Strategic Directions for Continuing Professional Development of Medical University Instructors in Russia

Abstract

Within the paper, we consider the degree of scientific development of strategic directions in the sphere of continuing professional development (CPD) of educators at medical universities and identify the principal approaches towards the pedagogical aspect of continuing professional education at Russian medical universities. Bibliometric analysis of pedagogical courses from the journals included in the National Bibliographic Database of Scientific Publications (Russian Science Citation Index [RSCI]) is a key method to investigate this problem. The study has found a low level of publication activity of Russian authors and critical state of the pedagogical component in the CPD system at medical universities in Russia. Publications included in the bibliometric analysis cover a wide range of issues related to the following topics: (1) professional competencies of the academic staff of medical universities; (2) application of innovative approaches in the postgraduate training of medical educators; (3) patterns providing CPD for medical educators. However, publications in the above-listed areas have appeared to be the views of the authors on the problem with no factual theoretical and methodological basis that neglect, to a greater extent, global experience in coping with CPD challenges of medical educators. Provided CPD patterns for medical educators have an exclusively local vector of application and have not been tested for effectiveness.