The Faculty of Preventive Medicine trains specialists with doctor’s qualification for practical preventive service of the Republic of Belarus. The main goal is to save the health of the population; therefore, graduates provide primary prevention of diseases in the Republic of Belarus. The main approach is surveillance (sanitary control) - activities for preventing and revealing law violations regarding public health.
G.N. Chistenko,
A.N Stozharov,
H.H Lavinsky,
M.I. Rimzha and others.
Outstanding clinicians have always acknowledged the main role of prevention.
The famous Russian surgeon Pirogov said: 'Pound of prevention is worth pounds of cure.' No less famous is his other saying: 'The future belongs to preventive medicine.' Nowadays, any well-educated person is aware that it is easier to prevent the disease than to cure it. It is the prevention of diseases that graduates of the faculty are to deal with.
The main specialties in which graduates are trained are: a doctor - hygienist and a doctor - epidemiologist (a clinical epidemiologist as well). The graduates work as valeologists (specialists in healthy lifestyle), virologists, bacteriologists and medical laboratory technicians, managers of health care, researchers and teachers.
More than 850 students study at the Faculty.
The faculty has trained over four thousand doctors, including many well-known scientists, managers of health care, outstanding hygienists, epidemiologists, and other specialists. 9 departments of the university belong to the faculty. More than 90 people work at these departments. Approximately 2/3 of them have Ph.D. degrees and the titles of associate professors or professors.
Graduates of the faculty are represented in all district and regional centers of hygiene and epidemiology, work at the Ministry of Health, other governmental and educational institutions of Belarus and other countries.
We are proud that the vast majority of teachers of our departments graduated from our University and our faculty. Graduates of the Faculty of Preventive Medicine provide a high level of primary preventive care, the development of medical science of the Republic of Belarus in the area of disease prevention.
After graduating from the University students who make good progress in academic and scientific work are recommended for research and teaching work at the departments of BSMU and pursuing research work at the leading Scientific Centers of the Republic of Belarus. But before becoming highly-qualified specialists, students have to undergo 6 years of training in the specialty 1-79 01 03 «Medical preventive work» and one year of postgraduate internship.
The students undergo a rigorous and nevertheless, a very fascinating period of gaining knowledge mastering a great number of new subjects. They should pass 7-10 credits and 2-3 exams at the end of each term. The new standed plan of training includes 87 credits and 23 exams. The students will attend classes at more than 50 departments located in 5 University buildings and in several city hospitals, visit the Centres of Epidemiology and Hygiene, as well as plants, factories, kindergartens, schools and other institutions which will become the objects of their surveillance after graduation.
The first two years of training at many faculties are very similar – the student masters social subjects and humanities as well as general medicobiological subjects such as Anatomy, Histology and General Hygiene. In the third year most attention is focused on general professional subjects. Thus, the first three years of training lay the foundation of knowledge, skills and experience in understanding norm and pathology.
During the next three years the students acquire basic theoretical knowledge and experience (practical skills) in their profession. They are trained at the University clinical bases – city multiprofile hospitals, maternity homes as well as hygiene centres and other health care institutions. The training process implies a great deal of students’ individual work, acquisition of practical skills and learning to interpret the obtained data properly.
Beginning with the 1st year the students have practical training. In the first- second years they have practical training at health care institutions as trainees during the academic year or in the first week of summer. But in future the summer practical training becomes more extended and goes under the name of «working training». After the 3rd year it is training as a lab assistant, in the 4th year – as a doctor (introductory training) and after the 5th year – as a doctor in the chosen specialty. The faculty provides facilities for those students who are willing to participate in research work. Already in the 1st year the students have a possibility to join scientific circles at different departments of the University. It’s very fascinating and interesting work. The experience in research acquired in the first years of study is invaluable as for most of these students it becomes a starting point in the future career of joining the cohort of professors and associate professors. Taking part in the work of a scientific circle the students gain experience in making reports at sessions and conferences, learn the basics of carrying on scientific experiments and trials. The victory at the BSMU Annual Student’s Scientific Conference grants a possibility to participate in the Republican Students’ Scientific Contest, and in case of victory there the students are included into the data bank of talented young scientists. Such students are entitled to getting the most prestigious work appointment and an additional monthly financial bonus from the state.
The study at our Faculty is challenging, but the years at the University do not only mean hard work. The students can accomplish their talents in sports, on the stage and in journalism. The students eagerly demonstrate their articles in the University newspaper «The Vesnik of BSMU» to their friends and relatives, they are proud of their achievements in sport contests and in Republican Amateur Arts’ festivals. The students’ Amateur Variety Theatre «Epidemics» functions at the Faculty.
The final assessment which goes under a more traditional name «State examination» completes the course of training. Success at the state examination grants the diploma of a qualified doctor. The authorities of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus award diplomas to those students who obtain a distinction.
After one year of internship the graduate of the Faculty of Preventive Medicine takes the exam granting the right to work. But that is not the final step in training. In future the graduates attend the course of advanced medical training, pass exams for a higher doctor’s category to advance in their careers. But all the graduates always remember and have the warmest affection for their Faculty, their Alma mater.
Dean
Hindziuk Andrei
Address: Dzerzhinsky Ave, 83, Minsk, 220083
E-mail: mprof@bsmu.by
Phone: + 375 17 277-17-56