Russia is still the destination of choice for several Indian students looking to give wing to and fulfil their, ‘I always wanted to be a doctor’ dreams. Recently, the Cultural Centre of Russia, off Pedder Road in South Mumbai held a day-long student engagement drive where Russian delegates took questions and dealt with concerns from parents and students focussing on  studying medicine in Russia. Many attendees had already got admission to different Russian medical colleges. The seminar was headlined by Manoj Patki, founder, director EDURUSSIA, authorised avenue for admission and information about studies in Russia, Asya Manvelyan, head, International Department, Saratov State Medical University and Shamil Nutsalov Director International Students Department, Asian and Arabic countries.

Practical work

Manvelyan and Nutsalov said, “students obtain significant practical experience studying medicine in Russia. There is great stress on practical application, rather than just theory. There is no dearth of professors so there is very close, personal attention for students in classes. There is one teacher for 20 students on average. Then, of course, our fees are much lesser than what people need to pay in India.” The new year begins in September-October, with Russian representatives warning that students must go through “verified channels for the admission process and be wary of frauds.” Patki cautioned, “There are a plethora of bogus agents/ads on the Internet, inviting students to study in Russia. Some have been found to be universities not in Russia at all, but in Kyrgyzstan! Unfortunately, many parents discover this to their horror and chagrin post paying fees.”