'It's Meant To Be': An Indian Student's Journey From NEET-UG To Becoming A Doctor In Russia

"It is meant to be, and when you are so far away from your home, you just have to trust the timing of your life," is the mantra that kept me motivated throughout my journey in foreign land. Frankly speaking, the first few days right before the journey, I was very excited. You know, as an 18-year-old looking to do new things and explore new things. It was all very exciting. The day I had my flight and I had to say goodbye to my parents, it was a little heartbreaking. I had never hugged my parents before that day, so it was a different feeling.

First day in Russia

I reached my city of choice at around 1:00 a.m.; it was very cold and windy. Of course, we were hungry, so we went to have pizza there. We here actually mean 4 more people that travelled with me to the same city as mine. After the first bite, we realised that we were way too far away from home now. But as I say, it's meant to be. The next morning we had some documentation, so we just got busy with it.

We had no idea about the language, so we had a person guiding us through everything. It was all frustrating the next day; we were not even able to buy a bottle of water because it was all so difficult. We didn't even know what water was called in Russian, the currency, or the language. But the people there are very friendly, always there to help you. Those few things they tell you help you realise you are not alone in this journey. A few days passed by and we started using a translator to understand a few things and met some amazing seniors who helped us through everything.

Why Russia for Medical education

As many of you know, in India you have to take an exam for admission into the medical colleges, called the NEET-UG. I too took the same exam; I didn't get good enough marks to get into a government medical college, and my financial status was not that strong that I could be admitted to a private or a semi-government college. So I started to look for options that I could opt for. And that's how I came across Russia. Not only Russia but I looked at many other countries as well. It's just that I felt Russia to be a safer place considering the political connections between India and Russia.

You know when you are so far away from your home, no matter which year it is, you are always homesick, and my seniors understood this very well. They helped us a lot. I met two people there, Gaurav Chaturvedi and Krishna Raj, and they were the best seniors. From helping you buy things for cooking to actually cooking for you, taking you to different places, and helping you understand the curriculum, they have done everything for me, and I'll always be grateful to them. I don't have a sibling, but they have treated me like one.

The education system in Russia was challenging. You know in Russia the grading system is very different. You are graded for every class. If you miss one class, you have to repeat that class and make sure that you are not missing anything. I had my ups and downs, days when I felt like quitting, but I always had a conversation with my partner about it; she was doing medical too, but in India, and I just felt better. I didn't tell much about it to my parents since I didn't want them to worry about me. Sometimes you cry and just pull yourself back.

Life as an International student

Like every international student, I also faced challenges, and one of the biggest challenges was homesickness. Now here are phases when you are homesick no matter which year you are in; you just want to go back and lie down on your bed and do nothing. But you know it's important that you have good company around yourself. Some people talk to their parents, some to their friends. I personally talked to my friends, but usually I try to cope without any help. I think it's important that one understands that not every time you have somebody around you. In Russia, you don't always get a mess for your food. So my first challenge was to learn how to cook because it was absolutely necessary. It took me a while to actually understand how to manage time efficiently between the classes and everything else. But yes, as I have said, there are people always there to help you, and my seniors helped me, and then, like baby steps, I learnt everything. 

I personally think that during your college time, it's important you understand that you are there to study, and that's your priority. In college, there is no need to live a lavish life; this is my personal suggestion to all the students. I think students should just spend enough to go through the days. Outing here and there is okay, but on a regular basis, it just puts a burden on your parents. 

The author recently has completed his MBBS from Crimean Federal University, Russia.