St. Petersburg State Medical Academy, Russia — Ranking, Tuition, Campus & Environment
Forum: Russian Medical Schools Forum
Location: Russia
Tuition: 180,000 Rubles per annum
Time required for MD: 6 years
Student loans: Stafford Loans and others
Year founded: 1911
Contact: Email St. Petersburg State Medical Academy
Student reviews: St. Petersburg State Medical Academy Review
Note: St. Petersburg State Medical Academy (SPSMA) merged into North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov (NWSMU) in 2011. Prospective students should confirm current admissions details directly with NWSMU.
About St. Petersburg State Medical Academy
The St. Petersburg State Medical Academy named after I.I. Mechnikov (SPSMA) was one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher medical education in the Russian Federation.
St. Petersburg State Medical Academy traces its roots to the Psychoneurological Institute, founded in 1907 by the well-known psychiatrist Academician V.M. Bekhterev.
The Academy had a long and proud tradition of educating Russian and international students, training specialists in medicine at both the graduate and postgraduate levels. More than 35,000 physicians graduated from the Academy over its history, including 3,500 foreign graduates from more than 50 countries since 1947. Among a total student population of roughly 5,000, around 1,000 were international students from 30 countries.
The Academy’s main clinical base was Peter the Great’s Hospital, a 2,000-bed multi-specialty medical center built in 1903 to mark the bicentenary of St. Petersburg’s founding.
History of St. Petersburg State Medical Academy
SPSMA was established in 1907 on the basis of the Medical Faculty of the Psychoneurological Institute, organized by Academician V.M. Bekhterev. In 1920, it was reorganized as the 2nd Leningrad Medical Institute. In 1936, the 2nd Leningrad Medical Institute was united with the city hospital named after I.I. Mechnikov. In 1946, it was renamed the Leningrad Medical Institute of Sanitary and Hygiene, by order of the Board of Ministers of the USSR (No. 14077, dated 22 December 1946). In 1994, the Leningrad Medical Institute of Sanitary and Hygiene was renamed Saint Petersburg State Medical Academy (SPSMA) (WHO Directory, 7th ed., page 329). In 1995, SPSMA was named after the great Russian scientist and Nobel Laureate I.I. Mechnikov (order No. 1307-p, dated 22 December 1995).
Saint Petersburg State Medical Academy named after I.I. Mechnikov was one of the oldest and largest Russian higher medical schools. Across nearly 100 years of history, it was a leading Russian center for training doctors of medicine and specialists in preventive and clinical medicine. The Academy was founded by the Russian government through the Ministry of Health, on the basis of the laws of the Russian Federation.
General Information
SPSMA had 56 medical and academic departments and a teaching hospital. The campus was located in the central part of the city, in a green, park-like setting spanning 35,000 square meters, with 50 buildings of notable architecture on its grounds. The Peter the Great Hospital (2,000 beds) was built in 1903.
The teaching staff consisted of 750 people, including 112 Doctors of Science, 433 PhDs, 82 professors, and 167 associate professors.
The Academy was ranked among the leading educational and medical centers for general and preventive medicine in Russia, training specialists across more than 60 medical specialties. Its goal was to enable students to apply foundational knowledge independently in assessing patient conditions, diagnostic options, and therapeutic interventions.
On successful completion of the 6-year academic program, graduates were granted a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. Equal-quality instruction was offered in both English and Russian.
Rector: Prof. A. V. Shabrov, MD, PhD, DSc, Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences
The Academy was recognized by the WHO, the ECFMG (USA), and medical councils in India, Sri Lanka, Australia, the UK, Ireland, Sweden, and other European and American countries.
Faculties
International students in the Russian-medium faculty began their studies with a preparatory course to master the Russian language and build a foundation in the sciences. Students in the English-medium faculty began the core program directly in English.
Main faculties:
- Preparatory Faculty for Russian medium (6–9 months)
- General Medicine — Doctor of Medicine (6 years)
- Preventive Medicine — Physician in Preventive Medicine (6 years)
- Advanced Nursing — Manager (5 years)
Postgraduate faculty:
- Short-term specialization courses (3–11 months)
- Internship — 1 year (Russian citizens/graduates only)
- Residency (Ordinatura) — 2–5 years
- PhD training (Aspirantura) — 3–4 years
Structure of the Course
The standard curriculum was based on the Russian government standard of education for higher professional education, specialty 040100 — General Medicine, for the qualification of Physician (Doctor of Medicine), set by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.
Core teaching methods:
- Lecture-based instruction
- Small-group discussions and seminars
- Practical and laboratory work
- Tutorials
- Independent study
- Assessments
- Clinical training — clinical rotations (bedside teaching, ward rounds)
Years one through three
The first three years laid the foundation for understanding human biology, its progression toward disease, and subsequent medical treatment. The basic science curriculum covered anatomy, physiology, histology, biochemistry, cell biology, microbiology, general pathology, genetics, and the principles of clinical medicine.
Students then extended their study of normal human biology into abnormal processes and disease states, primarily through pathology and clinical diagnosis. Pathology and pathophysiology were studied by organ system, preparing students for clinical clerkships. Pharmacology was also introduced in year three, covering the metabolism, fate, and clinical effects of drugs. By the end of this stage, students had a working clinical foundation applicable to any branch of medicine.
Years four through six
In the final three years, students applied their preclinical knowledge and sharpened clinical skills through clerkships in primary care, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, internal medicine, neurology, and psychiatry — taking on supervised patient-care responsibility alongside attending physicians, residents, nurses, and fellow students.
Students also took clinical electives in cardiovascular disease, hematology, infectious disease, renal disorders, respiratory disorders, neurology, and chronic disease, along with limited independent research options.
Clinical training combined seminars, lectures, demonstrations, ward rounds, and grand rounds, with direct patient interaction at its core. Students worked with faculty on clinical-pathological correlation and analysis of the mechanisms behind signs and symptoms found in patient history and physical exams.
Students could also take electives in ambulatory care, primary care, orthopedics, or physical medicine, and could participate in research projects through the Academy’s departments and affiliated hospitals.
Museums
The Academy maintained six study museums:
- Three at the Department of Anatomy (Anatomy Museum)
- One at the Department of Public Health Services (Museum of the History of the Academy)
- One at the Department of Forensic Medicine (Forensic Medicine Museum)
- One at the Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases (Dermatology Museum)
The Forensic Medicine Museum covered all branches of medico-legal pathology and was widely used in teaching. Research on cadavers was carried out at the Bureau of Medico-Legal Examination of Saint Petersburg, the largest institution of its kind in Russia.
Student Life
Saint Petersburg State Medical Academy was committed to student quality of life, offering a wide range of recreational and sporting activities.
Food
Ready-made food was available in campus snack bars, the campus dining room, and the hostel cafeteria. Students who preferred to cook could use the market or supermarket 100 meters from campus/hostel, or the kitchen with a gas stove in the hostel. The city itself offered hundreds of cafes and restaurants — Russian, Chinese, Indian, and Indonesian cuisine among them.
Sport
The campus included a Sport Center and stadium, with fully equipped fitness suites and a multi-function sports hall. Students played football, basketball, and volleyball, and took part in boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, athletics, and aerobics. An outdoor field supported multiple sports, including cricket, field athletics, and baseball, with classes led by qualified instructors.
Club and art activities
Club life centered on national dances, songs, and festivals.
Scientific club
Each month, under the guidance of a leading professor, the club held meetings to discuss new scientific discoveries, drugs, treatment methods, and research.
Leisure time
Students spent their leisure time enjoying Saint Petersburg’s cultural life — world-famous museums such as the Hermitage, the Museum of Russian Art, and the Kunstkamera (Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography), along with theatres such as the Glinka Capella House and the Mariinsky Theatre, among the most popular destinations for students and tourists alike.
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