Russia

Smolensk State Medical University is a good institution for Indian students. Average Indian students can easily get into the MBBS programme of Smolensk State Medical University. International students like Indians have a 35% reservation on the total 1000 seats in the Faculty of General Medicine. The English-taught MBBS programme allows Indians to study at Smolensk State Medical University with ease, but experts advise students to learn Russian if they wish to practice medicine in Russia for general patient interaction. 

Yes, your Class 12th mark sheet with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in PCB is required for your Smolensk State Medical University admissions. For the reserved category, an aggregate of around 40% in PCB is required. For students who do not have a class 12th mark sheet or equivalent, they will have to give a university entrance exam, or admission will not be possible for them. 

Yes, for admission to Russia-based medical universities, NEET qualification is required for Indian students. Smolensk State Medical University do not release a minimum cutoff for admissions, but NEET qualification is required, which requires a score of 135-170 in the NEET UG exam. Qualifying NEET will also be beneficial for Indian students who wish to pursue medicine in India after graduating from Smolensk State Medical University, as the licensing exam of NExT also requires a NEET scorecard as an eligibility requirement. 

If MBBS in Russia is done from an NMC-approved and NMC-guided curriculum, then Indian students can pursue medicine in India. Indian students who wish to pursue medicine in India must take the FMGE or NEXT exam for licensing. For universities that teach according to WHO approved standatrs they can practice medicine in the USA too after passing the USMLE exam. Do check the latest approvals and accreditations of the university you are choosing before enrollment.  

Only 2 students appeared in the cycle of the 2025 FMGE exam from Samara State Medical University. So, the FMGE representation from the university is almost negligible. For the 2026 cycle, some unofficial sources believed the FMGE pass percentage to be 46%. In general, Samara State Medical University has a low application turnout from Indian and international students. 

Yes, for first-year students or new enrollments, on-campus accommodation is compulsory. Students can shift to rented apartments after completion of the first year. For on-campus accommodation, there are furnished rooms (beds, desks, wardrobes), shared kitchens, and separate floors/wings for male and female students. The hostel fee for Indian students is around INR 40,126 per year, along with the annual tuition fee of 5.26 lakhs.

Yes, NEET is accepted in Russian Medical universities. For most of the private and public college admissions, the NEET qualification is an important component for eligibility. For Indian students who have completed their MBBS in Russia, too, the NEET qualification is important to be eligible for a license to practice in India. NEET is mandatory for Indian students to be eligible for the FMGE exam. To be eligibke one must require 135 to 150 marks out of 720 marks. 

Russian public medical colleges are equivalent to private medical colleges in India in terms of reputation. Is the MBBS better in India or Russia? It depends on your scores and background. For average Indian students who cannot secure a public college seat, an MBBS in Russia can get them a globally recognised and accepted degree with lower costs than Indian private colleges.