Bhubaneswar: In the wake of the Ukraine crisis following the Russian invasion, a fierce debate has ensued on why several medical students from India choose Ukraine, Russia and other such countries as destinations. Thousands of stranded Indian students are trapped in the war-torn country and are frantically trying to return.
Going by the Ukraine Ministry of Education and Science, there are around 18,095 Indian students in Ukraine. In 2020, 24 per cent of its overseas students were from India.
The data reveals that Ukraine is ranked fourth in Europe for housing the largest number of graduate and post-graduate specialisations in the field of medicine. The state-run varsities also dish out quality education at a low cost.
For the record, lesser-known private medical institutions in India seek much higher fees. The Ukrainian medical colleges fill in the void for Indian students who are neither able to get seats in government colleges nor afford the exorbitant fees charged by Indian private institutions.
Also, there are no medical entrance examinations for the aspirants to get admissions. With English being the medium of instruction, it works as an added benefit for the Indians.
The MBBS programme fees in the war-torn country’s medical institutions range between ₹30 lakh- Rs35 lakh, in comparison with approximately ₹1 crore (including donation) charged in India, as per a report in Hindustan Times.
“Ukrainian and Russian medical colleges are even recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The degrees are very much valid in India as the Indian Medical Council (MCI) too recognises them. These medical degrees are also recognised worldwide; especially the European Council of Medicine, other global bodies and the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom help these students with further opportunities,” President, Foreign Medical Association of India (FMAI), Dr Sudarshan Gherade, was quoted as saying in the report.
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