Travel and Trauma as Medicos Return

It was a surprise. The 23-year-old had fled to Ukraine, where he studies at the Ivano Frankivsk National Medical University.

“I was feeling weak for a few days after reaching home. Now, we have been told that online classes can resume from March 12. Country? Where will they teach us from? How many are alive?”

As Russia rained missiles on Ukrainian cities, Choudhury, a fourth-year medical student, left for Romania. He stayed at a Romanian shelter for expatriates from Ukraine for a few days before being evacuated—a special flight took him to New Delhi, from where he made his way to his hometown of Hanskhali in West Bengal.

“Universities are trying to assure us that Ukraine will soon return to normalcy, but we cannot go back now,” Chowdhury says. “My mother is very emotional, and my father asks me every morning if there is any update about Indian. The government plans to do this with all of us who have left Ukraine. What will happen to our studies?”

India has evacuated around 18,000 people since Russia began its war with Ukraine on February 24. There were about 20,000 Indian students in Ukraine, most of whom were pursuing degrees in medicine.

Medical students mostly turn to Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Poland because the courses are cheaper. The cost of a six-year medical course in Ukraine could be between 15 lakh more 2 million. In comparison, a private college in India charges between 80 lakh and 1 crore for a five-year program in medicine.

Many students finance their education abroad by taking loans. They now panic wondering what the banks will do as there are collateral attached to the loans. Some parents, such as Choudhury’s parents, used retirement funds to sponsor their child’s education.

Ukrainian universities, meanwhile, want students who haven’t paid their course fees. One university sent a text: “The university plans to resume online tutoring from Monday, March 14. In this regard, please remind the students about the tuition fees. Debtors will be denied access to Teams (Microsoft’s communication platform). The University Accounts Department reports that all banks operate and accept payments…”

While parents are now feeling relieved that their children are safe and at home, there is a serious concern about their future even with the promise of online education. Certainly, doctors cannot simply tutor online.

The anxiety and tension are evident when you talk to both the students and their parents. Every day, Choudhary and other students scan the many WhatsApp and Messenger groups they share hoping for nuggets of information about their degrees.

live in india

I want to live in India. If my credits can transfer to a medical college in India, I will not leave,” announced Sarthak Singh, a third-year student at Danilo Halitsky Lviv National Medical University. “But if it doesn’t, I will look to Hungary. I can as an option.”

A course is typically measured in the number of credit hours required to complete it. Ukraine uses the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) – one academic year equals 60 ECTS credits. This system helps students in Europe move between countries where their academic qualifications are recognized.

Singh wants to stay back in India for a reason. He has had a tough and long journey back home. He will need time to recover from such setbacks.

Singh and his friends traveled 40 km in a cab from Lviv and then walked another 30 km to reach the Polish border at 2.30 am on 27 February. He could not cross Poland – border forces in Poland initially said that Indian students would be allowed in. “But we realized that segregation was taking place, and most Asian and African nationals were not allowed to cross,” says Singh.

Thereafter, he took a cab and then two trains and left for Budapest (Hungary). This time luck favored him. He was successful in crossing into Hungary, from where he was brought to New Delhi.

The day he returned to his home in Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh), his father, a doctor, was at his clinic. His mother was sleeping at home. “When she got up and saw me standing, she kept touching whether it was real or she was dreaming,” says 23-year-old Singh, who aspires to become a radiologist.

On March 8, Singh decided to throw a surprise for his mother to celebrate Women’s Day with his brother. “I cooked for him – vegetables, lentils – simple fare that he likes. We bought ice cream because she likes it.” Cooking that meal was kind of cathartic for Singh. “I used to cook in my hostel. We used to make potatoes in different styles,” he says over a phone call.

Singh is hopeful that his college will start online classes soon. He was given two weeks leave when the war broke out.

parent group

Anuj Goyal, the owner of a sanitary shop in Budhana in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district, never wanted his son to go abroad. Harsh Goyal, 20, did not listen to his father.

“There are 10-15 students from Muzaffarnagar and surrounding areas who were stuck in Ukraine. Their parents created a WhatsApp group to give hope to each other. I will not send him (Harsh) again,” says Anuj Goyal, rather determined.

Harsh’s twin brother works in a tech company in Pune; His elder sister also works in an IT firm.

“Every day, we used to follow the news together for hours. We were under so much stress. It was only after crossing the border that there was a feeling of relief. We hope all the other children return home safely,” says the father.

Goyal has spent So far Rs 18-20 lakh has been spent on the education of the son. “He wants to be a cardiologist…we had high hopes. Let’s see what happens next,” he says.

Regrets and a Reality Check

A group of agents connect Indian students to several colleges in Ukraine. They sell these universities hard to families, help fill out admission forms, arrange flights, and even run hostel messes for students in Ukraine. They charge a hefty commission for their services—the more 8-10 lakhs.

Mint told several students that all these agents disappeared when they needed them the most. Students ran around plotting their own escape routes with bombs falling all around them.

The hasty exit from Ukraine was especially difficult for first year and second year students, who had barely attended offline classes since the university was closed for several months due to the pandemic. With online classes resuming, it is back to square one.

“I regret not going to Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan to study. Courses in these countries are cheaper than in India. Now, I hear they are better than Ukraine (courses),” says Yash Deepak Srivastava. He is a first year student at Danilo Halitsky Lviv National Medical University and joined in November 2021.

Many students end up in Ukraine as agents package on top of the ‘European education’ offered by Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Sometimes, students wish to experience Europe because of the quality of life it promises. The website of Danilo Halitsky Lviv National Medical University states: “With rich farmland, a well-developed industrial base, highly trained labor and a good education system, Ukraine has the potential to become a major European economy. Personal income is increasing. The macro economy is stable while economic growth continues”.

The war has tested some of these assumptions.

Srivastava’s college is close to the borders of Poland and he was one of the very few to manage flight bookings on February 21, days before Russia invaded Ukraine. Now, her parents want her to finish her first year at university before finding out whether credits can be transferred to other universities in Europe. Even when Srivastava is able to go back to Ukraine and attend physical classes, parents worry that he may face racism.

Indian students had described growing hostile and racist treatment of them at the borders on social media. Videos of violence were circulated at border posts.

Indian students are requesting Ukrainian universities to send photographs of their documents which were submitted during the admission process. These documents will be required for possible transfer of credits to other universities in Europe. Students also want the proof of their mark sheet submitted there.

“Our documents are in the bunker and the college said it will send us pictures,” says Srivastava. Students were often asked to take shelter in bunkers built in the basement of their hostel when the bombs went off.

Meanwhile, many students are petitioning various state governments and courts in India to give them some relief. Like as a credit transfer or as a seat in a medical college in India.

‘Steam will go off soon’

Ukraine can be very cold. Just how cold? Recently, a defense expert said soldiers could be put to death in a 40-mile-long convoy of Russian tanks headed for Kyiv. Eastern Europe is expected to witness severe cold this week, with temperatures dropping to minus 20 degrees Celsius.

During his escape journey, Harsh Goyal called home to describe this climate. They say that cold gusts of wind and snowfall were often the real enemies.

“I spent three days on the Romanian border with an NGO that provided us with food. It was not enough. Everyone was doing their best but we stood for 30 hours before crossing the border.”

There is no doubt that psychologists are expecting a rise in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when students return to their routines in India.

“The war comes two years after the Covid-19 pandemic and anything unexpected leads to tension. Plus, the normal body clock went for a toss—the students went without food, without clean water for hours on end. They’ve been locked inside their bunkers for days,” says Genie K. Gopinath, chief psychology officer at Your Friends, an emotional wellness platform. “It’s like a pressure cooker on a flame and the steam will soon blow off,” he adds. Is.

The psychologist expects the first symptoms of this stress to appear in the form of psychosomatic disorders such as neck pain, headache, back pain and extreme fatigue. The symptoms of PTSD will come later in the form of anxiety, anger, and fear.

Sarthak Singh is already having nightmares—of his return to the Polish border. “When I am on the roof (of his house), I start crying. I have nightmares. My parents are encouraging me to talk and if needed, I will seek help soon,” he told Mint.

Fulfilling the European dream or even completing your education now will depend on many factors. It will depend on what the Indian government decides, what universities it wants in Ukraine, and even on the generosity of neighboring European countries. It is a long and winding road.