Internship Insights: Commonly Asked Questions and the Ministry of Health’s Responsibility
Each graduate of higher education institutions specializing in «Medicine», «Dentistry», «Pediatrics», «Medical psychology», and «Pharmacy, industrial pharmacy» is required to undergo a primary specialization called an internship. This preparation is essential for their future professional career as doctors and pharmacists.
The Ministry of Health is explaining the details of this year’s internship enrollment and addressing frequently asked questions. It is important to note that this year’s allocation for graduates is in the form of a budget, and the selection is based on their ranking, determined by the higher education institution. Graduates receiving state funding will be provided with a designated place to complete the educational part of their training at a university, as well as the practical part at an institution where intern doctors are trained. These institutions can be either communal or state-run healthcare facilities.
On the other hand, graduates under contract receive a certificate specifying their form of study. They are responsible for independently selecting the location of their internship, which is funded by individuals or legal entities. The selection is made through contracts for paid services between the higher education institution and the internship base, which can be a municipal, state, or private healthcare institution.
This year, it is expected that there will be a total of 4,331 graduates in all specialties. These graduates will be pursuing master’s degrees in medical specialties under the budgetary form of education. The training will be provided by 13 medical universities under the administration of the Ministry of Health. Additionally, the number of budget graduates from four universities under the administration of the Ministry of Education and Science will also be taken into account, amounting to 307 people.
Therefore, the overall number of graduates under the budgetary form of education this year will be 4,657. The distribution of these graduates among different specialties is as follows:
- 4,141 graduates with the specialty «Medicine» accounting for 89% of the total budget graduates;
- 302 graduates with the specialty «Pediatrics»;
- 137 graduates in the specialty «Dentistry»;
- 67 graduates in the specialty «Pharmacy»;
- 10 graduates in the specialty «Medical Psychology».
As for the specialties in which graduates can enter an internship, there have been expansions in opportunities for specialty 228 «Pediatrics» since last year. Graduates of this specialty can now choose from 12 internship specialties. Graduates of specialty 222 «Medicine» also have the option to enter internships in specialties such as «Pediatrics» and «Children’s Surgery». Additionally, graduates of specialty 224 «Technologies of Medical Diagnosis and Treatment» who have obtained the right can enter the internship specialty of «Laboratory Diagnostics, Virology, Microbiology». Presently, there are 23 internship specialties available.
To be considered a legitimate internship base for intern doctors, an institution must be included in the List of internship bases published on the official website of the Ministry of Health.
Currently, there are 1,695 healthcare institutions listed on the Ministry of Health’s website as internship bases. These institutions are categorized as follows:
Communal: 1,548
State: 114
Private: 33 (with an additional 30 applications currently under review)
There are specific requirements that these internship bases must meet, including:
- Accreditation Certificate: The base must possess an accreditation certificate of the first or higher category.
- Supervisors: Sufficient numbers of supervisors must be present at the base, who are doctors with at least the first qualification category or have a minimum of 7 years of work experience in the relevant specialty. The ratio of intern doctors to supervisors should not exceed 5 to 1.
- Medical Facilities: The base should have structural units that provide medical care to patients in various settings, such as inpatient, outpatient, laboratory, and diagnostic rooms. These facilities are necessary for completing the practical part of the training program for medical interns in their respective specialties.
- Medical Equipment and Products: Adequate medical equipment and other necessary medical products must be available at the base to facilitate the completion of the practical training program for intern doctors in their relevant specialties.
- Work Scope: The base should provide intern doctors with a scope of work that aligns with the internship training programs for specific specialties.
- Training Facilities: The base must have training facilities equipped with modern technical resources and provided with the necessary teaching and methodical materials to support the education and training of intern doctors.
These requirements ensure that the internship bases are capable of providing the necessary training and practical experience to intern doctors in their chosen specialties.