Mandatory reserve officer training is not the only solution to Ukraine’s shortage of military medics
Introducing mandatory reserve officer training for all medical and pharmaceutical students is not the only way to address the shortage of qualified medical personnel in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
This conclusion is drawn in the analysis by the Main Scientific and Expert Department of the Verkhovna Rada regarding draft law No. 13276, which was adopted in the first reading on June 4. The bill proposes to reinstate mandatory reserve officer training for students pursuing medical and pharmaceutical degrees.
The Medical Personnel Shortage in the Armed Forces
In 2006, Ukraine abolished mandatory reserve officer training for medical students, leading to the closure of military departments at most medical universities. As a result, only 5% of current medical and pharmaceutical students undergo such training voluntarily. This has led to an acute shortage of qualified medical personnel in the Armed Forces during the ongoing full-scale war.
Draft law No. 13276 proposes to reintroduce mandatory military departments to reverse this trend.
Risks and Challenges
The expert review highlights several potential problems with this approach:
- A decrease in enrollment for medical programs, as some students may opt to study medicine abroad to avoid mandatory military training.
- Students in part-time or distance-learning programs may struggle to complete reserve officer training due to their regular obligations, making the training ineffective or merely symbolic.
An Alternative to Mandatory Military Departments
Experts suggest an alternative path, rather than reviving a Soviet-style system that makes all medical students reserve officers.
They argue that high-quality medical care for the wounded during combat operations depends more on relevant practical training than on reserve officer status. Thus, the priority should be providing students with the professional skills necessary for wartime conditions.
Instead of requiring reserve officer training, universities should integrate relevant medical disciplines into their curricula to prepare students for providing care in combat zones.
At the same time, the Ministry of Defense should allow combat medical positions to be filled by enlisted personnel — including privates, sergeants, and senior ranks — who have not undergone reserve officer training.
