Kazakh med schools gain popularity among foreign students

The number of foreign students studying medicine in Kazakhstan may soon reach 10 percent, Tengrinews reports citing Aikan Akanov, Dean of Almaty-based Kazakh National Medical University named after Sanzhar Asfendiyarov, as saying.

Now the number of international students studying in Kazakhstan’s medical universities is nearing 5 percent but the number will be growing rapidly because the demand for Kazakhstan’s medical education among foreigners exceeds the supply, Akanov said.

Students from 17 different countries are studying in Almaty-based Kazakhstan’s National Medical university alone, he said.

“There are approximately 600-700 foreigners among the total of 11,000 students in that university. This is around 5-6 percent. The percentage is more or less the same throughout the country. The average number of foreign students makes 3 to 5 percent. In the near future, I believe, it may reach 10 percent. The demand for medical education is high among students from South East Asia, but we don't have the facilities and resources to admit more students,” Aikan Akanov said.

Health and Medicine majors are popular among Kazakh school graduates, too. On average, the competition ranges from 2 to 9 people per 1 scholarship. The tuition fees in Kazakh med schools range from 3300 to 4200 dollars per year. 

Reporting by Alisher Akhmetov, writing by Assel Satubaldina, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina