The Medical Schools Council continues to stand with the international community in condemning the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Government. We are appalled by Russia’s disturbing actions and the growing humanitarian crisis that has resulted from the conflict. Our thoughts are with all those affected and we will continue to do all that we can to support students and staff whose lives have been disrupted as a result.
The Medical Schools Council is continuing to develop links between universities in the UK and Ukraine to support students who have had to move their learning online. 71 partnerships have been officially created between the UK and Ukrainian universities, with more to be developed.
See Universities UK press release.
Electives for students from Ukraine
Medical schools both in partnership with their parent university, and separately are developing links with medical universities and are creating short elective experiences and summer schools. If you wish to do an elective - these are managed through the university and not through the Medical Schools Council so you will need to get in touch with the university that your school has been paired with to see if they can offer you an elective. Here is a list of the medical schools which may offer electives if you're unsure as to which institution your school has been paired with, or if they don't have enough spaces available. We would advise contacting a number of different universities from our list.
Transfers to a UK medical school
Unfortunately, it is not possible for medical students from Ukraine to join existing Government-funded medical and dental courses in England. The number of places available to study medicine and dentistry is regulated by the Government and controlled through intake targets operated by the Office for Students in England. These places are regulated and quality assured by the General Medical Council (GMC) to ensure the availability of sufficient provision of high-quality education, training and clinical placements and therefore have all been allocated for this coming academic year. In addition, there are also complex issues surrounding transferring students whose prior learning has taken place overseas directly onto medical places here in the UK; this includes issues around certifying prior learning, matching curriculums and the diversity of study needs of students. The Department for Education is continuing to work closely with the education sector to ensure that students are supported and have a range of options available to them, during this difficult time.
Continuing your course online
If you have not already done so, you should contact your education provider in Ukraine to understand what support they will be providing to ensure you are able to study remotely if you have or plan to return to the UK. Universities in Ukraine are striving to maintain the education of their students under extremely challenging conditions and therefore this may be particularly beneficial if you are nearing the end of your course.
The Medical Schools Council and the Council of Deans of Health are liaising with universities in Ukraine to help ensure online learning materials are available to students, such as Speaking Clinically, to help them maintain their skills and continue their education remotely. If you do not already have access to Speaking Clinically, please contact your university which is in charge of registration. The Department for Education and the HE sector are continuing to work together to explore options on how they can support you in this learning.
Re-applying from year 1
If you would rather not continue your online studies with your Ukrainian university, you would need to apply to study medicine from year 1. Applications for 2023 close on 15 October 2022. There are also many opportunities to study related subjects within the UK and UCAS is ready to support anyone who would like to know more about their options. All courses can be found on the UCAS website, and there’s guidance for every step of applying.
If you need to get in touch with UCAS about anything, you can reach them on Facebook and Twitter, or call on +44 330 3330 230. When submitting an application, prospective students can enter all qualifications they have or are currently taking. You will also be able to list the course and modules you are currently studying in Ukraine. You should speak with the prospective provider about how your previous and current study can contribute to starting this course. It is likely that a prospective university will want further proof and information about the course, which they will likely request as a follow up to the application being submitted. The Universities Minister has asked providers to show as much flexibility as possible when looking at how they can support students returning from Ukraine.
You may also wish to have a look at Access to Medicine courses. Please note that access courses are run by further education colleges and not by universities. This means there are many different Access courses on offer and are designed for mature learners who may not have A levels or equivalent. More information on Access courses can be found in MSC’s 2023 entry requirements document.
Financial aid
The Department for Education has confirmed that if you were living in England before leaving to study in Ukraine, and you start or join a course on your return to the UK, the Student Loans Company will treat your period of study in Ukraine as being a temporary absence when assessing whether you meet the requirement for three years’ ordinary residence in the UK or Crown Dependencies prior to study. You should contact Student Finance England (or other relevant funding body if you lived in one of the Devolved Administrations prior to study in Ukraine) for details of how they will assess you.
Scotland and Wales
A statement from the Welsh government supporting students from Ukraine:
https://gov.wales/written-statement-support-higher-education-students-seeking-sanctuary-war-ukraine
A statement from Scotland on free tuition and living cost support:
https://www.gov.scot/news/free-tuition-for-displaced-ukrainian-students/