Eng
Eng
The Department of Pharmacology of the Medical Faculty of Novorossiysk University, the predecessor of the modern Odessa National Medical University, was established in May 1902. Since its foundation, the department has been headed by Professor Petro Yakovlevych Borisov, a student of I.P. Pavlov, I.M. Sechenov, S.P. Botkin, I.R. Tarkhanov and others. Later the department was headed by the following scientists – professors D.M. Lavrov, S.V. Tsyganov, Ya.B. Moksymovych, V.Yo. Kresiun. Now the department is called “Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy”, about what the department is today, wa told by Professor of the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy, Doctor of Medicine, Professor Antonenko P.B.
What are the main scientific directions? Do many associate professors and professors work at the department?
Employees of the department in their work combine teaching and research. The main attention of the staff is focused on preclinical study of new complex metal compounds (created by the team of Professor I.I. Seifullina, ONU named after I.I. Mechnikov), genetic patterns of development and treatment of such socially significant diseases as tuberculosis, viral hepatitis B (in collaboration with the Odessa regional center of socially significant diseases and the Odessa city infectious hospital). Today classes in the discipline of “pharmacology” are conducted by 2 professors, 2 associate professors, 1 senior teacher and 6 assistants. 75% of teachers of the department have a scientific degree – doctor or candidate of medical sciences. Two dissertation works are being written at the department. At this time the department is being reorganized, a new department of pharmacology and pharmacognosy is being formed.
What achievements of the department can be noted in recent years?
One of the most important indicators of the effectiveness of teachers of the department is the success of students in passing the license exam KROK-1 (analog of EIT for students of medical and pharmaceutical universities) in the discipline “pharmacology”. Thanks to the diligent work of the teachers of the department for the last five or seven years, the students of the university receive the highest scores in our discipline, and this is observed in all faculties of our university. To teach the material in practical classes and lectures, the staff use an individual approach to each student. Modern aspects of disease treatment are also considered in the classes. The catchphrase “Student is not a vessel to be filled, but a torch to be lit” is the motto of the teachers of the Department of Pharmacology. It is nice to note that according to the results of a survey of university students in 2019, two teachers of the department were among the top ten teachers of ONMedU. Employees of the department regularly participate in writing national textbooks on pharmacology, constantly updating textbooks. Almost half of the teaching staff of the department have passed the cycle of advanced training during the last academic year. Particular attention is paid to teaching the subject to foreign students, in particular in English. Approximately 82% of the teaching staff have completed English language courses with subsequent certification of knowledge at the level of B2 and above, which gives them the opportunity to teach pharmacology in English.
The second important aspect of the work of our teaching staff is scientific activity. One of the indicators of the success of such work is the publication of research results in scientometric journals, primarily available in the databases Scopus, Web of Science, Pubmed. Every second lecturer of the department has scientific publications in the journals of the Scopus database. Over the past twenty years, the department has completed and successfully defended several dozen dissertations, employees of the department take an active part in the work of scientific journals ONMedU (work in the journal, reviewing articles). The department supports scientific cooperation with medical and scientific institutions of both Ukraine and foreign countries (Poland, Spain).
In your opinion, does Odessa National Medical University provide quality education?
I am sure that students get a good education while studying at ONMedU, which is confirmed by excellent results in passing the license exams KROK-1,2,3, as well as the successful employment of graduates in the field of health care after graduation. In addition, graduates of our university confirm the level of their knowledge in the field of health care in countries of almost all continents – Eurasia, America, Australia. The reform of the national health care system, the transition to international protocols for the diagnosis and treatment of patients make new demands on the quality and methods of teaching. University staff are successfully responding to these challenges and bringing teaching and research closer to today’s realities. Teachers and students of ONMedU have successfully adapted to conducting classes online, due to quarantine. This includes conducting online lectures and workshops, taking final exams and solving test tasks.
Is ONMedU different from other higher medical educational institutions in the country?
ONMedU is the flagship of medical and pharmaceutical education in the Northern Black Sea region. It was at our university that teaching in English was introduced for the first time in Ukraine among medical universities. Also, for the first time, the clinical bases of the university in the form of a University Clinic were recreated. The departments of the university combine the experience of the older generation of teachers with the initiative and mobility of the younger generation. The university conducts systematic professional orientation work among school graduates. The administration of the university makes significant efforts to prepare students for the licensing exams KROK-1,2,3 – this is the creation of educational databases of tests available to students online and offline; establishment and development of the university center for knowledge quality assessment, organization of simulation medicine classes. Thanks to all these measures, the results of writing license exams KROK-1,2,3 by university students have significantly increased. Gradually, the paper circulation of documents at the university is being replaced by electronic and digital media (elements of “digitalization”). The university has reconstructed the main building, the scientific library and a large part of the anatomical building of the university. The student library building was built and put into operation. At present, repairs and upgrades of equipment in several clinical buildings of the university are underway, and a research institute of Translational Medicine has been established. Honorary professors of our university are many famous scientists, including Nobel laureates. All this explains the leading position of ONMedU among medical and pharmaceutical universities of Ukraine.
In your opinion, did the situation in 2018 affect the life of the university?
I believe that the events of 2018 had negative consequences on the work of the team and the reputation of the university. The normal work of the university and the staff was restored thanks to the consistent work of the administration and the team headed by Acting Rector Professor Vustyan Ruslan Sergeevich, thanks to the efforts of the Chairman of the Academic Council of the University, Academician Valerii Mykolaiovych Zaporozhan and many others. The legal assessment of the events of 2018 at our university has been repeatedly presented by representatives of the current administration, as well as reflected in numerous court decisions, with which I certainly agree.
How do you assess the rectorship of Zaporozhan Valerii Mykolayovych?
Definitely positive. From the hands of Valerii Mykolayovych, I once received a specialist diploma with honors, a doctor of medical sciences and a professor’s certificate. Under the leadership of Academician Valerii Mykolayovych Zaporozhan, the university introduced the teaching of medicine, dentistry, and later pharmacy in English, established a university clinic, rebuilt the university campus, created classes of simulation medicine and the Institute of Translational Medicine, our university was awarded the status of “national” University. I am convinced that these vectors of development must be continued.
This year ONMedU is 120. What are you proud of?
Of course, we have something to be proud of. At the origins of our medical university were such famous professors as V.V. Piodvysotskii, O.O. Bogomolets, D.K. Zabolotnyi. World-renowned scientists with experience in foreign laboratories were invited to head the departments. Later, the university clinics were headed by well-known doctors and scientists M.D. Strazhesko, F.G. Yanovsky, M.O. Yasinovsky, V.P. Filatov and many others. Today our university is a leading medical university, a member of the International and European Association of Universities. Today, more than 7,000 students and trainees study at 7 faculties and 63 departments. The educational process is provided by more than 1000 teachers. The university has 12 educational buildings with a unique material and technical base, which guarantees the introduction of modern achievements of medical science in the educational process and medical practice. For example, it is a question of minimally invasive methods of treatment, transplantology, individual treatment taking into account genetic features of patients. Unique scientific and medical departments, own dental and multidisciplinary university clinics, etc. have been created. There is a modern publishing and printing complex, thanks to which the university independently publishes textbooks for university students, edits and publishes four scientific journals. At the same time, the requirements for the field of medical education and medicine in general are becoming more complicated every day, which requires further progressive development of ONMedU, but this is also within the power of the university staff.
What are your plans for the new school year?
In the new academic year the staff of the department will work on intensification of research work, planning new and working on current dissertations, raising the level of qualification, obtaining the degree of candidate and professor of medical sciences by employees, publishing research results in scientific journals, including foreign ones.
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