This post is meant to answer questions:
- What do you study first?
- When do clinical subjects start?
- How are placements structured?
- And how much has the curriculum changed recently?
My information is based on:
RSU Study plans and Syllabus, which can be found on RSU:s official website here.
Overview on the studies
The Medicine programme at Riga Stradiņš University is a Medical Doctor (MD) degree.
- Duration: 6 years (12 semesters)
- Credits: 360 ECTS
- Language: English (Latvian option also exists)
- Degree awarded: Medical Doctor (MD)
- Accreditation: Accredited until at least 2030, developed according to EU Directive 2005/36/EC
The programme is structured into four main phases:
- Basic (preclinical) sciences (years 1 to 2)
- Preclinical / transitional year (year 3)
- Clinical studies (years 4 to 5)
- Internship / placement year (year 6)
Curriculum changes
The overall structure of the studies has remained stable, but course distribution, credit weights and names of individual courses have changed slightly over time.
I began my studies under an earlier version of the curriculum, while RSU now follows an updated, currently valid study plan. (found here)
This post reflects the current official structure, while occasionally noting where older students may notice differences.
This distinction matters, and RSU itself explicitly states on the website that course offerings are subject to change.
Years 1-2: Basic (preclinical) subjects
The first two years are focused on building a theoretical foundation for medicine.
According to RSU, the aim is to develop:
“a general theoretical knowledge base on which to model an understanding of the human body and its normal functioning”
Year 1 subjects:
- Human Anatomy
- Histology
- Molecular and Cell Biology
- Medical Chemistry
- Medical Physics
- Medical Biochemistry (introductory)
- Medical Terminology (Latin & Latvian)
- Bioethics and Sociology of Medicine
- History of Medicine and Life Sciences
- Extended First Aid and Civil Defence
Year 2 subjects:
- Human Anatomy (continued)
- Histology (advanced)
- Physiology
- Medical Biochemistry
- Experimental Research in Medical Chemistry
- Medical Genetics (introductory)
- Embryology
- Medical Physics (continued)
- Bioethics
- Personality Psychology
- Sociology / phenomenology-related courses
- Foundations of IT
- Ecology / medicinal plants (electives)
- Physical activity & wellbeing courses
These years are heavy on memorisation, structurally more demanding and designed to filter students academically. There is limited patient contact at this stage.
Year 3: Preclinical / transitional year
Year 3 acts as a bridge between theory and clinical medicine.
Here, you move from normal structure and function to pathology and disease processes.
Subjects:
Main focus: disease mechanisms + first clinical exposure
- Pathology
- Pharmacology
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology
- Medical Genetics
- Introduction to Clinical Medicine
- Medical Communication
- Physiology (advanced)
- Embryology (clinical relevance)
Skills & supporting subjects
- Advanced Physical Examination
- Basics of Surgery
- Clinical Microbiology
- Environmental Medicine
- Radiology (introductory concepts)
- Research methodology / introduction to research
This year introduces clinical reasoning, diagnostic thinking and application of preclinical knowledge.
Years 4-5: Clinical subjects
Years 4 and 5 are primarily clinical. The studies take place in:
- Teaching hospitals
- Clinical departments
- Skills and simulation centres
According to RSU:
“Studies mainly take place in medical institutions in a real clinical setting”
Year 4 subjects:
Main focus: supervised patient-based learning
- Internal Medicine I (cardiology, gastroenterology, nephrology, endocrinology)
- Pathology (system-based)
- Pharmacology and Toxicology
- Surgery (general surgery, basics)
- Radiology
- Dermatology and Venereology
- Psychiatry
- Family Medicine
- Clinical Microbiology
Additional components
- Clinical rehabilitation
- Ethics and legal aspects of healthcare
- Simulation-based clinical skills (METC)
Note: Once year 4 is completed, you can work in Finland as a substitute doctor in the summers by getting your doctor's license through Valvira. This is a good way to make money in the summer for your studies. The salary of a substitute doctor in Finland is around 5500€/month. You need B2 level Finnish in order to work in Finland, but I've personally witnessed it being done in less than a year. Very achievable!
Year 5 subjects:
Main focus: multisystem and specialty exposure
- Internal Medicine II (haematology, oncology, pneumonology)
- Paediatrics (parts I & II)
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Neurology and Neurosurgery
- Ophthalmology
- Otorhinolaryngology (ENT)
- Orthopaedics
- Emergency Medicine
- Anaesthesiology & Pain Medicine
- Clinical Toxicology
Advanced diagnostics & electives
- Clinical radiology cases
- Ultrasound (basic & applied)
- Clinical trials and drug registration
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Elective specialty courses
Year 6: Internship and placement rotations
The sixth year is a clinical-practical study year, structured around three major placement rotations:
- Internal Medicine
- Surgical disciplines
- An elective clinical rotation
RSU calls this year on their website:
“general medical practice under the guidance of qualified specialists”
Additional requirements in Year 6:
- Research paper and defence
- State (national) examination
Completion of these is mandatory for graduation.
Usually EU-students do their placements in their home country. For example, I plan on doing mine in Finland, since I'll already have experience in the Finnish medical system through summer internships. But it is possible to do your placement in Latvia as well. For this you can get help from the university.
Final thoughts
In my opinion, the RSU Medicine programme is structured and demanding.
It follows a classical European medical education model.
While individual course names and layouts may change, the core structure has remained consistent. Always recheck current information at the RSU Official website.
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