Medical Students Face Conscription Despite Second Degrees, Lawyer Explains.

Why Medical Students Are Not Exempt from Mobilization for a Second Degree

According to Novyny.live: In Ukraine, men eligible for military service who are pursuing a second university degree are not granted a deferral from mobilization. This policy has significant implications for students in medical schools, according to lawyer Vladyslav Derii. He explains that medical studies in Ukraine last for six years and are considered a first higher education, culminating in a master's degree.

While students at domestic universities are entitled to a deferral for the entire duration of their studies, this right does not apply if they are studying for a second degree. Re-enrolling for a bachelor's degree is classified as a sixth educational level and does not grant the student a deferment from military call-up.

Impact on Medical Students

Derii notes that for most specialties, studies are divided into stages: four years for a bachelor's degree and 1.5 to 2 years for a master's. However, in medicine, students enter the master's level directly based on their complete secondary education. Medical students do not receive an intermediate bachelor's diploma that could mark the completion of a study stage, allowing for a pause or transfer.

A Territorial Recruitment Center can mobilize a student if he is deemed fit for military service. Consequently, medical school students who have chosen to pursue a second degree cannot expect a mobilization deferral. This situation is causing concern among young people who seek to combine education with their military duty, especially given the nation's ongoing need for healthcare professionals. The lack of a deferment for second-degree students may force significant changes to the plans of young people, particularly those in medical fields.