDN's fee ($5450) for this field; if you would like to consider other universities, we can compile the information for you separately.

Dormitory, city and insurance costs

Alongside tuition fees, the department tables also give ranges for dormitory, city expenses and health insurance. For example, city expenses are shown as $500/800 for universities in Moscow, while ranges of $250/400 and $300/500 appear for Kazan and $250/400 for Novosibirsk. As the tables do not clearly state whether these items are monthly or annual, we recommend using the figures as a rough tool for comparing cities and confirming your exact budget with the university.

After graduation and recognition in Turkey

According to the sources, graduates can begin practising after completing recognition procedures in their own country. For those considering an international career, licensing exams such as the USMLE in the USA, the PLAB (medicine) and ORE (dentistry) in the UK, and the INBDE (dentistry) in the USA come into play. If you plan to return to Turkey, the decisive factor is YÖK's (Council of Higher Education) recognition rules.

Our partner sources roughly summarise the regulation amendment published in the Official Gazette on 15.03.2024 and the procedures and principles announced afterwards on 29 March 2024 as follows:

• Graduates of all programmes, including medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, at universities ranked in the top 400 by the three international ranking organisations accepted by YÖK can obtain recognition directly.
• For universities in the top 1000, the YKS requirement does not apply; however, the files of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy graduates are reviewed individually on the basis of their transcripts.
• For these programmes at universities outside the top 1000, applicants must have taken the YKS and achieved the ranking stated in the source: top 50,000 for medicine, top 80,000 for dentistry and top 100,000 for pharmacy (numerical score type).

This summary is for information purposes; legislation may change and each application is assessed by YÖK under its own conditions. As reported in the source, nursing and veterinary medicine are not on this ranking list, but the current regulations should still be checked for these programmes as well. In the health professions, additional exams or professional body procedures may also apply after recognition. For this reason, before choosing a university it is very important to review your target school's position in the rankings together with your own YKS situation.

If you would like to clarify which programme and which city suit you, taking budget and recognition requirements into account, Weroglobal Student advisors can review your file with you.