Tbilisi State Medical University: Steps Towards European Recognition

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Tbilisi State Medical UniversitySteps Towards
European Recognition
Professor Giorgi Menabde, Rector of the Tbilisi
State Medical University Professor Gaiane
Simonia Head of the Department of Strategic
Development
Trondheim, 2007
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• Medical Education Reform
• in Georgia

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Medical Education Reform in Georgia

• Prehistory
• During Soviet time higher educational system
  including medical education was totally isolated
  from the rest of the world usually after 6
  years of study and one year internship graduates
  were allowed to work independently
• Postgraduate training in different specialties
  lasted 3-6 months.

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Medical Education Reform in Georgia

• Post-Soviet Period (prior to the reform)
• Existence of 57 medical schools (mostly private)
  in the country (in Soviet Georgia there was only
  one- Tbilisi State Medical University) with very
  low quality of teaching
• Absence of any process of monitoring/evaluation
  of medical schools.

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Medical Education Reform in Georgia

• Goal
• Transition from the old Soviet style to the
  medical education corresponding to the modern
  international standards

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Medical Education Reform in Georgia
Conceptual and Legislative Basis of the Reform

• Georgian Law on Higher Education (2004)
• Georgian Law on Physician Professional Activity
  (2001)
• WFME Global Standards (2003)

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Medical Education Reform in Georgia
Integration of Georgia In Bologna Process
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Medical Education Reform in Georgia
Joining Bologna Process (2005)
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• Medical Education Reform
• and Tbilisi State Medical University

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Medical Education Reformand Tbilisi State
Medical University

• Founded 80 years ago Tbilisi State Medical
  University (TSMU) has been one of the
  high-ranking higher educational institutions in
  the whole Caucasus region.
• 4200 students, of them 300 overseas students
• and about 2000 Residents
• TSMU encompasses three steps of medical education
  basic, 1 year internship, postgraduate
  (residency) and continuous professional
  development

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Medical Education Reformand Tbilisi State
Medical University

• TSMU was listed in WHO World Directory of Medical
  Schools
• TSMU was one of the first among the Post-Soviet
  countries participating in the EC project on
  Quality Culture, and underwent external
  evaluation process by EUA experts (2002-2003)
• TSMU has got 5 years (2006-2011) full National
  institutional accreditation

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Medical Education Reformand Tbilisi State
Medical University

• TSMU has established close partnership with WHO
  and WFME hosted WHO/WFME National Meeting on
  ECTS implementation issues in December 2006
• TSMU delegation participated in WHO/WFME Study
  Tour on OSCE in May, 2007 which was held in
  Copenhagen.
• This year TSMU became MEDINE member.

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What has been done

• Elaboration of the New Concept of Medical
  Education in Georgia
• Renewal of the List of Specialties
• Initiative regarding creation of the Law on
  Medical Education.

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What has been done

• Integration of the fundamental biomedicine and
  clinical subjects
• Development of research based clinical methods
• Reducing students groups (in average 10 students
  per professor)
• Introduction of ECTS
• New assessment system
• Increased emphasis on health promotion and
  disease prevention

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What has been done

• Bachelors programme (Pharmacy, Public Health)
• Masters programme (Pharmacy, Public Health)
• Doctorate Programs (for all faculties)

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Current Curriculum

• Length - 6 years 360 ECTS credits (5500
  teaching hours)
• Curriculum model discipline based, partially
  integrated
• Stages of study
• 2 years basic,
• 1 year preclinical,
• 3 years clinical
• Academic year 2 terms 18 weeks per term
• Obligatory and elective disciplines

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Main Principles of Curriculum Renewal
Student- oriented
Teacher oriented
Discipline based
Problem based
Community based
Hospital based
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Organizational structure
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Organizational structure

• Schools
• Medicine
• Stomatology
• Nursing
• Public Health
• Pharmacy
• Institute
• Postgraduate and Continuing Medical
• Education

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Much progress over the last year a lot ahead

• Further development of curriculum
• Integration of Research courses in teaching
  process
• Development of information technologies and their
  active use in teaching and learning process
• Increase mobility of students and academic staff
• Introducing OSCE

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• Why TSMU needs European recognition?

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Achievement of European Recognition

• Georgia has been a member of European Council
• Increasing number of overseas students
• Increased mobility of students and academic
  staff
• Joining Bologna
• Enhance quality of teaching and learning

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Achievement of European Recognition

• Establishment of regional accreditation
  system/body in Caucasus region (Georgia, Armenia,
  Azerbaijan), based on WFME standards and
  accreditation guidelines would be important step
  towards European/International accre-ditation and
  recognition.

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Thank You For Your Attention!