CC BY
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027.561 https://doi.Org/10.26641/2307-0404.2019.l.162174
THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING HISTORY OF MEDICINE AND LANGUAGE TRAINING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES OF MEDICAL STUDENTS
SE «Dnipropetrovsk medical academy of Health Ministry of Ukraine»
Department of social medicine, organization and health administration
Language training department
V. Vernadsky str., 9, Dnipro, 49044, Ukraine
ДЗ «Днтропетровська медична академiя МОЗ Укра'ши»
кафедра соцiальноï медицини, оргашзаци та уnравлiння охороною здоров 'я
кафедра мовно'1' пiдготовки
вул. В. Вернадського, 9, Днтро, 49044, Украша
e-mail: [email protected]
Цитування: Медичт перспективы. 2019. Т. 24, № 1. С. 31-34 Cited: Medicni perspektivi. 2019;24(1):31-34
Key words: history of medicine, language training, humanism, medical students Ключовi слова: iсторiя медицини, мовна тдготовка, гуманiзм, студенти-медики Ключевые слова: история медицины, языковая подготовка, гуманизм, студенты-медики
Abstract. The importance of studying history of medicine and language training for the development of professional competencies of medical students. Semyonova L.S., Klimenko I.N. This article shows the importance of studying history of medicine and importance of language training as an essential component of broadening of universal cultural and medical outlook ofprospective doctors, upbringing of high moral ethical qualities inherent to a contemporary doctor. The authors of the article propose measure on improving teaching of these disciplines.
Реферат. Важливкть вивчення кторп медицини та мовноТ пщготовки для розвитку професшних компетенцш студен^в-медишв. Семенова Л.С., Клименко 1.М. Ця стаття розкривае значення вивчення iсторii медицини та значення мовно1 пiдготовки як важливого компонента розширення загальнокультурного i медичного кругозору майбутшх лiкарiв, виховання в них високих морально-етичних якостей, ят повиннi бути притамант сучасному лiкарю. Автори статтi пропонують заходи щодо вдосконалення викладання цих дисциплт студентам-медикам.
"One of the essential qualities of the clinician is interest in humanity, as the secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient" Frances Weld Peabody (1881-1927)
УДК 378.091.5:61(091)+811:614.253.4-
L.S. Semyonova, I.N. Klimenko
The national education system conveys principles of humanism and cultural diversity. Radical changes being introduced in Ukrainian higher medical education have been triggered by the process of the country's integration into European Community, this implies greater mobility for students, more effective international communication, better access to information and deeper mutual understanding. In today's times health departments are required to train highly skilled doctors of medicine, who are able to solve medical issues at the highest level, to be competitive in the European market. On the other hand, rapid development in medicine and its technological equipment require a high rate of knowledge renewal in order to address the problems of humanity and morality.
For the sake of training professional doctors with high moral qualities it is important to understand the best achievements of the world in this field [7, 10, 11].
By studying the life and work of outstanding professionals in the world of medical science students will acquire not only special knowledge but form themselves as individuals focusing on the best of human qualities and values,therefore such humanitarian subjects as History of Medicine and Language Training provide not only medical information, but has a great educational value.
In order to study the general knowledge of students about medical scientists and value orientation of future doctors, a survey was conducted among the students of the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 6th course (total of 205 students) of the SE "Dnipropetrovsk Medical Academy of the Health Ministry of Ukraine". Analysis of the motivations of professional choice showed that they are different, depending on the year and faculty of study. For the 1st year students, the main reasons for choosing the
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medical profession were the desire to help people and oneself, contribute to the development of medicine, and lastly, to earn well. Students of the 3rd year of dentistry showed mostly material motives for choosing the profession, prestige, the ability to financially help parents and then the desire to treat people. In the senior students, 4th and 6th year of study in general medicine, among motives for choosing the profession, self-reliance, independence, be beneficial to the society and to earn well prevail. Through the chosen profession students want to become skilled practitioners, to assert themselves in the society, to get a good social status.
The above-mentioned results confirm the ones in the following questionnaire: "What qualities should a modern doctor have?". Most respondents of all courses of study answered that physician must be a skilled practitioner. But at the same time, students of general medicine more often note the need of such humane qualities as empathy, mercy, patience, tolerance and selflessness for a doctor. This indicates that it is advisable to further strengthen educational work among students to form personality of a modern doctor of full value.
Analysis of students' knowledge about domestic medical scientists showed that 29% of those asked named N.I. Pirogov, 27% named N.M. Amosov, 25% - I.I. Mechnikov. It is important to note that a similar survey conducted among the applicants of the same academy in the year 1991 showed that although priorities were given to the same scientists, a much larger percentage of respondents marked them as well-known, which indicated their better knowledge already at the pre-university level. N.I. Pirogov was mentioned by 72% of respondents, N.M. Amosov - by 57%, I.I. Mechnikov - by 53%. On the one hand, these results can be explained by a decrease in the level of preparedness of applicants, students-to-be; on the other hand, a decrease in the prestige of the medical profession, uncertainty in finding a well-paid job in the future. Besides, applicants present results of admission tests to a number of institutions of higher education and not only to medical ones, so those who didn't initially strive for becoming a doctor could become medical students.
The authors of this article share the opinion of specialists that the teaching of history of medicine in medical schools of Ukraine is not at the proper level.
In Ukraine, there is neither a university nor department of History of Medicine. This course is taught by lecturers of different disciplines who take it as an extra work, extra teaching load to be fully engaged with pedagogical load. Such teachers do not have the chance to improve their qualifications, since specialized departments are not available for
postgraduate studies. These teachers do not conduct research in the field of the history of medicine and often perceive this discipline as a temporary or secondary load [2]. It is worth mentioning that since 1993, the number of academic hours for studying history of medicine subject in the 1st course is constantly decreasing. Currently, it is only 20 hours (5 lectures and 5 seminars). In comparison, in neighboring Belarus - 18 lectures, 12 seminars and in Russia - 21 lectures, 51 seminars [4, 5]. How can a medical student of the 1st course master the subject with such a curriculum? Most likely not, if we take into consideration insufficient performance level of candidates applying to medical establishments.
The questions of humanitarian content are constantly being discussed with the students of the 1st and 2nd course at the language training department while studying life and professional activity of representatives of world science and culture. At each lesson in the Latin language and fundamentals of medical terminology taught to domestic and foreign students teachers of the department pay special attention to the section of the textbook entitled "Do you know that"... which deals with some historical and cultural events connected with medical science [3]. It is natural that humanitarian material is introduced into the course of medical Latin, despite its short duration and purely professional terminological orientation. The modern scientific terminology, its medical subdivision in particular, reflects centuries-old history of medicine. It is a general knowledge that about three-fourths of our medical terminology is of Greek origin. The first reason is that the Greeks were the founders of rational medicine in the golden age of Greek civilization in the V-th century B.C.
After all, the medical profession, the object of which is a person, obliges Hippocrates' servants to possess arte humanitate, labore et scientia. Humanitas includes not only humanity and compassion, but also a certain level of culture, intelligence and education. A significant part of the humanitarian material introduced in the Latin language classes in our department is devoted to Latin sayings and proverbs with the aim to acquaint students with ancient social order and philosophy consists of words and expressions of ancient origin: "apple of discord", "Achilles heel", "Medusa's head". However, not everyone can accurately understand the meaning of the phrase because they are not familiar with the samples and characters of ancient mythology, episodes of history, and the details of the life of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Those of the words that have entered the professional language of the medical profession, especially require qualified
commentary by teachers of the Latin language -"uranism", "Herostratism", etc.
Medical students like most of the learners of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) face today the necessity of a good knowledge of English to be able to use it practically in the field of work. Topic areas, situations and text types should be specified according to job-related academic and/or professional needs and contexts. Students of medicine should be able to deal with patients at clinics and hospitals and take part in meetings and conferences on topics related to medicine, etc. [1, 8].
For practical possessing of a foreign language, obtaining the necessary information from special literature in a foreign language, in classrooms in the English language students are proposed original medical articles or abstracts from original English and American novels: "The Citadel" by A.J. Cronin, "The Final Diagnosis" by A.Hailey, "The Summing Up" by W.S.Maugham, "Medicine" by A. Walker, etc. [1].
Thus, humanitarian disciplines and language training play an important role in the formation of professional competencies of future doctors, contribute to the accumulation of special medical knowledge and develop the ability to put those into practice, and also form the personality of the future doctor based on principles common to humanity.
In order to improve the effectiveness of teaching these disciplines in medical universities, to improve the quality of professional training of future doctors, to form a worldview of a contemporary physician it is necessary to:
- improve occupational guidance for prospective students, especially in specialized schools, medical colleges and medical lyceums;
- acquaint students with the peculiarities of the medical profession by the examples of famous public figures of medical science and practice;
- increase interest in history of medicine and language training among medical students by improving the forms and methods, conducting extracurricular work - conferences, olympiads, term papers, etc. A better preparation and selection of qualified teachers is a topical issue;
- emphasize more on historical aspects during students' training at clinical departments;
- include history of medicine and the historical methods in the work programs when studying specialized medical disciplines;
- develop and implement elective courses with humanitarian content at the language training departments of medical establishments.
REFERENCES
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Стаття надшшла до редакцп 08.02.2019
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