Saratov State Medical University

Online, July 27, 2010 (Newswire.com) - With the iron curtain long been drawn aside and the days of political uncertainty a thing of the past, the 21st century Russia has emerged as a land of opportunity for students eyeing a medical degree. In an academic age of reservations, difficult and highly competitive entrance tests where every decimal mark counts, getting a seat in an inexpensive Indian medical college seems as difficult as winning a Gold medal in the Olympics. Indian students therefore, have been eyeing foreign countries as a destination for higher medical education. Most, however, restrict their first choice to the US and the UK where the prohibitive education cost proves to be a deterrent. Then what attracts these Indian students to Russia? Lower fees than in the other developed countries, no qualifying exams, no donations and the attraction of a foreign degree make Russia a viable education destination.
Russia has always been a favored destination for higher medical education since along time for students from over 200 countries of the world with more that 7,000 Indian students presently studying their graduate or post graduate medical education down in Russia.
"Since the turn of the 20th Century, Russia has produced top-notch specialists in many medical disciplines, a number of whom have won the Nobel Prize. There is a wide range of opportunity for foreign students who can be taught in English or French, with the most advanced medical equipment at their disposal. Saratov State Medical University is the leading higher education establishment in Russia for the training of foreign medical students. In addition, we make sure that the students get the best possible conditions of education and residence" said Mr. Avbakar Nutsalov, Vice Chancellor for International Relations, Saratov State Medical University.
"While domestic and foreign courses can be prohibitively expensive for many Indian families, the Russian government sponsors about 80% of the tuition fees of foreign students that makes instruction in Saratov State Medical University affordable" he added
International Foundation for Studies and Culture (IFSC) a Mumbai based educational organization and having its Regional office in Chennai, is one of India's oldest organizations promoting Russian medical education in India since the past 12 years. More than 1,800 Indian students enrolled by IFSC currently study in various education institution.
Said Mr. Ashish Sonde, Managing Director of International Foundation for Studies and Culture (IFSC) "While we do promote other Russian medical colleges, Indian students and particularly those from India have always preferred Saratov State Medical University due to the high quality of education that it has been offering" He further added "The very presence of so many boys and girls from India, ensures a bonhomie among the students and the new students find themselves more comfortable during the initial period of their education"
"6 years back, when I failed to get an admission to a government medical college in India, I was at a crossroad since I did not wish to join a private medical college. That is the time I came to know about IFSC and my present college which had huge Indian population. I did the wisest thing then and enrolled in this government college and now I would soon fulfill my dream of becoming a doctor" said Miss Kirti Pitale a final year student at the University. She added" Before leaving India I had the natural apprehensions about my life in Russia, but I was pleasantly surprised at the prevailing atmosphere in the college, the quality of education that was being imparted and the care and encouragement that I received from my seniors and teachers. The University also conducts the screening exam coaching right from the second last year of the education and this would help me and the other students to appear for the screening exam back home"
"The entry requirements for the Indian students are determined by the Medical Council of India which is an aggregate 50% mark in Physics, Chemistry and Biology and 40% in case of the reserved category. However, the seats for the English medium course at the University are limited and strictly offered on a first come first served basis. Indian students face competition for the English medium seats from their counterparts who come from other Asian countries like, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Africa etc and hence to ensure that you do get the seat in this academic year, it is essential to enroll as soon as possible. Admissions to our University are accepted only from our exclusive and official representative International Foundation for Studies and Culture (IFSC) or their appointed associates and we have no other representatives in Tamil Nadu" added Avbakar Nutsalov, Vice Chancellor for International Relations of the University.