Some medical schools did not apply for state accreditation, while others failed the assessment and lost the right to issue state diplomas and enroll students. Some universities received accreditation for six years, while others received accreditation for only one year, with mandatory rectification of deficiencies.

A centralized procedure for transferring students from medical educational institutions that have not received state accreditation to accredited ones has now begun.

Who will be affected by the transfer?

The Ministry of Health told 24.kg news agency that 4,877 students from medical universities and 1,845 students from medical colleges are subject to the transfer.

This brings the total number of students subject to transfer to 6,722.

A centralized procedure for transferring students has been established.

Students have to submit an application and the necessary documents by August 10 inclusive.

Where will the students be transferred?

The Ministry of Health has approved a list of medical schools to which students will be transferred.

The Kyrgyz State Medical Academy told 24.kg news agency that only students who are citizens of Kyrgyzstan and who previously studied at medical schools that have not received state accreditation will be transferred to the Academy. Foreign citizens have been distributed among all other accredited medical educational institutions.

The Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic also noted that students’ wishes will be taken into account.

They can individually submit applications to another university, which will be reviewed.

«However, a centralized procedure has already been established in accordance with the curricula and taking into account the minimal difference in academic hours,» the ministry said.

How s ignificant i s the a cademic d ifference?

According to one ninth-semester foreign student, no university is reportedly ready to accept him at the same level.

«Our university have been closed. Now, at the very least, I will have to go back at least two semesters,» he told journalists.

Related news State accreditation: Transfer of medical school, college students begins The Ministry of Health noted that the student transfer commission has not yet held a meeting — its members will convene only after August 10. Therefore,"statements that a student who studied in the ninth semester would be placed in the seventh semester are incorrect and represent unreliable information.«

«Another meeting will be held at the end of August, where individual academic certificates will be issued. They will include completed subjects, the number of credit hours, and information from academic records. In other words, everything will be taken into account. Each student will receive an individual plan and schedule for covering the academic difference,» the ministry explained.

The transfer of college students will be carried out on the condition that the difference between academic curricula does not exceed 30 academic credits. The receiving educational institution has the right to recognize (validate) academic credits based on the content of the educational program.

What happens to those who miss the deadline?

Currently, the heads of all non-accredited educational institutions are required to conduct informational outreach among students. The Ministry of Health said it is monitoring this process.

If some students still fail to submit transfer documents by September 10, their cases may be reviewed individually.

How much will students have to pay for tuition?

Tuition fees may vary at universities, raising the question of how much students will have to pay after the forced transfer.

The Ministry of Health referred to a Cabinet of Ministers resolution establishing minimum tuition tariffs for paid educational services for foreign citizens from non-CIS countries studying at universities in medical specialties.

The amount should be no lower than $3,000 per academic year.

«Therefore, the pricing policy of all universities was approximately the same,» the ministry noted.

The Kyrgyz State Medical Academy added that in some programs its tuition fees are lower than those at other universities. However, the issue of tuition payments will be raised by the academy’s administration at a meeting of the student transfer commission.

Why is state accreditation necessary?

In recent years, Kyrgyzstan has become one of the largest centers for training foreign medical students in the region. At the same time, concerns have arisen about the quality of education at some private medical universities: issues such as a shortage of faculty, poor facilities, and insufficient clinical practice have been discussed. Therefore, the government has decided to conduct a unified, mandatory inspection of all medical educational institutions using standard criteria.

Accreditation is expected to help identify universities that do not meet requirements; make the medical workers training system more transparent; improve the quality of training of future doctors and pharmacists; and strengthen the international reputation of the republic’s medical education system.