Professor Oksana Boiarchuk and Associate Professor Tetiana Kovalchuk Completed an Erasmus+ Traineeship at the Medical University of Warsaw
As part of the Erasmus+ KA1 academic mobility programme, two academic staff members of I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University completed professional traineeships at the Medical University of Warsaw. Professor Oksana Boiarchuk, Head of the Department of Paediatrics with Paediatric Surgery, and Associate Professor Tetiana Kovalchuk of the Department of Paediatrics No. 2 gained insight into advanced European approaches to paediatric healthcare and identified priority areas for future collaboration.
Professor Oksana Boiarchuk completed her traineeship from June 22 to 26, 2026, at the university’s clinical departments, including the Department of Respiratory Diseases and Allergology, headed by Professor Marek Kulus, and the Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, led by Professor Ernest Kuchar. During the visit, she participated in clinical ward rounds, multidisciplinary consultations, and discussions of complex clinical cases. She also became familiar with current protocols for managing children with bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, recurrent respiratory infections, and other respiratory disorders.
Particular attention was devoted to paediatric infectious diseases, including rational antibiotic therapy, strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance, and vaccination practices, especially immunisation of children with chronic illnesses and immunodeficiency disorders. Given Professor Boiarchuk’s research interests in clinical immunology and primary immunodeficiencies, special emphasis was placed on diagnostic algorithms for children with recurrent and severe infections, where repeated respiratory illnesses may indicate an underlying primary immunodeficiency.
Associate Professor Tetiana Kovalchuk completed her traineeship from June 29 to July 3, 2026, focusing on paediatrics and child psychiatry. The programme included participation in clinical ward rounds, multidisciplinary consultations, and the care of patients in a child psychiatry department. Particular attention was given to the integrative approach to diagnosing and treating psychosomatic disorders that often present with paediatric symptoms, as well as to contemporary protocols for managing children with anxiety and depressive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
During the traineeship, Tetiana Kovalchuk gained practical experience with modern psychodiagnostic methods and familiarised herself with current therapeutic approaches, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), family therapy, pharmacotherapy, and comprehensive rehabilitation programmes. Of particular value was the Medical University of Warsaw’s experience in providing care for children who have experienced traumatic events, especially refugees and internally displaced children from Ukraine.
The knowledge and practical skills acquired during the traineeships will be integrated into TNMU’s educational process, contributing to the further improvement of medical students’ training. The visit also resulted in agreements on continued cooperation with the Medical University of Warsaw in the fields of joint research, clinical projects, and educational initiatives.