Top 5 universities for studying MBBS in Ukraine (in 2020) - Shobhit Jayaswal

It is February already and NEET is only 3 months away now. With a record 15.9 lakh candidates for about 67,000 MBBS seats in 2020, getting a seat in India has never been more difficult. This means that less than 5% of candidates will actually get an MBBS seat here. Making things worse is the fact that the students have to deal with numerous quotas, excessively high fee structures, ragging and what not. All this makes it difficult to get a seat in India even if your rank is among the top 10,000.

In 2019, I sent students with 570+ marks in NEET for MBBS abroad as they couldn't get a seat in India when there were others who got a seat with way fewer marks only because their parents could afford to pay the fees. Today, the students face so much pressure and disappointments!

This is where the option of studying MBBS abroad comes in. No high fees, easy admission, no ragging and good quality education. Every year, about 15,000 to 20,000 Indian students travel overseas to begin their journey of becoming a successful doctor. The most popular destinations are:

• Russia and Ukraine in Europe and

• Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, China, the Philippines and Bangladesh in Asia.

The two leading and most popular choices among these are Ukraine and China. However, China's stock has fallen drastically. First, in 2019, the number of seats were chopped down and now in 2020, with the spread of Coronavirus, China is no longer a safe option for students which leaves Ukraine as the undisputed number 1 destination for students in 2020. We will discuss why Ukraine is the best destination for MBBS abroad for Indian students and the top-5 universities for studying MBBS in Ukraine in 2020 along with their eligibility and fees.

Why Ukraine is becoming the best destination for Indians in 2020:

Here is a brief about MBBS In Ukraine:

 About 4,000-5,000 Indian students take admission in Ukraine each year. Ukraine is seen as the ideal destination due to the following reasons:

• Availability of MCI and WHO recognised universities

• English-medium education available

• Big Indian community studying for a long time

• Almost all the universities are government universities

• Indian mess available at the universities

• Hostel facility made available by the universities

• Good FMGE result

• Top-500 ranked universities available

• Indian culture and religion celebrated by the students

• Good infrastructure

• Safe for girls and boys

• Indian Embassy located in Kyiv which continuously supports the students

• FMGE coaching available at the university

Ranking top-5 medical universities in Ukraine:

Before I give list out the top-5 medical universities in Ukraine for Indian students, I will like to tell you just how exactly I got to these rankings. First of all, it is based on my year's experience where I have interacted and collected feedback of thousands of students and I have visited almost every MCI recognised medical university in Ukraine and I have sent students to each one of those. Every year, in September-October, I am personally present in Ukraine to help students settle down while also meeting and collecting feedback from the old students there. Secondly, my organisation, Global Medical Foundation send about 100 students each year in Ukraine. All this has given me the required knowledge and experience to help you select the right university in Ukraine.

I have ranked the universities based on the following factors: 

• How old the university is

• Quality of the Faculty, based on student's feedback

• Education quality

• Infrastructure

• Screening Test passing percentage (FMGE)

• Current situation at the university

• Corruption level at the university

• Total fees and cost of living

Here are the rankings of the top-5 medical universities in Ukraine for an Indian student:

NO 5. Ternopil National Medical University

Located in Western Ukraine, Ivan Horbachevskyi Ternopil National Medical University was founded in 1957. Many batches of Indian students have already passed out from Ternopil. In April 2019, the university was granted the status of a National level university due its valuable contribution towards the medical field. You will find students from all over India studying at Ternopil National Medical University, particularly from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

What makes Ternopil National Medical University among the best is the fact that it is one of the strictest universities in Ukraine and has one of the best faculty. This is proven by the fact that TNMU's students had excellent results in KROK and IFOM exams in Ukraine. It is also one of the only two universities in Ukraine with an Indian Students Society. The city is beautiful and safe for Indian students. All Indian festivals and occasions are well celebrated by the students. Despite being away from India, the students remain close to our culture.

NO 4. V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University

At No. 4 is V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Located in Eastern Ukraine, Kharkiv is the city with the highest number of foreign students as well as Indian students in Ukraine. Kharkiv is also nicknamed as the 'student's city of Ukraine'. Currently, there are 4 medical universities in Kharkiv where Indian students are studying and the best among them is V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. 

The QS Global World Ranking of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University in 2020 is 491, making it a top-500 ranked university and the top-ranked university for MBBS in Ukraine. It is also one of the oldest having been established in 1,804 and had 3 Nobel Prize winners. 

As Kharkiv city has the highest number of Indian students, Indian festivals and culture are celebrated at a whole different level here. Kharkiv is also one of the biggest and densely populated city in Ukraine. You will find students from every state at Kharkiv. A big Indian community is always a benefit for Indian students.

The overall budget of studying in Kharkiv is a bit more than that of the universities situated in smaller cities. However, been a top-500 ranked university in the world, the university has its own charm and value.

NO 3) Lviv National Medical University

Starting with the big-3 is Lviv National Medical University. It could have easily been the number 2 ranked university in my list but due to certain factors, I have ranked Lviv National Medical University at number 3 spot. Here is a brief about Lviv National Medical University:

The university was established in 1784, making the university more than 230 years old! The university has limited seats but a very high demand by Indian students. Lviv National Medical University generally being the 1st university in Ukraine to fill up every year.

Lviv is considered to be the most beautiful city in Ukraine. Every year during the winter holidays, students from all over Ukraine go to visit Lviv. From my personal experience, I can say that Lviv is a city worth living in.

What makes the university so good is that the faculty is old and experienced and the university is extremely strict. The FMGE result has been consistently good over the years. Another big advantage of Lviv National Medical University is that during the first 3 years, the hostels and all the various medical faculties are at one place or campus. Only hostel-7 is far from the campus.

The one disadvantage is that you don't have a proper established Indian mess. It doesn't mean that Indian food is not available, I will be giving the wrong indication if you get this idea. You will get Indian food at Lviv. It will be delivered to you in case you take up that option. Apart from that, the only other problem is that being a tourist city, living expenses are on the high end. In case you decide to leave the hostel and take up an apartment, the rent will be higher than.

NO 2) Vinnytsia National Medical University

Second on the list of top-5 medical universities for studying MBBS in Ukraine is Vinnytsia National Medical University. The university will be 100 years old in 2021 and has been training Indian students for more than 25 years now. It is especially popular among students from Delhi, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Odisha though you will find students from every Indian state studying here.

Vinnytsia city is located nearby Kyiv and it takes about 2-3 hours via bus or train to reach the university from the Kyiv Boryspil International Airport. I have personally sent 100+ students from all over India to study here.

The university is known for its students performing well in FMGE. The tuition fees of Vinnytsia National Medical University is highest among all the universities in Ukraine. The infrastructure is good and here, you will find the right conditions for being a successful doctor. An Indian mess was started in early 2019 for Indian students and private hostel facility was also started in the same year. MCI screening test coaching is provided to the students at an extra cost.

More and more number of Indian students are enrolling at Vinnytsia National Medical University every year and it is expected that 300+ students will take admission here in 2021 too. I have personally sent 100+ students at Vinnytsia National Medical University.

NO 1. Bukovinian State Medical University

The No. 1 university for studying MBBS in Ukraine is Bukovinian State Medical University. From my experience and the feedback which I have collected from the students, this is the best university in Ukraine and might even be among the top-5 for studying MBBS abroad.

Here are the facts that make Bukovinian State Medical University the best:

• Highest FMGE passing percentage (2012-18) as per data provided by National Board of Examination.

• MCI passing percentage of about 65% in FMGE December 2019 attempt as per the data collected by Bukovinian State Medical University.

• Indian Students Society of 120+ students who look after the welfare of all the students

• Only university with separate hostel for girls since last 5 years

• Indian mess where food is cooked by Indian chefs

• Celebration of Indian culture and festivals (highest in Ukraine)

• A very strict university with no corruption

• MCI Coaching available at extra cost

• Very low fees and overall budget

• International airport located at a driving distance of 15-20 minutes from the hostels

• Scholarship opportunity is available at this university

• Many Indian restaurants located nearby the hostel

I would like to mention that you should go to Bukovinian State Medical University or Lviv National Medical University only if you are hardworking and dedicated. In case your scores are not up to the mark, the there is a good chance that you won't be able to cope up with the studies here.

Conclusion:

At the end of the day, what really matter is that you clear the screening test and what you are really searching for currently is to find a university which will help you achieve this. Also, try to find out the current status of studies and facilities.

Here is how you choose the best university for you:

• See if you can afford the tuition fees, hostel fees, etc.

• Make sure there is an Indian mess.

• Check if any Indian student has actually graduated from that university.

• Don't go to a university where the majority is of South Indian students in case you are from North India and vice versa. The reason to say this is that you will not get Indian food according to your taste at the mess.

• Don't choose a university which takes a big effort from you to reach there.

• Don't go to any university which has been recently recognised by MCI.

You can go to any of the above 5 universities, they all are very good. My recommendation will be to give priority to the top-3 universities as listed by me above. In case you have any queries, you can get in touch with Global Medical Foundation.

About the author:

Shobhit Jayaswal is the owner of Global Medical Foundation and an MBBS abroad consultant who is working continuously to provide genuine and unbiased information to students who wish to study MBBS abroad.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the above article are solely those of the author/agency in his/her private capacity and DO NOT represent the views of Medical Dialogues.