Studying MBBS in Russia is a popular choice among Indian students because of affordable tuition fees, globally recognized degrees, and advanced infrastructure. However, after completing MBBS abroad, Indian students must clear the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) to practice in India.
The FMGE, also known as the Screening Test, evaluates whether international medical graduates have the necessary knowledge and clinical understanding equivalent to Indian medical graduates.
A common doubt among students is: Which MBBS years in Russia cover FMGE important topics?
The answer lies in understanding how the Russian MBBS curriculum is structured and how it aligns with the FMGE subject distribution. This article provides a detailed year-wise explanation of MBBS in Russia with a focus on FMGE subjects.
Duration: 6 years (5 years academics + 1 year internship or clinical practice)
Language: English and Russian (depending on the university)
Curriculum: Divided into pre-clinical, para-clinical, and clinical phases
Approach: Theoretical foundation in the first years, clinical exposure in later years
FMGE topics are distributed across these phases. A clear idea of when subjects are taught helps students align their FMGE preparation with MBBS studies.
Let’s break down MBBS in Russia year by year and see which FMGE subjects are covered at each stage.
Subjects Covered:
Anatomy
Histology
Biochemistry
General Biology
Medical Physics and Chemistry
FMGE Relevance:
Anatomy and Biochemistry are core FMGE subjects.
Topics like osteology, neuroanatomy, molecular biology, and metabolic pathways are introduced.
Histology forms the basis for pathology in later years.
How it Helps in FMGE:
Builds foundation for understanding clinical subjects.
Students who revise anatomy and biochemistry from Year 1 onwards perform better in FMGE.
Subjects Covered:
Physiology
Biochemistry (advanced)
Microbiology (introductory)
Anatomy (neuroanatomy focus)
Community Medicine (basics)
FMGE Relevance:
Physiology and Microbiology are crucial FMGE subjects.
Cardiovascular, respiratory, and nervous system physiology are heavily tested.
Basics of immunity and microorganisms are introduced.
How it Helps in FMGE:
Year 2 lays a bridge between basic sciences and clinical knowledge.
Physiology and microbiology questions in FMGE often test integration with pathology.
Subjects Covered:
Pathology
Microbiology (advanced)
Pharmacology (introduction)
Forensic Medicine
Community Medicine (epidemiology focus)
FMGE Relevance:
Pathology, Pharmacology, Forensic Medicine, Microbiology, and PSM form a huge portion of FMGE.
Systemic pathology is vital for understanding medicine and surgery later.
Epidemiology and biostatistics are important for preventive medicine questions.
How it Helps in FMGE:
Year 3 introduces disease mechanisms and drug actions, which form the base for medicine and surgery.
Forensic medicine contributes multiple direct questions in FMGE.
Subjects Covered:
Medicine (general introduction)
Surgery (basics)
Pediatrics (basics)
ENT
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
FMGE Relevance:
Ophthalmology, ENT, Orthopedics, and Pediatrics appear as separate subjects in FMGE.
Early exposure to medicine and surgery helps in understanding clinical problem-solving.
How it Helps in FMGE:
Year 4 is crucial because smaller subjects like ENT and Ophthalmology contribute many scoring questions in FMGE.
Clinical exposure begins, making it easier to apply pre-clinical knowledge.
Subjects Covered:
Medicine (advanced)
Surgery (advanced)
Pediatrics (detailed)
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Psychiatry
Dermatology
Radiology
FMGE Relevance:
Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics, Dermatology, and Psychiatry are FMGE high-weightage subjects.
OB-GYN alone carries 30–35 questions in FMGE.
Clinical reasoning and case analysis are emphasized.
How it Helps in FMGE:
Year 5 subjects dominate FMGE with the highest weightage.
Students learn diagnosis, treatment, and management of common clinical conditions tested in FMGE.
Subjects Covered:
Internship in hospitals
Bedside teaching
Clinical rotations in medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and OB-GYN
Emergency medicine training
FMGE Relevance:
Year 6 strengthens practical and applied knowledge.
Clinical rotations ensure students revise all FMGE subjects through patient interaction.
How it Helps in FMGE:
Real cases improve retention of theoretical knowledge.
Students who revise FMGE syllabus alongside internship find it easier to clear the exam.
Here’s a quick overview of how FMGE subjects are spread across the MBBS years in Russia:
Pre-Clinical Years (1–2): Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Microbiology (basics)
Para-Clinical Year (3): Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Forensic Medicine, PSM
Clinical Years (4–5): Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, ENT, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, OB-GYN, Psychiatry, Dermatology, Radiology
Internship Year (6): Application of all subjects in real patient care
This ensures that by the end of MBBS in Russia, students have covered all 19 subjects of FMGE.
Start Early: Revise anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry from Year 1 itself.
Parallel Study: Match FMGE preparation with ongoing MBBS subjects.
Use MCQs: Practice multiple-choice questions for each subject to strengthen concepts.
Revise Para-Clinical Subjects Thoroughly: Pathology and pharmacology form the foundation for clinical medicine.
Focus on High-Yield Subjects: Medicine, surgery, PSM, and OB-GYN carry maximum weightage.
Utilize Internship Year: Revise all subjects systematically while practicing in hospitals.
Russian curriculum aligns well with FMGE subject distribution.
Exposure to diverse clinical cases enhances problem-solving skills.
Universities offer English-medium programs, making FMGE preparation smoother.
Affordable tuition allows students to invest in FMGE coaching if needed.
In Russia, FMGE important topics are covered throughout all six years of MBBS.
Years 1–2: Focus on pre-clinical subjects like anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry.
Year 3: Introduces para-clinical subjects like pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, and forensic medicine.
Years 4–5: Cover major clinical subjects such as medicine, surgery, pediatrics, OB-GYN, ophthalmology, ENT, psychiatry, dermatology, and radiology.
Year 6: Internship integrates all knowledge through real patient care.
By the time students complete MBBS in Russia, they are well-prepared for all 19 FMGE subjects. The key is to study consistently year by year and align MBBS coursework with FMGE preparation.
With dedication and strategic planning, clearing FMGE after studying MBBS in Russia becomes a realistic and achievable goal.