Dr. Brown: Would you tell us, please, how your students are instructed? Dean: The instruction at higher schools is given through lectures, group instruction and practical classes.…

Dr. Brown: Would you tell us, please, how your students are instructed? Dean: The instruction at higher schools is given through lectures, group instruction and practical classes. Dr. Scott: Is the attendance at lectures and classes voluntary? Dean: No, it is compulsory for everyone. Dr. Conroy: How is the students' knowledge checked? Dean: Our academic year begins on September, 1 and is divided into 2 terms of 4 months each. At the end of each term the students have to pass a number of exams. Dr. Brown: We should like to know something about your medical curriculum, if we may. Dean: Well, the course of study lasts 6 years and covers basic pre-clinical and clinical subjects. In the pre-clinical years the curriculum is uniform for the students of the medical, preventive medicine, dental and pediatric faculties. During the first 2 years students study physics, general, organic, inorganic, and biological chemistry. They also study human anatomy, physiology, histology, microbiology, Latin, a foreign language, and philosophy. Beginning with the third year special clinical subjects are introduced - all branches of internal medicine, surgery, gynaecology, obstetrics, ophthalmology, infectious diseases and others. At the end of the third year students take a six-week practical course. They perform the duties of nurses. After their fourth year students take another practical course during which they are exposed to direct doctor-patient communication at the department of internal diseases as well as at the surgical department, and the department of obstetrics and gynaecology. Working as doctor's assistants, students master a definite number of medical and diagnostic procedures. Senior students also do a practicum in out-patient clinics. They have to attend lectures, seminars, and clinical conferences as well. Dr. Conroy: Dr. Ivanov, you've told us about undergraduate clinical training in the Medical Faculty. How does the training course at a medical school end? And what about specialization? Dean: You see, in our country graduate medical students take a final state examination which includes theoretical questions in internal diseases, surgery, and obstetrics and gynaecology, as well as in clinical cases. The graduates also have to demonstrate their practical skills. Those who have passed the examination receive the diploma, which certifies them as doctors. Having received a diploma they may either take a one-year internship course qualifying them as general practitioners (GPs), or a 2-year residency course qualifying them as narrow specialists. Dr. Brown: Dr. Ivanov, would you kindly tell us what facilities your doctors have for specialization? Dean: Interns and residents work under the direct supervision of experienced specialists in clinics and in major hospitals. Medical graduates can also apply for the post-graduate training. They do research into one of the important problems of modern medicine, write a thesis, and finally obtain an academic degree of Candidate of Medical Science.