To address the shortage of medical professionals in public healthcare, particularly in regional and rural hospitals, the Russian government is considering various measures to encourage young doctors to work in state institutions. These initiatives include increasing state-funded places in medical universities and implementing mandatory work assignments for graduates.

The Ministry of Health plans to increase the number of state-funded places in medical universities to 30,000 by 2030, focusing on targeted students to address personnel shortages in underserved areas. Additionally, the Ministry aims to redistribute resources by reducing non-core areas to support the training of medical specialists.

A group of State Duma deputies has proposed a bill to establish a minimum length of service in public health for medical university graduates. This would prevent young doctors from immediately joining private clinics, requiring them to work in state institutions for a specified period.

This is not the first attempt to retain young doctors in the public sector. In February 2025, the Ministry of Health announced plans for mandatory work assignments for graduates of state-funded medical programs, requiring them to work for 2 to 3 years or face fines.

However, questions remain about the effectiveness of these measures in preventing young doctors from moving to private clinics, where salaries are often higher. According to Ekaterina Agaeva, CEO of GdeRabota.ru, salary offers for doctors in Russia averaged around 80,000 rubles last year, which is 20% lower than the national average. She noted that dentists in major cities can earn up to 300,000 rubles, with some reaching 670,000 rubles in Novosibirsk.

Salaries vary significantly depending on the region, form of ownership of the clinic, and specialization. Doctors in Moscow earn an average of 134,000 rubles, while those in Khanty-Mansiysk earn 108,000 rubles, and in Elista, less than 38,000 rubles. Private clinics generally offer higher salaries than public hospitals.

Anatoly Baranov, a member of the Central Council of the independent trade union “New Labor,” stated that most doctors earn very little, and the increases during the pandemic have ended. Anastasia Volkova, co-founder of a network of private clinics, explained that high incomes are the result of years of investment in training, equipment, and marketing, and that piecework arrangements in private clinics can lead to fluctuating earnings.