“Wish You All the Best”: Johannesburg Woman Shares How To Study in Russia After Training Abroad

• A Johannesburg medical doctor explained how South Africans can apply to study medicine in Russia
• The woman broke down three options, including applying directly or using agencies like RACUS and MIDAS
• Students asked about HPCSA recognition, scholarships and subject requirements for Russian medical programmes

A Johannesburg-based Dr Thandiwe Shakoane, who studied medicine in Russia, posted a detailed clip on 10 December 2025 answering the question she gets asked most: "How do I apply to study medicine in Russia?" The medical doctor from Bushbuckridge shared three different ways South Africans can get into Russian medical schools.

The first option is applying directly through university websites. She advised students to search for Russian medical universities that offer programmes in English. However, she shared information on something she claimed was confusing that appears online: when universities say "three years in Russian and three years in English," it actually means the first three years are taught in English with Russian as an additional language. From the fourth year onwards, classes switch to Russian because they expect students to be fluent by then.

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She went over the importance of checking if the university is accredited by HPCSA before applying. She mentioned that there's a list available from SAITHPA (South African Internationally Trained Health Practitioners Association) that shows which international universities HPCSA recognises. The doctor explained that for HPCSA to recognise a university, at least one graduate must have gone through an evaluation process where HPCSA checks if the programme meets South African standards.

She also mentioned that all international students must verify their qualifications with ECFMG, an American council that recognises medical universities worldwide. Only after ECFMG verification can students submit their documents to HPCSA.

The second and third options included using agencies. She recommended RACUS, which has offices across Africa and helped many students from Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Nigeria. The other agency is MIDAS International Studies, started by a South African doctor who studied in Russia and now helps others study abroad.

Netizens start asking questions

Dr Shakoane warned students to be careful of scams and suggested choosing universities where other people have successfully studied before. The video on her TikTok page @thandiwe_shakoane sparked lots of questions from interested students:

@nsikelelongubo asked:

"Does HPCSA recognise those medical degrees?"

@mapula029 wanted to know:

"Did you have a bursary?"

@mj requested:

"Requirements, please."

@lerato asked:

"Do they provide scholarships in medicine for international students?"

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@shaheen_khalid_walid questioned:

"If I did not do physics in high school but did life sciences and core maths, am I eligible to study medicine in Russia?"

@user6274842605181 thanked her:

"Good morning, Dr. Thank you."

Watch the TikTok clip below:

More about South Africans studying

• Briefly News recently reported on a woman who got into medical school with just 45% in maths, and after people accused her of lying, what she posted to prove them wrong had everyone shocked.
• A student studying medicine revealed she only got level 3 in maths, and her journey started a huge conversation about whether maths is actually needed for medicine.
• A young South African man graduated from a prestigious Ivy League university in the US after getting rejected by multiple SA universities, and what he called the rejection had people seeing things differently.

Source: Briefly News