Oshadhie Jayasundara is a medical student at the Kursk State Medical University in Kursk, Russia and is in her fourth year. In this questionnaire Oshadhie shares her experiences about the application process, studying and living in Russia. Program details can be accessed via www.kgmu.com or www.recedu.org or the universal contractor: Center Yasbique, Mansouriet Elmatin, Beirut, Lenanon or the Sri Lankan contractor: Russian Education Centre, Rotery Hall 15/3, Samudradevi Road, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka.
MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATION PROCESS:
What subjects did you study for your Advanced Levels (A/Ls) and in which school was that?
I pursued the Biology stream – the subjects were Chemistry, Physics and Biology. I studied at Southlands College, Galle.
What did you do after your A/Ls? What did you study before coming to this university?
After finishing my secondary school education I entered the American College of Higher Education in Sri Lanka and studied Pre Medicine for two years. I received an associate's degree. After that I studied Medicine for two years at Vitebsk State Medical University (VSMU) in Belarus.
In VSMU, for the first two years students are instructed all the subjects in English medium, but for the next four years, some important subjects such as Surgery and Therapy will be in Russian language. Most of the universities in Russia follow this of teaching to foreign students. However, at Kursk State Medical University, Russia, they teach us in English medium for the entire six years.
Since being taught in English was a priority for me, after I finished two years at VSMU, I thought of entering Kursk State Medical University, Russia, which conducts all the classes in English. The university teaches Russian as a language subject for all six years. Some foreign students can also follow a language course in Russia for one year, and directly join the degree program. Since I am in my fourth year now, I have 2 more years to complete in order to graduate.
What was the application process?
For most Russian universities, students cannot apply on their own. They have to go through a contractor. This includes all medical universities in the Russian Federation (whether the university is in Belarus or Russia) when they are giving admission to foreign students. Contractors are not appointed by the university, but they have gone through a registration procedure with the university so that they can legally act on behalf of the university.
Since I was in Sri Lanka, I had to apply through a Sri Lankan contractor. The same is true if you are applying from a country such as India, Malaysia or Nigeria - you have to go through a country specific contractor. The University also has a 'Universal Contractor' for all foreign students so you can choose to go through him or her too.
I paid a separate fee for the contractor when I applied. He took care of all the documentation and tells us exactly what we need, such as all the required certificates. He gives us the invitation letter from the university and will always be there to guide us with any visa issues. There are a number of agents who are trying to drag your money unnecessarily by telling you expensive charges, which is absolutely higher than the normal, so you have to be careful.
What academic requirements do you need to complete to apply to the medical program?
The basic qualification is at least 3 credit passes from your Advanced Level exams in Sri Lanka. For other countries, the requirements depend on their particular education system.
The admission requirement is the same for all the Russian medical universities (whether it is in Belarus or Russia). I did not have to go through an interview over the phone or meet with admission officials from the university as part of the admission process.
I was not able to get transfer credits from my associate pre med degree and from the 2 years at VSMU, Belarus, even though it was a medicine course a followed in another country (a country that does not count under the Russian federation). Hence I was not be able to transfer those credits too and had to start from the beginning.
How much does the application process cost?
It depends on the contractor you choose to go through. I paid 120,000/= LKR in January 2010. This is just for the whole application process, where the contractor's fee is also included into this. Therefore actually we can count this as the commission of the contractor. Once we enter into the university, we should pay the Course Fee, Hostel Fee and some other expenses.
Do you need a visa? How much does it cost and how do you go about getting one?
For Belarus, you do not need to get a visa from Sri Lanka – they have 'On Arrival Visa' which you can get at the port of entry. But in Russia, things are different. You have to get your visa from Sri Lanka, before leaving Sri Lanka and entering Russia. The cost is close to 7,000 LKR for a single student for the normal service period (this was in January 2010). The one day service is of course, more expensive.
The first step in getting a visa is sending an application to the university. Once you are selected, the university will send you an 'Invitation Letter'. Then you should produce that letter to the embassy, along with other pertinent educational certificates such as O/L and A/Ls. You are then issued with a three month Student Visa. From then on, the visa period is extended to one year. You will have to go through the visa renewal process each year.
MEDICAL SCHOOL EXPERIENCE:
How many courses do you have to take and how long before becoming a doctor?
We have to follow six years at the medical school in VSMU, Belarus or Kursk State Medical University, Russia, in order to become a doctor.
We have classes for the entire 6 years and we have to pay for all the six years.
There are more than sixty subjects that we have to follow over the six years. Certainly the pre med courses I took in Sri Lanka helped me a lot during my first two years in this degree. From the third year onwards it's a combination of theoretical and practical courses. I believe the Russian medical courses have much more theoretical sections than practical lessons, compared to the Sri Lankan Medical Schools. Hence, we can gain a vast theoretical knowledge by the Russian medical schools.
What is the final degree you get?
Doctor of Medicine (MD) recognized in Russia.
Can you come back to Sri Lanka to practice as a doctor?
We cannot practice in Sri Lanka only with the Russian MD. To practice in Sri Lanka, we have to pass the medical examination conducted by the Sri Lankan Medical Council. Then only we could be registered as Sri Lankan doctors and join the Government Service.
Only Malaysia offers the opportunity to directly join the government sector without doing any country specific examinations. However if we pass the required medical examinations for foreign medical graduates in any country, we can join with the government practice within that country and then can practice as a doctor.
The material covered in Russia matches nearly 70% of the Sri Lankan exam. But we still have to thoroughly go through all the world wide text books for each subject that is recommended for the Sri Lankan medical exam.
What is the cost of tuition and living expenses for the university?
Right now, I pay $3500 per year for academic courses – that fee tends to be lower as you progress through your degree, so the current seniors pay a little less than I do. However the hostel fee is same for everyone and it is currently about $300 per year. For food and other miscellaneous expenses, it depends on the individual student - I spend about $150 per month currently.
Are there any scholarships offered?
As far as I know, there are no scholarships for foreign students given by the University. Some students (such as those from Malaysia and Nigeria) have scholarships awarded by the government of their home country for their higher education.
LIFE IN RUSSIA:
From Sri Lanka which route did you use to fly to Russia?
You can go to Doha, Qatar, from Colombo and then fly directly to Moscow. Another option is to go to Dubai, and then fly directly to Moscow. A third is to fly to Abu Dhabi and take a direct flight to Moscow from there.
Once you are at school in Russia, where do you live?
All students are provided hostel facilities. If the student wants to live with more amenities on offer, they can choose to live in 'flats', depending on their budget and preference.
How big is the Sri Lankan community there?
At Kursk State, there are approximately 250 Sri Lankan students representing many different ethnic groups. Almost all of them are very helpful, especially when one is sick or hospitalized.
We also have a Sri Lankan Night where we all get together. Other functions such as Fresher's Night, 31st night, Vesak Poya programs, and New Year Games (Aluth Avurudhu Celebrations) are held within the university premises.
Even at VMSU, Belarus, I gained a lot of experiences, knowledge as well as good friends.
What about the weather in Belarus and Russia?
In both countries, we have to face a very cold weather which will sometimes reach -40 oC during the winter season and sometimes +40 oC during the summer. Specially in Belarus we would experience a longer winter season than in other countries. It is not easy to buy winter clothing from Sri Lanka which will suit to the Russian weather. Therefore it is better to buy all the winter clothing from Russia itself which is much easier and cheap.
How is the cost of living, security and other facilities on campus and nearby?
The costs of living always depend on the students. Most students spend 150 USD to 200 USD per month. However there are students who will not spend more than 15000 LKR per month. Public transport has an equal amount, no matter how far we travel within one region and that is 40 LKR for each trip. Inside the University and the Hostels security is very high. Sometimes on the roads and some public places, students were beaten up by the locals due factors such as going out of the hostel very late at night, students being drunk and behaving in an improper manner.
Shopping and grocery facilities are always near the university because usually the university is situated in the middle of the city. Hospitals are located a little bit far from the university although there is a very good emergency hospital service that would serve at any time.
SL2College would like to thank Oshadhie Jayasundara for sharing her experience at Kursk State Medical University in Kursk, Russia. SL2College would like to wish her the very best in her future endeavours. Ayaska Fernando from the SL2College editorial team is also thanked for working with Oshadhie in developing this article.
Date of publication in the Sunday Observer: September 18 and 25, 2011 (in 2 parts).
This and other related articles are available on www.sl2college.org, under the resources section. SL2College is a global community that provides FREE advice and guidance to Sri Lankan students. Envisioned in 2005, SL2College helps Sri Lankan students access relevant information that would assist them in making informed decisions about their educational goals. Please post your queries on: www.sl2college.org or email - info@sl2college.org.
