{"id":2147586,"date":"2026-09-16T14:58:08","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T11:58:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2147586"},"modified":"2026-09-16T14:58:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T11:58:08","slug":"rules-tying-doctors-to-rural-posts-leave-russian-medical-schools-short-of-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2147586","title":{"rendered":"Rules tying doctors to rural posts leave Russian medical schools short of students"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/56\/72\/1200x675_cmsv2_a1f55f93-44b2-5c36-9499-1e04ac6579f9-9915672.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2926270-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2926270\" data-cid=\"9916176\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2926270-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/61\/76\/189x106_cmsv2_215c979c-8950-52c4-9771-192f8277abf0-9916176.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Flags bear the new logo for Novo at the company&apos;s headquarters in Bagsvaerd, Denmark, on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Health news<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Novo to use Anthropic\u2019s Claude to advance AI drug discovery\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2926261-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2926261\" data-cid=\"9916209\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2926261-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/61\/31\/189x106_cmsv2_8af914a2-206c-5ae9-960b-083002d9fdc1-9916131.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Edgar Barrera poses with the awards he won at the 2025 gala.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Culture news<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Edgar Barrera leads the 2026 Latin Grammys with ten nominations\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2925602-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2925602\" data-cid=\"9915659\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2925602-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/56\/59\/189x106_cmsv2_2c07023a-a3c7-5c4e-9c4e-a9e86c33f53e-9915659.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"FILE: Car passes the building of the FSB in Lubyanskaya Square in Moscow, 24 July 2017\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Russia<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Russia used Claude AI for espionage, disinformation and drone swarms\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2926230-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2926230\" data-cid=\"9916177\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2926230-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/59\/18\/189x106_cmsv2_55ed87f5-2775-58fc-8b8d-665c638d79c2-9915918.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Exein executives (from left): Gianni Cuozzo, Chief Executive Officer; Giovanni Alberto Falcione, Chief Technology Officer; and Gerardo Gagliardo, Chief Financial Officer\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Business<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Exein becomes unicorn: Italian Physical AI security start-up valued at $1.7bn\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2926270-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2926270\" data-cid=\"9916176\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2926270-label-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/61\/76\/189x106_cmsv2_215c979c-8950-52c4-9771-192f8277abf0-9916176.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Flags bear the new logo for Novo at the company&apos;s headquarters in Bagsvaerd, Denmark, on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Health news<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Novo to use Anthropic\u2019s Claude to advance AI drug discovery\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2926261-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2926261\" data-cid=\"9916209\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2926261-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/61\/31\/189x106_cmsv2_8af914a2-206c-5ae9-960b-083002d9fdc1-9916131.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Edgar Barrera poses with the awards he won at the 2025 gala.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Culture news<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Edgar Barrera leads the 2026 Latin Grammys with ten nominations\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2925602-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2925602\" data-cid=\"9915659\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2925602-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/56\/59\/189x106_cmsv2_2c07023a-a3c7-5c4e-9c4e-a9e86c33f53e-9915659.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"FILE: Car passes the building of the FSB in Lubyanskaya Square in Moscow, 24 July 2017\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Russia<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Russia used Claude AI for espionage, disinformation and drone swarms\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2926230-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2926230\" data-cid=\"9916177\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2926230-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/59\/18\/189x106_cmsv2_55ed87f5-2775-58fc-8b8d-665c638d79c2-9915918.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Exein executives (from left): Gianni Cuozzo, Chief Executive Officer; Giovanni Alberto Falcione, Chief Technology Officer; and Gerardo Gagliardo, Chief Financial Officer\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Business<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Exein becomes unicorn: Italian Physical AI security start-up valued at $1.7bn\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          News<\/p>\n<p>                          World<\/p>\n<p>                          Russia<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            Rules tying doctors to rural posts leave Russian medical schools short of students<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-controller=\"video-player\" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/56\/72\/1536x864_cmsv2_a1f55f93-44b2-5c36-9499-1e04ac6579f9-9915672.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"FILE: A doctor observes a patient&apos;s condition in a ward at the Moscow Sklifosovsky emergency hospital, 25 March 2020\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              FILE: A doctor observes a patient&#8217;s condition in a ward at the Moscow Sklifosovsky emergency hospital, 25 March 2020<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">AP Photo<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0AP Photo\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspOlga Kepinski&amp;nbsp&amp;&amp;nbsp<b>Euronews<\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1789570688\">\n                    Published on                 <time datetime=\"2026-09-16 16:58:08 +02:00\">16\/09\/2026 &#8211; 16:58 GMT+2<\/time><span class=\"c-article-publication-date__bullet\">\u2022<\/span>Updated<br \/>\n                                     <time datetime=\"16:59\">16:59<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span 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loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        Russia&#8217;s new rules requiring medical graduates to commit to regional hospital postings before enrolment have left 1,500 residency places unfilled at top universities, even as applications hit record highs.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>Russia&#8217;s largest medical universities are struggling to fill hundreds of postgraduate residency places despite record applications, as new rules requiring graduates to sign advance employment contracts with regional hospitals are deterring candidates.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Around 1,500 residency places remain unfilled at major medical universities, according to Russian educational outlet Mel. <\/p>\n<p>Moscow&#8217;s Pirogov University could not fill 289 places, while Sechenov University was short by 211. The vacancies span high-demand specialisations including anaesthesiology, intensive care, surgery and oncology.<\/p>\n<p>The shortfall emerged in the same admissions cycle that saw more than 591,000 applications for state-funded places at Health Ministry universities \u2014 26% more than a year earlier \u2014 with an average of 19 applicants per place.<\/p>\n<p>The gap stems directly from changes to medical education that took effect on 1 March, under which all state-funded residency places are now allocated on a targeted basis. <\/p>\n<p>Students must sign contracts in advance with their future employer and commit to working for between 18 months and three years after graduation at institutions within the compulsory medical insurance system. <\/p>\n<p>Graduates who break the terms must repay the full cost of their training, pay a fine equal to twice that amount, and return any scholarship money received during their studies. <\/p>\n<p>Those who fail to secure an employer willing to fund their place before enrolment risk expulsion or transfer to fee-paying programmes.<\/p>\n<h2>No one wants to go to Siberia<\/h2>\n<p>Experts say the underlying problem is young doctors&#8217; reluctance to commit to postings in rural hospitals or small towns, where salaries, working conditions and general living standards are substantially below those in Moscow and other major cities. <\/p>\n<p>Russia&#8217;s most understaffed regions are concentrated in Siberia and the Far East, where distances are vast and conditions extreme. <\/p>\n<p>Siberia covers roughly 77% of Russia&#8217;s territory but is home to around 36 million people, most of them clustered in cities along the Trans-Siberian Railway, with winter temperatures regularly falling below -40\u00b0C across much of the region. <\/p>\n<p>Academic research published by Krasnoyarsk State Medical University found that low population density and severe climate were the primary factors deterring medical graduates from taking up rural postings.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6545\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/56\/72\/808x528_cmsv2_8120e746-2bce-589a-8a16-d14739d7e55b-9915672.jpg\" alt=\"FILE: A tiny chapel is seen on the grounds of the Northeast Science Station near the town of Chersky in Siberia 6,600 east of Moscow, 26 October 2010\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">FILE: A tiny chapel is seen on the grounds of the Northeast Science Station near the town of Chersky in Siberia 6,600 east of Moscow, 26 October 2010<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Russian Far East faces some of the sharpest shortages. In Kamchatka, a peninsula of more than 300,000 people bordering the Pacific, local doctors have described being left to cover multiple hospital departments simultaneously. <\/p>\n<p>During the COVID-19 pandemic, five physicians in the region died from the virus, a toll that local medics said was catastrophic for a territory of that size. <\/p>\n<p>Similar conditions are documented in Yakutia and Khabarovsk Krai, where hospitals regularly operate without the specialist cover that urban facilities take for granted.<\/p>\n<h2>Echoes of Soviet past<\/h2>\n<p>The targeted system allocates places by commissioning body, field of training, university and destination region, meaning the more precisely places match regional needs, the fewer candidates are willing to apply. <\/p>\n<p>More than 83,000 targeted places were allocated across higher education this year, a significant proportion in medicine.<\/p>\n<p>The system echoes the Soviet-era mandatory placement scheme, which itself drew on practices dating to the reign of Peter the Great. <\/p>\n<p>Under the Soviet model, enterprises and ministries told universities how many specialists they needed. Graduates were assigned postings accordingly, with a compulsory work period of up to three years. <\/p>\n<p>The key difference is that Soviet placement operated within a centralised workforce planning system with guaranteed employment across the economy.<\/p>\n<p>The Soviet model was also plagued by abuses: top students and the children of party officials were steered toward desirable postings, while others were sent to remote regions, and the power officials held over young graduates&#8217; career destinations created conditions for widespread corruption.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Russia&#8217;s foreign recruit drive amounts to human trafficking, Amnesty International says<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Russians skewer authorities for ordering citizens to register their chicken<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  General charged over Kyiv children&#8217;s hospital strike shot in Russia<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto\">\n<ul id=\"adb-article-tags\" class=\"c-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Medicine<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Russia<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Education<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tp-vuukle\">\n<div class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton__header\"><span class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton__title\">Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"o-article-newsy__aside\">\n<div class=\"c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-1\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" 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class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/54\/33\/320x180_cmsv2_9de4d450-80ea-5690-a43a-609a4a7b8816-9915433.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Ursula von der Leyen in Strasbourg.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    State of the Union: Five takeaways from Ursula von der Leyen&#8217;s speech<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2926195-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2926195\" data-cid=\"9915698\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2926195-label-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/56\/98\/320x180_cmsv2_1cf2b042-b2d3-5973-a39f-45227bb9729e-9915698.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Von der Leyen \u2018horrified\u2019 by Mladi\u0107 funeral, holds off Serbia action<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2926136-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2926136\" data-cid=\"9915431\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2926136-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" 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loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mark Carney, and Ursula von der Leyen, from left to right.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Canada in talks to join EU&#8217;s Erasmus+ exchanges programme<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-2\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto c-most-viewed\">\n<h2 class=\"c-most-viewed__title qa-section-title\">Most read<\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-most-viewed__list\">\n<div class=\"c-most-viewed__item\"><span class=\"c-most-viewed__item__number\">1<\/span><\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2926136-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2926136\" data-cid=\"9915431\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Canada invited to become first &#8216;associate member&#8217; of the EU<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-most-viewed__item\"><span 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alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2926138-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2926138\" data-cid=\"9915433\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2926138-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/54\/33\/320x180_cmsv2_9de4d450-80ea-5690-a43a-609a4a7b8816-9915433.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Ursula von der Leyen in Strasbourg.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    State of the Union: Five takeaways from Ursula von der Leyen&#8217;s speech<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2926195-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object 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data-nid=\"2926136\" data-cid=\"9915431\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2926136-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/54\/31\/320x180_cmsv2_38c74e8f-b4c9-59fc-9726-00d06fd9adb0-9915431.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Canada&apos;s Prime Minister Mark Carney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrive for the 2026 State of the European Union in Strasbourg.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Canada invited to become first &#8216;associate member&#8217; of the EU<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2925777-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2925777\" data-cid=\"9915506\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2925777-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/36\/38\/320x180_cmsv2_e5c5b8e6-f6f4-5cd2-bb43-02482e66bc49-9913638.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The &quot;Woman, Life, Freedom&quot; movement\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Four years since Mahsa Amini, rights groups warn crackdown persists<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2926242-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2926242\" data-cid=\"9915979\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2926242-label-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/59\/79\/320x180_cmsv2_f9da159e-4387-5de6-b5c5-9ed1e141b41f-9915979.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mark Carney, and Ursula von der Leyen, from left to right.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Canada in talks to join EU&#8217;s Erasmus+ exchanges programme<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2926136-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2926136\" data-cid=\"9915431\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Canada invited to become first &#8216;associate member&#8217; of the EU<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2925953-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2925953\" data-cid=\"9914566\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Canada, heatwaves and Ceuta: Von der Leyen delivers State of the Union<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2925884-pos3-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2925884\" data-cid=\"9914278\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    US threatens EU with retaliation over European preference in EU budget<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2926008-pos4-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2926008\" data-cid=\"9914887\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Belarus launches drills near Suwalki Gap on NATO&#8217;s eastern flank<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2925295-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2925295\" data-cid=\"9911577\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Why is Greece&#8217;s seabed littered with concrete blocks?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">Russia&#8217;s largest medical universities are struggling to fill hundreds of postgraduate residency places despite record applications, as new rules requiring graduates to sign advance employment contracts with regional hospitals are deterring candidates.Around 1,500 residency places remain unfilled at major medical universities, according to Russian educational outlet Mel.Moscow&#8217;s Pirogov University could not fill 289 places, while Sechenov University was short by 211. The vacancies span high-demand specialisations including anaesthesiology, intensive care, surgery and oncology.The shortfall emerged in the same admissions cycle that saw more than 591,000 applications for state-funded places at Health Ministry universities \u2014 26% more than a year earlier \u2014 with an average of 19 applicants per place.The gap stems directly from changes to medical education that took effect on 1 March, under which all state-funded residency places are now allocated on a targeted basis.Students must sign contracts in advance with their future employer and commit to working for between 18 months and three years after graduation at institutions within the compulsory medical insurance system.Graduates who break the terms must repay the full cost of their training, pay a fine equal to twice that amount, and return any scholarship money received during their studies.Those who fail to secure an employer willing to fund their place before enrolment risk expulsion or transfer to fee-paying programmes.No one wants to go to SiberiaExperts say the underlying problem is young doctors&#8217; reluctance to commit to postings in rural hospitals or small towns, where salaries, working conditions and general living standards are substantially below those in Moscow and other major cities.Russia&#8217;s most understaffed regions are concentrated in Siberia and the Far East, where distances are vast and conditions extreme.Siberia covers roughly 77% of Russia&#8217;s territory but is home to around 36 million people, most of them clustered in cities along the Trans-Siberian Railway, with winter temperatures regularly falling below -40\u00b0C across much of the region.Academic research published by Krasnoyarsk State Medical University found that low population density and severe climate were the primary factors deterring medical graduates from taking up rural postings.The Russian Far East faces some of the sharpest shortages. In Kamchatka, a peninsula of more than 300,000 people bordering the Pacific, local doctors have described being left to cover multiple hospital departments simultaneously.During the COVID-19 pandemic, five physicians in the region died from the virus, a toll that local medics said was catastrophic for a territory of that size.Similar conditions are documented in Yakutia and Khabarovsk Krai, where hospitals regularly operate without the specialist cover that urban facilities take for granted.Echoes of Soviet pastThe targeted system allocates places by commissioning body, field of training, university and destination region, meaning the more precisely places match regional needs, the fewer candidates are willing to apply.More than 83,000 targeted places were allocated across higher education this year, a significant proportion in medicine.The system echoes the Soviet-era mandatory placement scheme, which itself drew on practices dating to the reign of Peter the Great.Under the Soviet model, enterprises and ministries told universities how many specialists they needed. Graduates were assigned postings accordingly, with a compulsory work period of up to three years.The key difference is that Soviet placement operated within a centralised workforce planning system with guaranteed employment across the economy.The Soviet model was also plagued by abuses: top students and the children of party officials were steered toward desirable postings, while others were sent to remote regions, and the power officials held over young graduates&#8217; career destinations created conditions for widespread corruption.<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2026\/09\/16\/rules-tying-doctors-to-rural-posts-leave-russian-medical-schools-short-of-students&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/56\/72\/1200x675_cmsv2_a1f55f93-44b2-5c36-9499-1e04ac6579f9-9915672.jpg&#8221;] Health news Novo to use Anthropic\u2019s Claude to advance AI drug discovery Culture news Edgar Barrera leads the 2026 Latin Grammys with ten nominations Russia Russia used Claude AI for espionage, disinformation and drone swarms Business Exein becomes unicorn: Italian Physical AI security start-up valued at $1.7bn Health news Novo to use [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2147586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2147586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2147586"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2147586\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2147586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2147586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2147586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}