Online classes are set to start in most colleges in Ukraine, bringing immediate but temporary relief for Indian medical students, whose education has been disrupted due to the ongoing war there.
Students said they had been informed of the move through mail from the universities in Ukraine.
Though Poland, the UAE, Hungary and the Centre offered help to the students, the majority of them want to finish their education from Ukraine to avoid any confusion about college transfers in the future.
Raifa, an undergraduate medical student from Kerala who was pursuing her course in the war-torn country, is relieved that her classes are all set to resume soon. “Even if it’s online, I’m happy that there is some continuity. My college has mailed me about online classes starting soon,” she said.
According to students who are currently in India, the uncertainty about how the course is going to pan out, the stalemate-like situation of the Indian students pursuing MBBS from China who have not been able to return for the past two years and the fact that the National Medical Commission does not recognise or approve any medical course conducted only in online mode – is adding to problem.
Apart from India, which is now allowing students from Ukraine to finish their internship here, colleges in Poland, Hungary, the UAE and others have also opened their doors to this section.
“Offering a major relief to Indian medical students displaced from Ukrainian universities, the Gulf Medical University (GMU) is prepared to accommodate the displaced students with free seats and scholarship based on merit criteria and admission policies of the university. This effort aims to ensure that the education is not interrupted for students who are affected,’’ said a statement.
The students, however, are not sure how the transfer system will work and neither are they keen to wait for possible internship initiatives. Many of them want to finish their undergraduate programme in Ukraine itself.
“We don’t want to take chances about how breaks and transfer in course will work for us in the future. Almost all the countries have their own sets of rules when it comes to foreign nationals working as doctors there or even for those wanting to study for post-graduation. It’s best to finish the entire course from one country and one university,’’ said another student from West Bengal who did not want to be identified.
The students who are in third year and above are now worried about their practical classes and admit that online classes are suitable for theory only.
“We don’t see us heading back to Ukraine immediately. Though the college has given us a time-table and teachers have promised to be available to help us with the course; practical classes are vital,’’ said Vikram Katiyal from Delhi, who is a student of a college in Ukraine.
Apart from medical undergraduate students studying in Ukraine, those in India for the past two years from China following the pandemic have also appealed to the Centre for help.
“The government has gone all out to help the students from Ukraine. They are being offered help by the Indian government to finish their internship and also other foreign universities have offered to accommodate them – none of these facilities have been given to Indian students enrolled in medical colleges in China. We hope the government will step in and do something for them as well,’’ said Sunil Sharma from Haryana, whose daughter is enrolled for medical education in China and has been in India for over two years now.
