Rising NEET Competition, High Fees Push Indian MBBS Students to Medical Colleges in Russia
Russia adds 2,000 medical seats after surge in Indian applicants
Russia has expanded medical education opportunities for Indian students by adding 2,000 new seats, demonstrating a mutually advantageous partnership between Russian institutions and Indian medical aspirants. The number of available positions has grown from approximately 8,000 in 2023 to 10,000 currently. Indian students represent a substantial portion of international medical students in Russia, and this recent expansion shows the country’s commitment to accommodating more applicants.
Russian medical institutions adhere to National Medical Commission (NMC) standards and comply with the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations 2021, making education in Russia both suitable and cost-effective for numerous Indian candidates.
As NEET competition intensifies and private medical college costs escalate in India, many aspiring doctors are opting to study in Russia alongside other countries such as Malaysia, Nepal, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Poland, which provide MBBS programs meeting NMC requirements. Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) from Russia achieve a 20%-26% success rate in Foreign Medical Graduate Exams (FMGE), demonstrating encouraging outcomes.
In response to increasing demand, Russia has expanded its international student enrollment in recent years.
A representative from the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Chennai stated, “To address this demand and align with Russia’s plan for achieving unified goals, the Russian Federation targets increasing foreign student numbers to 5 lakh by 2030, up from the current 3.9 lakh. Presently, approximately 30,000 Indian students are studying in Russia, marking a substantial rise from previous years.”
The spokesperson continued, “Russian universities are expanding their capacity for Indian students. For instance, Volgograd State Medical University increased its Indian student intake from 140 in 2024 to 360 seats. Similar expansion patterns are evident at State Medical University, National Research Nuclear University MEPHI, Baltic Immanuel Kant Federal University, Far Eastern Federal University, Moscow Aviation University, and other institutions.”
Taking the Calculated Risk
Dr. Sparsh Rawat, who graduated with his MBBS from Mari State University in Yoshkar-Ola, Mari El Republic, Russia, in 2023 and recently completed his internship in Uttarakhand, describes it as a mutually beneficial decision. Although Rawat qualified for NEET in 2017, he could not afford private Indian medical colleges due to prohibitive costs.
“A senior from my school informed me that pursuing MBBS in Russia was financially feasible, so I decided to study there. My total educational expenses for six years in Russia exceeded Rs 15 lakh, while private colleges in India cost nearly Rs 1 crore in 2017. I understood I would encounter obstacles like passing the FMGE and completing an internship, but I was prepared to accept that risk rather than spending crores in India,” he explained.