Kyrgyz State Medical Academy (KSMA), Bishkek: MBBS Fees, 5-Year Course and NMC Checks

About Kyrgyz State Medical Academy

The I.K. Akhunbaev Kyrgyz State Medical Academy (KSMA) is Kyrgyzstan's state medical academy, located at 92 Akhunbaev Street in Bishkek. It opened on 1 September 1939 in Frunze, as Bishkek was then called. KSMA runs General Medicine programmes in Russian and English, plus Pediatrics, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medical and Preventive Care, Higher Nursing and Biomedical Engineering, and residency programmes.

KSMA's role grew sharply in 2025–26. A presidential decree signed on 28 August 2025 established a state monopoly on training medical professionals and gave KSMA the leading, "system-forming" role. Accredited private universities must now work under agreements with KSMA, and failed institutions may only operate under its supervision.

For the full context of these reforms, read our MBBS in Kyrgyzstan guide.

KSMA's status after the 2026 accreditation

KSMA was not subject to state accreditation in 2026, according to the Indian Embassy's 8 June 2026 advisory, alongside Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University and Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University. At the Ministry of Health's April 2026 press conference, KSMA's rector said the academy had passed international accreditation and would take responsibility for redistributing students from any university that failed.

When 13 private universities failed accreditation, the transfer commission sent all Kyrgyz citizens from those universities to KSMA, along with final-semester dentistry students from International European University. Foreign students were mostly sent to other accredited universities.

KSMA fees 2026-27

From 2026, foreign students apply through Kyrgyzstan's unified state admission platform, which lists each programme's fee. At the Ministry of Health's April 2026 press conference, officials said the minimum tuition is $3,000 a year, and $3,500 at KSMA.

KSMA's website posts a fee price list for foreign citizens only for 2024-25, so treat agent figures with caution and check the fee shown on the state platform. Living costs in Kyrgyzstan are roughly $100–$400 a month.

The 5-year problem and NMC FMGL

KSMA's international-applicants page states that General Medicine in English is a 5-year programme based on 12 years of secondary education, while General Medicine in Russian takes 6 years.

India's FMGL Regulations, 2021, as explained in NMC's official FAQ, require at least 54 months of study plus a 12-month internship in the same foreign institution, in addition to the course. A 5-year course is 60 months, short of the 66 months needed in total. The course must also be in English throughout, lead to licence eligibility in Kyrgyzstan on par with citizens, and be completed within 10 years.

So before applying, get written confirmation that KSMA will provide a full 12-month internship after your 5-year course, at KSMA's own clinical bases, and that you will be eligible for a Kyrgyz licence. Without that, the degree is unlikely to satisfy FMGL. Our NMC FMGL rules guide and internship in India guide explain the rules.

FMGE results

The 2024 NBEMS figures reported by Careers360 did not give a separate pass rate for KSMA. Kyrgyzstan-educated candidates as a whole passed at about 25.1% (3,792 of 15,135) in 2024. Ask KSMA's representative for institution-wise NBEMS data; our FMGE guide explains the exam.

Admission process

India's eligibility rules apply: age 17 by 31 December of the admission year, Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English (50% in PCB; 40% SC/ST/OBC; 45% PwBD) and a qualifying NEET-UG score.

KSMA's website says applicants for General Medicine in English should contact its official representative, the company SC Career Builder. Required documents include:

1. Class 10 and Class 12 certificates;
2. notarised translation of school certificates into Russian;
3. photographs (two 4×6, four 3×4);
4. copies of passport and Kyrgyz visa;
5. payment confirmation for document admission;
6. a medical certificate with HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B/C and malaria results;
7. a mandatory health insurance policy.

KSMA also warns that applicants must already know the language of the programme they enter. Check the latest steps on the state admission platform and our documents checklist.

Life in Bishkek

Bishkek is the capital, with cold winters and hot summers. In May 2024 mobs attacked foreign students in parts of the city; the Indian Embassy advised students to stay indoors and the violence subsided within two days. Register with the Embassy on arrival and save its emergency number.

Patients speak Kyrgyz or Russian, so learn Russian early even if you study in English.

Checklist before you pay

1. Get KSMA's written confirmation of a full 12-month internship at KSMA after the 5-year English course.
2. Compare any agent's fee with the figure on Kyrgyzstan's state admission platform (minimum $3,500 at KSMA).
3. Ask whether foreign graduates can obtain a Kyrgyz licence on the same terms as citizens.
4. Confirm that the representative company you deal with is the one KSMA's website names.
5. Search KSMA on WDOMS; see our WDOMS and WFME guide.

Should you choose KSMA?

KSMA is the safest Kyrgyz option on regulatory status, but its 5-year English course is a real problem under FMGL. Choose it only with a written internship plan. Compare Osh State University and International School of Medicine, IUK, and read our agent red flags guide.

Pros and cons of KSMA

Advantages

• The state's lead medical academy, with a history going back to 1939.
• Unaffected by the 2026 accreditation failures that closed 13 private universities.
• Low tuition, with a published state minimum of $3,500 a year.
• Large clinical and teaching base in the capital, Bishkek.

Drawbacks

• English General Medicine is listed as 5 years, which does not meet FMGL 2021 without a full extra internship year at KSMA.
• Admission to the English programme is handled through a commercial representative company.
• No KSMA-specific FMGE figure appeared in the 2024 data we found.
• Bishkek saw mob attacks on foreign students in May 2024.