Featuring the methods of basic science education in different nations continues to be the focus of this column, and it is with special interest that we present the medical education system of Russia. Yurii Victorivitch Gorbunov was my most gracious host when I recently visited the Izhevsk State Medical Institute, and I am grateful to him for the time we spent together, and for introducing me to his Rector (Nicholai Sergeivich Strelkov) and Department Heads. He is the Dean of General Faculty and a physician in Internal Medicine, specializing in Gastroenterology. It is my great pleasure to introduce him as representing the first medical institute in Russia to join the BSEF.

Some preliminary explanation is necessary to understand the Russian programs, which have both similarities and differences from that of North American systems. In Russia, students are accepted into medical school following graduation from high school. They self-select into categories termed “Faculty”, i.e. Stomatology (Dental) Faculty, Pediatric Faculty, General Faculty, and at some schools -- Spoils Faculty. For each group there is a Dean who oversees the educational process of his/her students (best equated to our system of Dean of Student Affairs). As expected, the General Faculty always has the largest number of students being as yet uncommitted to a particular specialty.

At Izhevsk State Medical Institute there are approximately 2,600 medical students divided over the 6 year course of study, with the General Faculty accounting for just over half of these. General Faculty classes of 225 students are divided into nine groups of 25 students each, and then further divided into two groups of 12 to 13. These 12-13 students constitute the core study groups and will remain together for all classes during the first five years of their medical training.

Once again my caveat, that I must accept responsibility for any inaccuracies of editing of this article through translation from the original Russian.