Rules tying doctors to rural posts leave Russian medical schools short of students

Russia'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'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.