The Ministry of Health explained how and why medical universities are expanding budget admissions
For the 2026 admissions campaign, enrollment for fee-paying students in medical universities has been almost completely canceled , but enrollment for state-funded (budget) places has been significantly increased.
Photo: Ministry of Health
According to a comment from the Ministry of Health, the number of state-funded places in medical universities will sharply increase — admissions have been expanded by 760 places. Last year, around 200 people were admitted to fee-paying departments.
Previously, the quota for students admitted through targeted referrals was fixed at 80% across all specialties. Now, it depends on the demand for a specific profession and ranges from 45% to 70%.
Official admission figures, the exact number of places for each faculty, will appear on university websites later: general admission figures are promised by April 1, 2026, and details on targeted admissions by May 1, 2026.
How does the Ministry of Health explain the cancellation of fee-paying places in universities? According to Volha Kaliupanava, a representative of the Ministry of Health, medicine is following the path of the agrarian and pedagogical sectors, where fee-paying admissions are minimized in favor of state-funded personnel training. "Thus, we have given more talented and motivated young people the opportunity to receive a prestigious education for free," says the official.
However, this means that all state-funded medical students will face mandatory work assignments after graduation. After 2020 and the mass departure of highly qualified specialists from the country, Belarus is experiencing a shortage of medical personnel.