Ukraine-returned medics attend online classes back home in Noida

The online classes have come as a relief to the students who were worried about completing their medical education. Students say that the online classes are being held amidst shelling and the sound of sirens

Students of medical universities in Ukraine who have returned back to their respective homes in Gautam Budh Nagar district have started attending online classes being conducted by their teachers from the war-torn country.

Students are worried about falling behind on their medical education as they are not able to study practicals in accordance with their syllabus. (Representative image/HT Archive)

The online classes have come as a relief to the students who were worried about completing their medical education.

Students say that the online classes are being held amidst shelling and the sound of sirens. Riya Sharma, a third-year MBBS student from Bogomolets National Medical University in Kyiv started her online classes on March 14.

“We were supposed to be taught practicals in clinical studies this semester, but we have to make do with theory classes being held online. The classes are being held for about four to five hours a day, but almost every day they have to be cancelled once the bombings intensify around the area during the day,” said Riya, a resident of Shatabdi Vihar in Sector-49, Noida. She returned to India on March 7.

Lalit Pathak, fifth-year student at Dnipro State Medical University, says that students are worried about falling behind on their medical education as they are not able to study practicals in accordance with their syllabus.

“Our online classes started on March 14 and three-hour long classes are being held on a daily basis. Teachers are trying to find alternatives to practical classes and give us case studies of patients and we have to answer them with the line of treatment and diagnosis. The online classes are being held for all foreign students but we are worried whether we will be able to get our medical degree or not,” said Lalit, a resident of Sector 45, who returned to India on March 4.

Lalit added that students are thankful to their Ukrainian teachers who are fighting against heavy odds to hold classes for foreign students.

“Over the last five years that I have studied in Ukraine, we developed a close bond with the teachers and are worried for them and their families. There are many teachers whose husbands, brothers or sons are fighting in the war,” added Lalit.

Rahul Chauhan, a first-year student of Uzhhorod National Medical University in Ukraine added that students are told to wait when teachers have to suddenly leave online classes to run back to the bunkers.

“Classes started on March 7 and are being held for five hours daily. However, teachers often have to leave classes in between and rush to the bunkers whenever the sirens go off. The teachers are risking their lives to teach us and we are very thankful to them,” said Rahul, a resident of Sector 48, who came back to India on February 20.

Rahul added that most of the Ukrainian teachers have decided not to leave their country even though it is war-ravaged.

“During online classes, students often express concerns regarding the well-being of the Ukrainian teachers and whether they plan to leave the country. However, they say that they will not leave their homeland and will continue to teach us in the midst of the ongoing war,” said Rahul.