Russia-Ukraine war: A turning point, not a roadblock for Indian medical students
Russia's offensive in Ukraine has marked one year.
"I am not a soldier."
Remembering days spent cramped in a bunker with her batchmates, Khwaish Thapa, who was then studying at Ukraine’s Kharkiv National Medical University, says the memories still send chills down her spine. It was February 24, 2022 — the day Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine. With all its military might, the Kremlin rolled tanks in its peaceful neighbourhood.
The sound of sirens and bombardment filled the air. Citizens had little or no clue of what was happening. What mighty horror was unfolding around them and how their lives would forever be changed. Among them were those who called Ukraine their ‘second home’. Students pursuing medical degrees at universities across the length and breadth of the country: Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Sumy.
Many of them were Indian nationals, who had found Ukraine to be a relatively cost-effective nation for medical education.
‘Invasion’, ‘war’: New terms in daily life
"At 5 am, my father called from India to break the news to me. That is when I peeped out of my window to see and heard sounds of bombardment," the 20-year-old recalls.
It's been a year since students knocked on the doors of the apex court in pursuit to find ways to continue their degree.
Their persistence directed them to newer avenues, with options for mobility or transfer. Many even opted to change their fields altogether.
Back to square one
"My current situation has brought me back to square one, I had to redo my finances just like I did before enrolling in the first year of my degree. As I have chosen the (academic) mobility programme, my practicals will be held in Uzbekistan while I continue to study the theory part of my syllabus through online classes from my Ukrainian university," says Faisal Ansari, a fifth-year student at Sumy State University.
With a three-hour difference in the time zone between the two countries, Ansari is already staring at a hectic schedule even before entering his new campus.
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"Some of my batchmates have moved back to Ukraine, but I am not convinced to return to the war-torn country. Mobility is an expensive switch; there's an additional charge of $1,500 per year, and my family and I have made peace with that," he adds.
Cutting ties
The academic transfer programme is more like cutting ties with the old university. Students are required to submit their transcripts and continue the degree at a new university where they wish to complete their graduation.
As the situation in Ukraine continues to be unstable, students are exploring opportunities in other countries.
Seeking best available options
In Ukraine, a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree is a six-year course that includes 12 months of internship. In India, it is 5.5 years. Until the new norms were released, it was a mandate for all foreign students to do an additional year-long internship in India. After weighing the pros and cons, many students have applied to Indian universities.
The grim reality remains that the war has affected lives in ways more than one.
Jatin Sehgal, who was studying in Kharkiv, chose to see the brighter side and embrace the best option for a stable career.
The 22-year-old is currently in Canada, pursuing a course in mental health and addiction.
He says, “My parents and I didn’t want to be in a dilemma as there was a lot of uncertainty for foreign medical students.”
Is it Covid-19 or the war that shook the world? Foreign medical degree holders, who had planned a year of internship, will now have to intern for two years before registering for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in India.
A year on, the war is showing no sign of ending
Many long to enjoy campus life, but in Ukraine it has a whole new meaning; it’s about constant power cuts and the lingering fear that refuses to leave the air.
Huddling in bunkers amid blaring sirens, watching a friendly neighbourhood reduce to rubble, and finally escaping the war-torn country — these dark days will forever be etched in the memories of these young aspiring doctors.
While some have chosen new pastures, others are still stuck in limbo in the hope of holding their degree.
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