Overview

• The State Duma approved at first reading a bill requiring students in publicly funded medical and pharmaceutical programs to sign targeted-training contracts.
• Deputy Health Minister Tatiana Semenova said the Health Ministry’s draft would make 100% of budget medical training targeted and assign mentors for graduates’ first three years of work.
• About 35% of medical university graduates and at least 40% of mid-level vocational graduates do not enter Russia’s state healthcare after completing studies, according to official data.
• To strengthen enforcement, the Health Ministry has proposed replacing current penalties with reimbursement equal to three times the full training cost and introducing parallel liability for employers that fail to hire contracted graduates.
• Officials reported the 2025 targeted-admission quota is 44% filled overall, with healthcare specialties above 70% and pedagogy at 27%, and plan to require full quota detailing by universities next year.