Social and psychological adaptation of foreign students in a Russian university

Abstract

Getting medical education in Russia is becoming more and more popular among foreign students every year. The need to study foreign students’ social and psychological adaptation in medical universities is caused by the increased need to train high-qualified doctors not only in our country, but also in the world community.The goal was to identify the features of social and psychological adaptation of foreign first-year students of the medical University.Methods. The study involved 131 first-year students, including 56 Indian students studying at the international faculty of General medicine of the Northern state medical University (31 boys and 25 girls); and 75 Russian students of the pediatric and medical faculties (25 boys and 50 girls). The diagnostic approach in the interethnic and gender aspects based on the methodology of socio-psychological adaptation of K.Rogers-R. Diamond, modified by A. K. OsnitskyMain results. The parameters of social and psychological adaptation of foreign first-year students corresponded to the average normative indicators, Russian students were at high level of adaptation. Foreign students, in General, had a positive attitude to themselves and others, including opportunities to contact colleagues and patients, experience average emotional comfort in interpersonal relationships and were quite active in activities. The results of the assessment of Russian students indicated a high degree of acceptance of themselves and other people, as well as emotional comfort, responsibility and high activity.Conclusions the applied aspect of the problem can be implemented in the development of programs for psychological and pedagogical support of foreign students at the initial stage of study at the Medical University.

Keywords

• foreign students
• difficulties of adaptation
• social and psychological adaptation
• support