MBBS in Russia vs Ukraine

Written by Shobhit Jayaswal  – MBBS in Russia and MBBS in Ukraine are two of the most popular choices of Indian students for studying MBBS in abroad. We have sent 200+ students to both these countries combined. I have visited Russia and Ukraine on multiple occasions. Both countries have their own pros and cons but are more similar than you might think. Through my own experience and from the reviews I have gathered from students, I can give you the best and most genuine MBBS in Russia vs Ukraine comparison. Both countries are a part of Europe but aren’t in the European Union.

MBBS in Russia vs Ukraine

Number of Indian students who study MBBS in Europe

If you are looking for MBBS in Europe, then Russia and Ukraine are where more than 99% of the Indian students go. Here is the number of students who came back to India and sat for FMGE (between 2015-18) from various countries in Europe/European Union:

Country Number of Indian students who appeared for FMGE (2015-18)
Belarus 395
Bulgaria 114
Czech Republic 1
France 1
Germany 5
Hungary 5
Ireland 4
Latvia 13
Lithuania 3
Moldova 15
Netherlands 28
Poland 5
Romania 211
Russia 10,000+
Ukraine 8,000+
United Kingdom 1

We can clearly see that the highest number of Indian students are going for two options for MBBS in Europe – MBBS in Russia and MBBS in Ukraine.

Check MCI Ranking Of Medical Colleges In Ukraine

Few MUST KNOW facts

  • there is no country which can be termed as the ‘best country for MBBS abroad’
  • each country for MBBS abroad has its own pros and cons and you need to see what works for you
  • you must choose a country based on factors such as – duration, required budget, weather conditions, patient inflow, language, climate
  • Just like in India, every country has good colleges, average and bad medical colleges
  • check the FMGE result or thee MCI screening test passing percentage before choosing any college abroad
  • choose a college where the FMGE passing percentage is above 25%
  • college and country wise data is available of FMGE passing percentage from 2012–18 now
  • don’t choose a college based on the world ranking, while it is a good indicator, it is not true that better world ranking means that the university is good for MBBS abroad for Indian students
  • please note that in non-English speaking countries, the faculty for international students and local students in different
  • in the end, no one will ask you the ranking of the college or anything else, all that matters is whether you clear the screening test or not

Check MBBS in Philippines vs Ukraine comparison

Eligibility for MBBS abroad

Before we dive into the comparison of MBBS in Russia vs Ukraine, make sure that you are eligible for studying MBBS in abroad –

Entrance Exam in India There are no entrance examinations in India like IELTS/SAT, etc. NEET qualification is a must for Indian students.
Age The student must be at least 17 years old as on 31st December of the year in which the admission is being taken.
Board The candidate must have completed class 12th from a recognised board.
Marks for General Category students The student must have an aggregate of at least 50% in Physics, Chemistry and Biology and must have English as a compulsory subject.
Marks for Other Category students The candidate must have an aggregate of at least 40% in Physics, Chemistry and Biology and must have English as a compulsory subject.
NEET You need to qualify NEET exam for admission in any of the MCI approved medical universities of Ukraine. NEET result is valid for 3 years for MBBS abroad from 2018 onwards.
Passport The student must hold a valid passport.

Note –

  • This is the minimum eligibility criteria for Russia and Ukraine as well.
  • Some colleges will have their own eligibility criteria.
  • However, fulfilling these criteria will ensure admission in any of these 2 countries.

Check university wise MBBS In Ukraine Eligibility

MBBS in Russia vs Ukraine

In plain sight, Russia and Ukraine are very similar in terms of duration, eligibility, budget, climatic conditions, language. Both were are of the Soviet Union and both are neighbouring countries now. However, I can tell you that one of these two countries is actually better than the other and the answer might surprise you. Continue reading about MBBS in Russia vs Ukraine comparison:

Criteria Ukraine Russia
Duration 6 years 6 years
Climate The temperature will be below 0 degrees C for about 3 months and it will be around 20-25 degrees C for the rest of the year. There will be snowfall. Indian students adjust to the climate in a few months. Also, there is a heating system installed in every building and thus, the winters are not much of a problem. You will feel cold only when you are in the open. The climate of Russia is similar to the climate of Ukraine. However, some parts of Russia are colder than the others. Russia is a high country and there are as many as 11 time zones there. On average, Russia is much colder than Ukraine.
Qualifying NEET required? Yes, without qualifying NEET, admission is not possible in any MCI recognised medical university in Ukraine. Yes, without qualifying NEET, admission is not possible in any MCI recognised medical university in Russia.
Direct Admission after 12th in MBBS? Yes, after class 12th, you will get direct admission in the MBBS course. Yes, after class 12th, you will get direct admission in the MBBS course.
Name of degree MD Physician MD Physician
Entrance exam There is an entrance exam for admission in each and every medical university in Ukraine. However, it is more of a formality and no student fails in this except for one university which is Taras Shevchenko National University. In all of the other universities, you need not bother to prepare for this exam. Another thing to note is that you need to clear an exam called KROK-1 after the end of 3rd year and KROK-2 after the end of the 6th year. You will get multiple attempts to clear KROK-1. If you don’t clear this exam then you won’t go to the 4th year and you will have to repeat 3rd year. Similarly, if you don’t clear KROK-2, you will have to repeat your final year. There is an entrance exam for admission in each and every medical university in Russia. However, it is more of a formality and no student fails in most of these universities. However, in some of the universities, you need t0 clear this exam else you won’t get admission. One such university is Kazan Federal University. It is best to confirm beforehand if there is any chance of your admission getting denied on the basis of the entrance exam. If you go to any such university, then my advice is to keep the 2nd university as a backup. In case you don’t clear the entrance, you can then go to the second choice university.
Disease pattern/clinical practice The disease pattern is different from that of India. However, you will be taught about all the diseases and the clinical exposure is still good here. During vacations after the 3rd year, you are required to get clinical exposure in Indian hospitals as well. The disease pattern is different from that of India. The disease pattern will be more or less the same in both Russia and Ukraine.
Medium of Instruction English in all the universities. Bilingual in most of the universities. Only a few will teach in the English language for the complete 6 years.
Budget required More than ₹25 lakh including tuition fees, hostel fees and Indian food More than ₹25 lakh including tuition fees, hostel fees and Indian food. The fees will be low in the colleges where the bilingual pattern is followed. One of the universities has a budget of about ₹20-21 lakh – Crimea State Medical University.
Type of universities Mostly government Mostly government
Travel time from Delhi to the capital of the other country Direct flight to Kyiv. Takes 6-7 hours. Direct flight to Moscow. Takes 6-7 hours.
Number of MCI recognised colleges 16 54
FMGE result between 2015-18 (only current MCI recognised universities records taken into account) 17% passed 13% passed
Hostel Facility Government hostels provided by the university Government hostels provided by the university
Country’s relationship with India Excellent Excellent
Is the Indian Embassy available? Yes Yes
Visa process No visa interview, easy to get a visa. Visa is converted for 6 years after reaching Ukraine. No visa interview, very easy to get a visa.
Which country has better universities? ✅ ❌
Safety Safe for Indian students. Safe for Indian students.
Dominant Religion Christianity Christianity

Above, we have compared MBBS in Russia vs Ukraine against various criteria. Overall, there aren’t many differences but I will say that Ukraine is a better choice for Indian students than Russia. The best universities in Ukraine are much better and more suitable for Indian students than the best medical universities in Russia. Even Crimea State Medical University, the university with the best FMGE result in Russia was a part of Ukraine till 2014. Also, the best medical universities in Ukraine are cheaper than those in Russia. However, I will again repeat that there are good average and bad universities in both these countries.

In my opinion, MBBS in Ukraine is a better bet than MBBS in Russia.

Here are the top medical universities in Russia –

Here are the top medical universities in Ukraine –

This is an unbiased review. Please note that those agents who promote do not promote any of these two countries will never be able to tell you the right facts. They will give their biased opinions.

In case there is any confusion about which country is most suitable for you, you can get in touch with us for the right information and for counselling.

Resources –

Know more about the Philippines.

Know more about Russia.