MBBS Subjects in Russia: Year-by-Year Syllabus for Indian Students
The Russian General Medicine course (specialty 31.05.01) covers the same ground as the Indian MBBS in six years: basic sciences first, then pathology and pharmacology, then every clinical branch with hospital practice. This post lists the subjects year by year from published Russian university curricula, adds what is different from the Indian syllabus, and shows which subjects you must self-study for FMGE.
In short: MBBS in Russia is a six-year specialist programme in General Medicine, specialty 31.05.01, of 360 credits. Years 1–2: anatomy, histology, biology, chemistry, physics, physiology, biochemistry, Latin and Russian. Year 3: pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, hygiene, surgery basics and propaedeutics of internal diseases. Years 4–6: medicine, surgery, obstetrics, paediatrics and all other clinical branches, hospital practice and the state final examination. The subject list matches the Indian MBBS in substance; the order and the names differ.
MBBS syllabus in Russia: how the six years are built
All Russian medical universities teach General Medicine under one federal standard, the Federal State Educational Standard 31.05.01, approved by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education order No. 988 of 12 August 2020. The standard sets the course at six years and 360 credits and gives the framework: which groups of subjects must be taught and what a graduate must be able to do. Each university then writes its own curriculum within it. That is why two universities can list the same subjects in slightly different years.
The curriculum we used as a published example is that of RUDN University, Moscow, for the 2026 intake (English programme, qualification "General Practitioner"). Other universities such as Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University publish similar plans. The plan below is a typical arrangement drawn from those documents, not the plan of any one university. Before you pay, ask your university for its own curriculum.
Years 1 and 2: basic sciences
The first two years are in lecture halls, dissection rooms and laboratories. Typical subjects:
- Anatomy, in two or three semesters, with human anatomy taught in the dissection room.
- Histology, embryology and cytology, with microscope work.
- Normal physiology and biochemistry.
- Biology, general and bioorganic chemistry, physics and mathematics, which revise Class 11–12 science for students from different boards.
- Microbiology and virology, immunology and, in some plans, hygiene and bioethics.
- Latin, so that students can read medical terms and prescriptions.
- Russian as a foreign language. This is the subject that matters most for the clinical years.
- History of medicine, history of Russia, life safety, physical culture, medical informatics and an introduction to the specialty.
Alongside lectures, the first two years include nursing-type practice in hospitals: patient care, working as a ward nurse's assistant and as a procedural nurse's assistant. In the RUDN calendar the educational practice in year 1 is 2 weeks and the production (hospital) practice is 4 weeks in year 1 and 4 weeks in year 2.
Year 3: the bridge to clinical subjects
Year 3 is where the course turns clinical. Typical subjects are pathological anatomy, pathophysiology, pharmacology, topographic anatomy and operative surgery, general surgery, propaedeutics of internal diseases (the examination of the patient: history, palpation, auscultation), hygiene, radiation diagnostics and Russian for professional purposes. In Indian terms this is the second MBBS and the start of the third.
Get the curriculum of your shortlisted university
Tell us the universities you are considering; we ask for the English curriculum in writing and send you the subject list.
Years 4 to 6: clinical branches
From year 4 the student spends most of the day in teaching hospitals. The RUDN plan lists the following clinical subjects; most Russian universities teach the same ones, usually in this order from internal medicine and surgery towards the narrow specialities:
| Block | Subjects |
|---|---|
| Internal medicine | Faculty therapy, hospital therapy, polyclinic therapy, infectious diseases, neurology and medical genetics, psychiatry and medical psychology, dermatovenereology, phthisiology, occupational diseases, oncology and radiation therapy |
| Surgery | Faculty surgery, hospital surgery, paediatric surgery, urology, traumatology and orthopaedics, anaesthesiology and resuscitation, neurosurgery |
| Women and children | Obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics |
| Other branches | Otorhinolaryngology, ophthalmology, clinical dentistry, forensic medicine, clinical pharmacology, medical rehabilitation, emergency conditions |
| Public health | Public health and health economics, epidemiology, evidence-based medicine |
Hospital practice grows with every year. According to the RUDN calendar, production practice is 2 weeks in year 3, 6 weeks in year 4 and 6 weeks in year 5, 22 weeks in all over the course. The practices are named for the role the student plays: assistant to the surgeon, assistant to the gynaecologist, assistant to the obstetrician, assistant to the therapist, assistant to the paediatrician and assistant to a doctor of an outpatient clinic. The last year ends with the state final examination.
How the Russian syllabus compares with the Indian MBBS
The Indian curriculum under the NMC's competency-based regulations of 2023 runs for 4.5 years in three phases, followed by a one-year compulsory internship. Phase 1 and Phase 2 are 12 months each. Phase 3 is 30 months, in two parts: Part 1 (12 months) covers forensic medicine and toxicology, community medicine, ENT and ophthalmology; Part 2 (18 months) covers general medicine, paediatrics, dermatology, psychiatry, general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics, anaesthesiology and radiodiagnosis.
| Topic | India (MBBS) | Russia (General Medicine) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic sciences | Anatomy, physiology, biochemistry in phase 1 | Years 1–2, with more weight on Latin, chemistry, physics and biology |
| Pathology, pharmacology, microbiology | Phase 2 | Years 2–3 |
| Community medicine | A separate subject in phase 3 part 1 | Taught as hygiene, epidemiology and public health; different content |
| Forensic medicine and toxicology | Phase 3 part 1 | Forensic medicine, usually in the senior years |
| Clinical branches | Phase 3 part 2 and internship | Years 4–6 with hospital practice |
| Language | English | English lectures for Indian groups; Russian needed with patients |
The Indian rules also require that the foreign course covers the NMC's Schedule I subjects, which include community medicine, general medicine, psychiatry, paediatrics, general surgery, anaesthesia, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics, ENT, ophthalmology, dermatology and emergency medicine. Read how the NMC tests this on the NMC rules page.
Which subjects to self-study for FMGE
FMGE follows the Indian syllabus. In our reading, community medicine, forensic medicine and Indian public health content such as national health programmes need extra study, because Russian universities teach public health and forensic medicine with Russian law and practice. NBEMS does not publish which topics cause failures. A student who uses the third to fifth years to read Indian textbooks beside the Russian course does much better than one who starts after graduation. See the FMGE pass rate data and the FMGE vs NExT post.
Language: Latin and Russian from day one
Every curriculum we saw includes Latin in the first year and Russian as a foreign language in the first years, and some include Russian for professional purposes in year 3. Do not treat them as minor subjects. In the wards the patient history is taken in Russian. A student who can speak with patients learns more from the same hours. For the city and university side, see the list of universities and the page for the one you shortlist, for example Bashkir State Medical University.
MBBS Subjects in Russia: Frequently Asked Questions
What subjects are taught in MBBS in Russia in the first year?
Anatomy, histology, biology, chemistry, physics, Latin and Russian as a foreign language are the usual first-year subjects, together with history of medicine and an introduction to the specialty. Some plans add medical informatics, history of Russia and physical culture. Nursing-type hospital practice is also included.
Is the MBBS syllabus in Russia the same as in India?
The subjects are broadly the same, but the order and the names differ. The Russian course is one six-year programme of 360 credits, while the Indian course has three phases over 4.5 years plus an internship. Community medicine and forensic medicine are taught differently, which matters for FMGE.
In which year does clinical training start in Russia?
Hospital practice starts in the first year with nursing-type tasks. Real clinical subjects begin in year 3 with propaedeutics of internal diseases and general surgery, and become the main part of the course from year 4.
Do I need to learn Russian for MBBS in Russia?
Lectures for Indian groups are in English, but patients speak Russian, so you need working Russian by the clinical years. Universities teach Russian as a foreign language in the first years. Students who treat it seriously from the first semester cope better in the wards.
Where can I get the exact syllabus of a Russian medical university?
Ask the university's international office for the curriculum (uchebny plan) of General Medicine 31.05.01 for the English group, with hours per subject and per semester. Many universities publish it on the page "Education" or "Sveden" of their site. Keep the document with your admission papers.
Sources: RUDN University, educational programme and calendar training schedule "General Medicine 31.05.01", 2026 intake (rudn.ru/sveden); Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, English curriculum of General Medicine 31.05.01 (pirogov-university.com); Federal State Educational Standard 31.05.01, order of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education No. 988 of 12 August 2020, as cited in university programmes; NMC competency-based medical education curriculum 2023 as reported by Careers360; NMC FMGL Regulations 2021, Schedule I; university pages on this site. Checked October 2026.