Saint Petersburg is the 2nd largest city throughout Russia area-wise. The city is situated by the Neva River and connects with the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city is populated with nearly 5.4 million citizens. On a greater scale, it is the 4th most populous city in the entire Europe. The temperature of the city climbs to a maximum of 23 degree Celsius in month of July and drops to the lows of minus 8.5 degree Celsius in February. The River Neva freezes up between November and December and the ice finally breaks in April month. Moving on to the modes of transports, it has a rich history of railway transports with the first railway line established close to 190 years ago in 1837. Ever since then, the city’s transport infrastructure has been developing just as rapidly as the growth of the city. Popular mode of public transports includes buses, trams, metros, ferries, railways, etc.

North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov was established in 2011. The establishment was a result of amalgamation of 2 medical institutions in Russia, namely St. Petersburg State Medical Academy and St. Petersburg Medical College of Postgraduate Education. The University adapts a cooperative approach while undertaking pedagogical, clinical and research activities. This approach proves helpful in yielding competent specialists who are well versed with knowledge of modern medicine as well as the application of it. 

After completion of the 6 year long undergraduate program, the student is awarded an MD degree (Equivalent of MBBS degree in India. The language of instruction for the entire curriculum is English so that international students can participate in this program. 

Speaking on the basis of facts & figures, there are more than 4,500 students enrolled at the university under various disciplines. The North-Western State Medical University Saint Petersburg also has a good international student base with 400+ foreign students hailing from different countries. The faculty pool comprises of 1,200+ lecturers operating under 7 faculties. 

The University is further known for its impressive facilities that enable students’ learning. These include 225 clinical practice bases where clinical training is imparted to the students, 9 laboratories, etc. among other facilities. The University also has tie-ups with 60+ foreign universities which help promoting student exchange program.

Why study in North Western State Medical University?

Even though North Western State Medical University was founded only a decade ago as per the record, the merger of the 2 institutes that led to its establishment had significant amount of experience. Therefore the university, in a way, holds a good experience. Other reasons for why a student may choose this university are listed below. 

1. The North-Western State Medical University ranking does fairly good on both national and international level. The University is ranked 81st among 375 Universities across Russia. On global level, the University is ranked 2,844th out of 40,000 universities. 
2. The University, as mentioned earlier, has purely English taught program which makes it easier for an international student to study in Russia. Yet, it is recommended to study to learn a bit of Russian language for the purpose of getting along with the Russian locals and being able to interact with the patients during clinical postings. 
3. The cost of studying at former St. Petersburg State Medical Academy Russia is very affordable and the budget goes around 30 Lakhs including tuition fee, hostel fee and other miscellaneous costs. This, if compared to the exorbitant fees in private medical colleges in India, seems a way better deal to invest in. Eventually, the student will have to take NEXT in both the cases (MBBS from Russia and MBBS from private medical college in India) for the purpose of obtaining licensing to practice in India.

Cost of studying MBBS at North Western State Medical University

The North-Western State Medical University fees for MBBS are indicated in the table below: