English for a Russian medical practitioner: challenges and benefits

English is an essential part of academic programmes in any medical university in Russia. According to the Federal educational standards undergraduate medical students study Anatomy, Biology, Chemistry and other basic subjects to understand how human bodies work. However, there are humanities including English that give some extra knowledge apart from specifically medical. There must be some important reasons for this. So in this article I would like to deal with the main aims and benefits of studying medical English and also cover some challenges that may appear. Every country has its own history, language, unique national and cultural features. At the same time, medicine and health studies share universal aspects that are common for all countries. The main goals of healthcare and medicine are disease prevention and treatment, health promotion and prolonging life. These are global objectives. The author of this paper argues that English along with professional competencies can be an effective instrument to achieve these goals. Medicine is an international science and speaking the same language doctors can succeed in dealing with global health challenges and threats.