Español

Medicine Schools and Programs in Ukraine

Find Schools by City:

ChernivtsyLuganskSumy

Medicine Studies in Ukraine

Are you a medical student seeking to gain an alternate perspective with regards to your medical education and training? 

Have you considered studying for a semester or two in the beautiful country of Ukraine?

Located in Eastern Europe, Ukraine boasts an area of roughly 233,000 square miles (603,628 sq. km), making it the largest country lying entirely within the European continent.  Ukraine shares borders with Russia to the east and northeast, Belarus to the northwest, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south and southeast, respectively.

Ukraine is a unitary republic, organized as a semi-presidential state, with a separation of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.  Its capital and largest city is Kiev. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Ukraine continues to maintain the second-largest military in Europe, after Russia, when reserves and paramilitary personnel are also taken into account.

The country of Ukraine is home to a population of roughly 45.5 million inhabitants, 78% of whom are Ukrainian by ethnicity.  The nation also has a sizable minority of native Russians (17%), as well as smaller percentages of Belarusians, Tatars, Moldavians and Hungarians.  Ukrainian is the official language of Ukraine, and its alphabet is Cyrillic.  Russian is also still widely spoken in certain regions of the country. The dominant religion in the country is Eastern Orthodox Christianity, which has strongly influenced Ukrainian architecture, literature and music.

Medical Education in Ukraine

Ukraine is a great place for international students seeking a comprehensive program of medical education.  The medical universities here, which are spread throughout the country, are typically stand-alone institutions that date back to the Soviet era—institutions that have improved ten-fold over the years with the integration of new medical procedures and technology.  The programs offered by these quality universities range from general medicine to specialized medical courses, as well as other medical-based programs in fields such as pharmacy and nursing.

Educational standards in Ukraine are established by the Ministry of Education and Science, a body that oversees the various medical programs and enforces strict compliance of such standards at all public and private institutions of medicine.
Some of the coursework students are likely to encounter while pursuing a Doctor of Medicine degree in Ukraine includes:
  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Oncolo gy
  • Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
  • r General Medicine
  • Professional Ethics
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Public Health
  • Surgery and General Anesthesia
  • Gastroenterology
  • Pa thology
  • And more…
Once students have completed the required coursework, they will then be obligated to perform a one-year to two-year residency under the supervision of a licensed physician. They will also need to sit for (and pass) the National Medical Licensing Examination for the country in which they plan to practice medicine.

Why Study Abroad in Ukraine

Ukraine is a natural wonderland with a rich history and proud cultural traditions.  People residing here are always more than happy to welcome international students to the country, and some families even serve as hosts for study abroad participants, opening up their homes to ensure student success.

The universities Ukraine are highly esteemed, and when students are not too busy with their classroom or laboratory responsibilities, the country offers many unique sites and attractions to explore, including:

Swallow’s Nest

The Swallow’s Nest, also known as the Fortress of Love, is a decorative castle near the city of Yalta. It is considered one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Crimean region of Ukraine. The Swallow’s Nest was built between 1911 and 1912, on the top of the 40-meter (130 ft) high Aurora Cliff. During a century since its construction, the neo-gothic castle belonged to several famous families, was used as a library, and later as a restaurant. In 2011, after a complete restoration, the Swallow’s Nest was re-opened to the public as a museum.

Kiev

Kiev, known locally as Kyiv, is the bustling capital city of Ukraine—a scenic city of close to 3 million people situated on the Dnipro River.  Here visitors will find a mixture of lovely art and architecture from many centuries gone by.  The Cathedral of St. Sophia, for example, where the princes of the city were crowned in the years of Kiev's grandeur, has outstanding mosaics and frescoes dating back to the 11th century. Overlooking the old section of the city, known as Podol, stands the Ukrainian Baroque church of St. Andrew, a church that is beloved by locals and visitors alike.

The Percherska Lavra, or Monastery of the Caves, is just a short trolley ride from the center of the town, a place with two 11th-century cathedrals on its grounds, in addition to its world-famous catacombs, bell tower, and museum collections. Close to the center of town stands the Golden Gate, a structure which dates back to 1037, and several blocks away stands the magnificent 19th-century Cathedral of St. Volodymyr.

Lovers of the theater will also find Kiev quite enticing, although most performances are in the Ukrainian or Russian language. The recently renovated Kiev Opera House presents a much-loved opera as well as a broad repertoire of ballets, while the Kiev Young Theater is very popular for its innovative plays.  Also loved is the Ivan Franko Theater—the center of Ukrainian drama, comedy, and musicals.ç

Odesa

Odesa, the third-largest city in Ukraine, is often referred to as the "Pearl of the Black Sea." The city, which is the largest in Ukraine to share a border with the Black Sea coastline, is one of the most important cities in the country in terms of trade.  Odesa's mild climate, warm waters and sunlit beaches consistently attract hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, and its shady lanes, beautiful pastel buildings and cozy squares give the city a definitive air of intimacy.

Odesa is simply enchanting with its subtle yet marvelous architecture.  Its history as a thriving municipality has left it with some splendid structures from the 18th and 19th centuries and a multifaceted, irrepressible spirit.  Some of the buildings in Odesa display a carious mixture of styles and eras, such as French architecture with a distinct Russian flavor; and some are built in the Art Nouveau Style—a style that was in vogue at the turn of the century.  

One of the few truly planned cities in all of Ukraine, Odesa's central core is laid out on a carefully designed grid.  The first plan for the city, originally designed by the engineer F. Devollan in the late 18th century, has, for decades, been honored and executed by the generations of Odesa architects that have followed him.