Kharkiv National Medical University – an institution of higher medical education for the preparation of highly qualified medical specialists. Located in Kharkov.

History

In November 1804, the Emperor of All-Russian Alexander I signed the Affirmative Letter and the Charter of the Imperial Kharkov University, the grand opening of which was held on January 17 (29), 1805.

According to the university charter of 1804, 4 departments were established: verbal sciences, moral and political sciences, physical and mathematical sciences, medical and medical sciences. The department of medical sciences, due to the lack of those who want to study there, was only open to students in 1811. Despite the absence of medical students in the early years of the university, the medical faculty worked periodically, its 6 special departments (Anatomy, Physiology and Forensic Science; Pathology, Therapy and Clinic; Surgery; Midwifery; Scototherapy; Medical Substantochemistry, Pharmacy and Medical literature) had their own managers, professors who were entrusted with the university’s council various special classes (they read lectures on encyclopedia to pupils of the Kharkov Collegium, went to the inspectors They traveled around the school district, delivered speeches, prepared study guides, dismantled and systematized the university library, in accordance with paragraph 52 of the university statute delivered reports with scientists in special monthly council meetings, etc.). Professor V.F. Dreisig (therapy) and adjunct L. O. Vannoti (anatomy) spoke at the university’s council in 1807 with a report “On the terrible pollution of Kharkov, which causes various diseases,” Professor P. M. Shumlyansky (surgery ) and G. G. Corritari (medical materialist) made speech speeches, respectively, in 1806 – “On physical ways of life” and in 1807 – “On combining the study of medicine and philosophy.” In meetings of the Council, P. M. Shumlyansky reported on his “Reasoning on the Medical Benefits of the Mineral Waters of Constantinograd”, and F. V. Pilger – “A Short Discussion on the infection that rages in some provinces among horned cattle”.

Enclosures and campuses

The university has a complex of modern facilities for the implementation of the educational process and 5 hostels. All students of undergraduate and postgraduate forms of education are 100% provided with a hostel. The university consists of 67 departments. The chairs are equipped with modern classrooms.

The chairs, where students of 1–3 courses study, are located in four academic buildings of the university. The departments that teach clinical disciplines are located at the bases of the Scientific and Practical Medical Center of KNMU, the Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, the Research Institute of Occupational Health and Occupational Diseases of the KhNMU, the Ukrainian Institute of Clinical Genetics. University Dental Center KNMU, 9 regional, 10 city, 5 departmental medical institutions. The university’s educational and research center is equipped with classes of phantom learning technologies.

A significant role in the provision of the educational process and the training of specialists is played by the Scientific Library, which is a central element in the system of information support for the educational and scientific and pedagogical processes of the university. The library has an extensive structure and a network of service points: 8 departments and 9 sectors; there are 5 subscriptions – 3 educational, scientific and artistic; 11 reading rooms, including scientific, humanitarian preparation and independent work, 5 reading rooms in student dormitories; 10 library items in the departments and one in the Institute of Occupational Hygiene and Occupational Diseases. A subscription was organized with a reading room for students of the English-language form of education – Library for English medium students, which presents educational and scientific literature in English.

The Fund of the Scientific Library of KNMU has over 1 million copies. Library processes are automated. Today all the computers of the local network of the library are connected to the Internet, including in 2 rooms of electronic information for students and scholars, the Wi-Fi zone operates. The library website provides access to the electronic catalog and other resources. An important step towards the system of information exchange with the international scientific community was the creation of the KNMU Repository, which is part of the electronic collection of the Scientific Library.

Educational services for foreign citizens

Foreign students of Kharkiv National Medical University study at the 5th Faculty for Training Foreign Students (Russian medium) and at the 6th Faculty for Training Foreign Students (English medium), as well at the Preparatory Department, or undergo postgraduate and clinical postgraduate (residency) courses (Licence of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine AB No. 552643).

Pre-University training

The training lasts 1 year.

The Preparatory Department of KhNMU is one of the best in Kharkiv. The training is performed on the basis of the University departments and at its laboratories. This training is given in the Russian language and general subjects, including physics, chemistry and biology, with the purpose of the subsequent study of these students at higher educational establishments of the medical-biological type. During their training at the Preparatory Department of KhNMU its students make the acquaintance of professors and teachers of the University. On finishing the Preparatory Department its students are issued Certificates approved by the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science.

Undergraduate medical education

Foreign students are trained in the following specialities:

• “General Medicine”, the period of study is 6 years.

• “Stomatology”, the period of study is 5 years.

Languages of instruction: Russian, Ukrainian, English. Since 1996 the University has been training students in the English medium in General Medicine, and since 2008 in Stomatology. The acade¬mic groups consist of 8-10 persons.

Within the period of studies the students undergo academic training in main medical and dental specialities. They take part in examinations of patients, giving urgent aid, work at X-ray rooms, clinical and biochemical laboratories. Particular attention is paid to clinical rounds of patients, their management, filling in and arrangement of medical reports with their subsequent analysis.

The graduates are awarded a Diploma of Specialist and qualified as Physicians with the title of “Doctor of Medicine” in General Medicine or Stomatologists with the title of “Doctor of Medicine” in Stomatology.

Postgraduate education

Qualified graduates of higher medical educational insti¬tutions who wish to continue their postgraduate training (in the Russian language) are given the right to undergo:

• a clinical postgraduate course (residency) lasting 2-4 years;

• a postgraduate course with an opportunity to defend a thesis competing for a scientific degree, the term of training is 3 years.

KhNMU has created all conditions for improving the professional level in the specialities acquired. The University departments have modern diagnostic and medical equipment and laboratories for researches. The most popular specialities include Surgery, Ophthalmology, Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Urology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, etc.

The work of a clinical postgraduate (resident) is carried on in compliance with the individual plan, which is devised and approved under the guidance of the head of a department or its professor, who is responsible for training of this resident, not later than one month after his/her enrolment. The plan envisages study of the basic speciality, a number of related clinical subjects, medical statistics, clinical biochemistry and pharmacology, medical genetics, etc.

Each specialist, who has finished his/her clinical postgraduate course, is awarded a Certificate of Specialized Training in Medicine (Residency) according to international standards and a Transcript to the above Certificate with indication of the numbers of hours in the studied subjects and grades for them. This Certificate gives the right to carry out all works, which are related to the speciality acquired.

Entry requirements

In order to enter Ukraine with the purpose of receiving higher education it is necessary to get a student’s visa in the Ukraine’s Embassy. The visa is granted on the basis of an invitation of the Ministry of Education and Science; this invitation is issued by the University in accordance with the established procedure. In order to receive the invitation it is necessary to submit an application and copies of the person’s passport and general certificate of secondary education.

Foreign citizens, who have complete upper secondary education, are admitted to the first year.

Candidates for training in the first year and at the Preparatory Department should submit the following papers:

1. Document, which confirms required qualification for studying at higher educational establishments: a general certificate of secondary education plus a transcript of subjects taken and grades awarded (biology, chemistry and physics are compulsory);

2. Birth certificate;

3. Medical certificate of health confirming ability of training under conditions of the climate in Ukraine and certified by an official health care authority of the country, where a foreigner has come from; the certificate should be issued not later than two months before the person’s arrival in Ukraine for studying;

4. Certificate evidencing absence of HIV-infection;

5. Insurance policy for giving emergency medical care;

6. 8 colour photos having the size of 3 x 4 cm;

7. return ticket valid for one year with an open date for the applicant’s return to his/her home country.

The documents set forth in paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4 shall be originals. If these papers are in English, French, German, Arabic or any other language but not Ukrainian or Russian, applicants should submit authorized translations of the documents into Ukrainian or Russian. The documents are to be certified pursuant to the legislation of the country of their origin and legalized pursuant to the established order, unless other ways are provided for by international agreements of Ukraine.

Foreign citizens are admitted to the first year of KhNMU by the Admissions Committee from August 15 to November 1. His/her papers having been checked, the Admissions Committee makes a decision to allow the foreigner to take interviews in biology and the Russian or English language. The knowledge is graded as “sufficient” or “insufficient”.

In accordance with the results of the interviews (provided the entrant’s level of knowledge is graded as “sufficient”) and on the basis of a decision of the Admissions Committee the entrant sets up a contract with the University for training. The student having paid his/her tuition fee, an order about the student’s enrollment to the University is issued.

Documents to a clinical postgraduate course (residency) are received from September 1 to October 20. The following papers are to be submitted:

1. Passport (an original and a copy);

2. Diploma of higher medical education and a transcript to it, legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Embassy of the graduate’s country in Ukraine;

3. 6 colour photos having the size of 2 x 3 cm;

4. Personal staff form (to be filled in personally);

5. Curriculum vitae.

A person, who wishes to undergo a clinical postgraduate course (residency), should take a speciality examination in order to assess his/her level of skill and knowledge in this medical occupation and his/her professional level as a medical specialist. The Ministry of health of Ukraine analyses the submitted papers and results of examinations, and after that gives its consent to enrollment.

In order to undergo a postgraduate course, foreigners should, in addition, submit a certificate of finishing a clinical postgraduate course (residency) in the proper speciality.

Faculties

• 7 faculties;
• Educational Research Institute for Postgraduate Training at Kharkiv National Medical University;
• Medical college;
• 2 research institutes: Research Institute of Occupational Hygiene and Occupational Diseases, Ukrainian Institute of Clinical Genetics;
• Central research laboratory;
• 4 research laboratories;
• Medical training and research unit of Kharkiv National Medical University “University Dental Centre”;
• Scientific-Practical Medical Centre of KhNMU.

Courses

• The training is given in the following specialties:
• General Medicine
• Dentistry
• Clinical postgraduate course (residency) lasting 2-4 years;
• Postgraduate course, the term of training is 3 years;

Faculty of Post Graduate Education:

• Radiology
• Therapy
• Dermatology and Venereology
• Infectious Diseases
• Neurology
• Pathological Anatomy
• Psychiatry
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Anaesthesiology
• Traumatology and Orthopaedics
• Ophthalmology
• Urology
• Surgery
• Pediatrics
• Childhood Gynaecology
• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Pediatric Surgery
• Hygiene of Children and Teenagers
• General Hygiene
• Public Hygiene
• Occupational Hygiene
• Cardiology
• Epidemiology
• Therapeutic Dentistry
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Orthopaedics
• Orthopaedic Dentistry
• Surgical Dentistry

Accommodation

Accommodation for the foreign students is provided by student hostels rated at 2,422 lodgers. In order to live at a hostel, the students must conclude a proper contract. This accommodation is available for the whole period of training. Hostel fees depend upon the size and comfort of the dwelling space.

The University Scientific-Practical Medical Centre provides medical care of students. The students regularly undergo prophylactic medical and photofluorographic examinations.

The students have meals at 2 canteens for 160 clients and 6 refreshment bars for 80 clients.

The students are provided with facilities for going in for sports. The University has 3 gymnasia (for games, gymnastics and heavy athletics).