In 1989 when communism was starting to fall elsewhere, many Mongolian weren't really ready for the change.
Health care facilities are improving in Ulaanbaatar and provincial capitals but still short of Western standards. Serious medical emergencies may require evacuation to Beijing or Seoul. Doctors and hospitals may expect immediate cash payment for health services.
Mongolia continues to adhere to the Soviet model of 10 years of school education of which 8 are compulsory, although this is being gradually extended in the direction of the European model.