Ukraine continues to offer medical education options for international students, including programs with English-language instruction and preparatory or foundation courses at some universities. Because study formats, clinical placements, safety procedures, and admissions rules can change under martial law, applicants should always confirm the latest details on each university’s official website before applying.
Many Ukrainian medical universities have long histories, affordable tuition compared with many Western countries, and programs in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and related health fields. International students can choose between full-time, part-time, or online study formats in many fields, but Ukraine’s official Study in Ukraine portal notes that distance learning is not available for MBBS/Medicine. In this article, we will be looking at some of the top medical schools in Ukraine.
Top Medical Schools in Ukraine
1. Kharkiv National Medical University
Kharkiv National Medical University is one of Ukraine’s long-established medical universities. The university states that it has provided educational services since 1804 and is a member of the International Association of Universities and ORPHEUS. Its official educational program catalog includes master’s programs in Medicine and Dentistry.
International applicants should check the current program catalog and admissions pages before applying. Current KhNMU program pages list Medicine as a 360 ECTS, 6-year master’s program taught in Ukrainian and English, and Dentistry as a 300 ECTS, 5-year master’s program taught in Ukrainian, English, and Russian.
The programs combine academic study with practical and clinical training. The Medicine program page also lists university clinics, simulation rooms, research laboratories, and other educational resources that support training.
2. Odessa National Medical University
Odesa National Medical University was established in 1900 and describes itself as one of the oldest and greatest Ukrainian universities. There are 4 faculties, 38 departments, 32 university clinical sites, 12 educational buildings, 2,600 students, and 720 teachers.
The university’s practical training resources include simulation-based training, high-fidelity manikins, standardized patients, team training, and virtual reality simulation for surgical, diagnostic, and treatment procedures. These facilities help students develop practical skills before and during clinical training.
3. Dnipro State Medical University
Dnipro State Medical University was founded on September 15, 1916, as the Katerynoslav Higher Female Medical Courses. Today, the university states that more than 4,000 students study at its faculties of general medicine, dentistry, international studies, and postgraduate studies.
The university offers a pre-study language course, undergraduate programs, and postgraduate study. Current undergraduate options include medicine, pediatrics, stomatology, clinical pharmacy, pharmacy, physical therapy, and ergotherapy. Its Medicine program is a full-time, 6-year master’s program with 360 ECTS credits.
After undergraduate study, students can continue into postgraduate options such as internship, PhD courses, clinical fellowship, and specialization.
4. Ternopil State Medical University
The university is now officially known as I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. It has been training healthcare professionals for more than 65 years and reports that more than 7,000 students study there, including more than 2,000 international students from 60 countries.
The university’s academic faculties include the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, International Students’ Faculty, Faculty of Postgraduate Education, and Preparatory Department for foreigners and stateless persons. TNMU also states that one of the best medical simulation training centers in Ukraine operates at the university.
5. Kyiv Medical University
Kyiv Medical University is a private medical university founded by Valerii Pokanevych in 1992. The university states that more than 3,900 people study there, including about 700 interns, and that about 35% of its students are international students from 62 countries.
KMU trains students in Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy, Industrial Pharmacy. Its official history page lists 22 departments, 14 of which are clinical, and says these clinical departments are located in communal, governmental, and private hospitals. The university also operates its own Dental Center “Universitetskiy.”
Because of the war in Ukraine, KMU also highlights safety-related arrangements and international practice opportunities, including summer clinical practice in Poland for medical and dental students.
6. V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University is one of Ukraine’s oldest universities. Its School of Medicine trains doctors at the second, master’s level in specialty 222 “Medicine,” with the qualification “Master of Medicine. Doctor.”
The School of Medicine states that education is delivered through 18 departments and 3 training centers, with clinical training at 27 clinics and research institutes. It also states that more than 4,500 students from 42 countries study at the School of Medicine.
The medicine program lasts 6 years. Graduates receive a state diploma in Ukrainian and English, and after graduation they may continue with internship training.
To support international students, the school offers modern teaching methods, including distance online courses, multimedia training materials, remote consultations, and online conferences.
Today, the School of Medicine combines the academic traditions of Karazin University with medical education, research, and clinical training.
7. Sumy State University
Sumy State University traces its origins to 1948, when a training and consulting center was founded in Sumy. Its Medical Institute developed later, with the first admission of medical students taking place in 1992.
The Medical Institute of Sumy State University provides training in health-related fields including General Medicine, Preventive Medicine, and Dentistry, as well as postgraduate specialties. For General Medicine, the institute describes a 6-year undergraduate educational program that includes fundamental and clinical disciplines.
Postgraduate medical internship training at Sumy State University began in September 2003. Practical training is conducted on clinical bases in Sumy, and for foreign students, practice sites may be located in Ukraine or in the countries that contract for specialist training.
8. Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University
Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University is a state medical university in Lviv. The World Directory of Medical Schools lists it as currently operational and states that its Medicine program lasts 6 years and admits foreign students.
The official Study in Ukraine university listing shows tuition entries for General Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy in Ukrainian and English language tracks. Applicants should verify the latest admission deadlines, language options, and fees directly with the university or through the official Study in Ukraine portal.
Students in medical programs typically move from fundamental science and preclinical subjects into clinical training as they progress through the curriculum. After graduation, medical graduates may continue into internship or other postgraduate training, depending on the program and licensing pathway they plan to follow.
9. Bogomolets National Medical University
Bogomolets National Medical University traces its history to the opening of the first medical faculty of St. Volodymyr University in Kyiv in 1841. The university’s official history page records the first admission of medical students in 1841 and the first anatomy lecture that September.
For foreign citizens, the university currently lists master’s-level admission in Dentistry, Medicine, and Pharmacy, Industrial Pharmacy. The stated study terms are 5 years for Dentistry, 6 years for Medicine, and 5 years for Pharmacy, Industrial Pharmacy. Instruction is conducted in Ukrainian or English.
The university offers undergraduate and postgraduate medical education and remains one of Ukraine’s major medical education institutions. International applicants should check the current admission campaign dates, document requirements, and language options on the official university website.
10. Donetsk National Medical University
Donetsk National Medical University began instruction in 1930. The World Directory of Medical Schools lists Donetsk National Medical University Faculty of General Medicine as a public school that is currently operational.
Due to the war and the displacement of institutions from occupied or high-risk areas, applicants should verify the university’s current campus, delivery format, and clinical training arrangements on the official DNMU website before applying. The university’s official website lists current specialties including Medicine, Pediatrics, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Industrial Pharmacy, and Public Management and Administration.
DNMU’s course information lists General Medicine as a 6-year program taught in English and Russian, Dentistry/Stomatology as a 5-year program taught in English and Russian, Pharmacy as a 5-year program taught in English and Russian, and postgraduate study as lasting 2 to 3 years.
FAQS About Studying Medicine in Ukraine
Can International Students Enroll in Medical Schools in Ukraine?
Yes. International students can enroll in Ukrainian universities, including medical schools, if they meet the admission requirements set by the university and Ukrainian regulations. Ukraine’s official Study in Ukraine portal states that 2026 applications are open and lists Medicine & Health among the available program areas.
Applicants should pay close attention to program delivery and safety arrangements. The official Study in Ukraine admission page states that international students can choose full-time, part-time, or online study formats in general, but distance learning is available for all fields of study except MBBS/Medicine.
Before applying, students should also review visa rules, invitation-letter procedures, university admissions pages, and current embassy or government travel guidance for their country.
What is the Medical Curriculum Like in Medical Schools in Ukraine?
Medical education in Ukraine usually combines fundamental science, preclinical training, clinical disciplines, and practical training. Many Medicine programs are structured as 6-year master’s-level programs, while Dentistry and Pharmacy programs commonly last 5 years. However, exact program structure, credits, language of instruction, and clinical placement rules vary by university and should be checked on each official program page.
Many top universities in Ukraine also offer preparatory or foundation courses for foreign students. The official Study in Ukraine admission page notes that preparatory courses may enroll year-round, while the scholarship page explains that scholarship students complete a one-year Ukrainian language preparatory course before starting the main degree program.
Ukraine remains an option for students seeking medical education with English-language options and comparatively affordable tuition, but the current situation requires extra planning. Students should confirm whether teaching, exams, laboratory work, and clinical training are conducted on campus, online, in partner facilities, or through special arrangements.
We hope that this article on the best medical schools in Ukraine was helpful. To know more information like this, check out the Available Programs in Europe for International Students.
