CURRENT STATE OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION IN THE FIELD OF MEDICINE

Abstract

In the article the current state of the system of higher medical education in Ukraine is analyzed. The necessity of professional training in higher medical educational institutions in Ukraine is grounded. The importance of professional level improvement of health care representatives in the context of the health care system’s reformation of Ukraine is determined. It has been discovered that over recent years there has been a change in educational paradigms from analytical to synthetic, mostly aimed at system solutions, – informatization of education. The author points out that the university education implements the processes of synthesis of new information due to the active work of the bearer– the pedagogue or the lecturer. It is noted that the pedagogical process is focused on the self-education of a future specialist; the use of information and communication technologies is also important, it will simplify the development, replication and use of teaching materials, and ultimately improve the quality of education. That is why the training of general practice doctors – family doctors – requires updating of programme and methodological teaching resources to adapt specialists for work at primary level, in rural areas, providing the appropriate level of knowledge and practical skills and abilities not only for the provision of emergency assistance, internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, but also for preventive health care, in particular sanitary and educational and anti-epidemic work.It is determined that changes in medical education are fully integrated into the logic of higher education reformation, beginning from 2014 with the adoption of the new law “On Higher Education». The initiated reform is being built around the idea of expanding university autonomy. Despite the fact that broad autonomy is an integral part of modern successful higher educational systems, it does not exclude external quality control. This issue is especially important for so-called «regulated professions” – those whose work provides for particularly high level of responsibility for safety and health of people. These include lawyers, pilots, doctors, and in some countries, access to the profession of teacher, architect, etc., is also regulated. Regulated profession status implies that access to it is only possible through compliance with mandatory requirements for the level of education, preparation of special examinations, obtaining a license or membership in a professional association. Discussions about the introduction of «regulated profession» concept in the legislation are only ongoing, but de facto the certain part of professions has special regulation already. Educational legislation also provides that for certain professions the state may conduct an independent assessment of educational results in the form of a single state qualification examination. Science is international, medicine is developing all over the world, and the most up-to-date scientific articles, the best studies are published today in English. Therefore, without its understanding, the probability that a medical student will read new books, receive relevant knowledge, is very low. Future Ukrainian doctors will know the international language of modern science, and the incentive for this will be a mandatory English test. Not only university education is important for the medical profession, but also a constant increase of the professional level for already working doctors. Still, this requirement is formally provided by the system of “advanced training” in the form of pre-certification cycles in institutions of postgraduate education, every five years. The new Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine resolution, initiated by the Ministry of Education and Science, changes the system of one-time (and, frankly, rather formal) training and creates the preconditions for the comprehensive system of continuous professional development. According to the new model, there should be a monopolization of education – now the choice of place or organization is given to the doctor, recognized: education received abroad, participation in professional seminars and conferences, online courses, workshops held in Ukraine by international organizations and professional associations.