Ukraine allows Indian, foreign medical students to take state qualification exam in home country

NEW DELHI: The Ukraine government has decided to allow foreign medical students including Indian students to take the Unified State Qualification Exam (USQE) in their domicile country. The ministry of external affairs informed that this was mentioned by Ukrainian deputy minister of foreign affairs Emine Dzhaparova while talking on the issue of Indian medical students during her visit to New Delhi between April 10 to April 12, 2023.

The USQE exam will include an integrated test exam ‘KROK’, objective structured practical (clinical) exam, and professional English language exam for MBBS students.

Also Read | MBBS students hire lawyers to extract credit transcripts from Ukraine medical colleges

On March 28, the Ukrainian government resolved to conduct the exam outside the country as many students studying in Ukrainian colleges, universities were forced to leave the country due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

“Considering that many students undergoing medical education in Ukraine were forced to leave Ukraine and are currently unable to return because of the current security situation and martial law imposed in the country, the Government of Ukraine has adopted a decree on 28 March 2023 "On amendments to the procedure for conducting a Unified State Qualification Exam (USQE) for graduates of Master's Degree in Healthcare", which will allow students to take the USQE outside of Ukraine in places of their permanent residence/temporary stay during the period of martial law,” said an official statement from the Embassy of India, Kyiv.

Also Read | Students returned from Ukraine to get single chance to clear MBBS exam: Centre to SC

According to the official statement, the decision will allow the medical students outside Ukraine to take KROK exam at testing centers recognized by the state non-profit enterprise “Testing Board for Professional Competence Assessment of Higher Education Trainees in Medicine and Pharmacy at the Ministry of Public Health of Ukraine”, in the respective countries of their stay, including India.

In March last year, the Ukrainian government reportedly cancelled the KROK exam, which is mandatory to get a medical license, for final year MBBS students studying in Ukrainian universities in view of the war. Several medical universities had also started online classes and students had been informed that their exams will also be held online. They also allowed their foreign students to gain practical training at hospitals and clinics in their own countries.