Visit of the Head of Clinical Training Coordinators of Ukraine, Mykola Romanyshyn, as Part of “Improving Rehabilitation Services in the Health Care System” Project

On March 20-21, 2023, Mykola Romanyshyn, a physical therapist, head of clinical training coordinators of Ukraine visited Ternopil National Medical University as part of the project “Improving rehabilitation services in the health care system” implemented by Momentum Wheels for Humanity and JSI Research & Training Institute Inc. with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). TNMU is one of the representatives of five higher educational institutions of Ukraine involved in this project.
As part of the visit, on March 20, 2023, Mykola Romanyshyn met with Ternopil Medical University Rector Mykhaylo Korda, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work Arkadii Shulhai, Head of the Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physical Education Daria Popovych, Head of the Department of Medical Rehabilitation Ihor Mysula, Head of the Clinical/Educational Training in the specialty “Physical therapy, occupational therapy” Yurii Zavidniuk, Assistant Professor of the Department of Medical Rehabilitation, and Andriiy Havrylenko, clinical training coordinator, Assistant Professor of the Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physical Education.

During the meeting, the attendees discussed the regulations on clinical practice for students of the second (master’s) level of higher education, specialty 227 “Physical therapy, occupational therapy” of the training program “Physical therapy”, practice diaries “Clinical practice in physical therapy for injuries and activity disorders”, “Clinical practice in physical therapy for disorders of the nervous system (including organic lesions of the nervous system in children)”, “Clinical practice in physical therapy for disorders of the respiratory system”, “Clinical practice in physical therapy for disorders of the cardiovascular system”, as well as the issue of the organization of clinical practice in various fields, training of medical university teachers and supervisors of medical institutions, which this project provides.

During the training, physical therapists of medical institutions within the framework of the project will acquire the skills of a supervisor and apply the criteria for evaluating students of higher education, which are prescribed in the regulation. In addition, Mykola Romanyshyn announced that, according to the terms of this project, two assistive technologies offices will be implemented on the basis of the department of physical therapy, occupational therapy and physical education (preclinical practice office) at TNMU and an identical one on the basis of the Ternopil Regional Clinical Psychoneurological Hospital. Thanks to such offices, students of higher education will be able to practice practical skills on the basis of the department and improve them in the office of assistive technologies in the psychoneurological hospital during clinical practices.

During the meetings, special attention was paid to the organization of clinical practices and it was emphasized that the clinical practice of students of the Ternopil National Medical University is conducted on the bases of medical and rehabilitation institutions, which according to the standard of the second (master’s) level of higher education, specialty 227 ” Physical therapy, occupational therapy” meet the requirements of practice programs. The criteria for evaluating practical skills and results of clinical training for students of higher education of the second (master’s) level of higher education, which are covered in the regulations and diaries of practices, were also discussed and approved.

During Mykola Romanyshyn’s stay at TNMU, a meeting was held with the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Petro Lykhatskyi, the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Olha Sopel, the Head of the Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Education, Daria Popovych, and the coordinator of clinical practices, Andrii Havrylenko. During the meeting, there was a discussion on the training of clinical base supervisors for clinical practices of TNMU students and on ensuring control over the completion of these practices by students in specialty 227 “Physical therapy, ergotherapy”.

During the day, representatives of TNMU, Mykola Romanyshyn and acting head of the neurorehabilitation department of Ternopil Regional Clinical Hospital, physical therapist Petro Skobliak. In the course of the meeting, issues regarding the supervisors of this hospital, who will evaluate the clinical skills of those seeking higher education on the basis of this institution, were discussed.

Physical therapists of the neurorehabilitation department of the psychoneurological hospital will supervise students, which will strengthen the clinical component of the training program 227 “Physical therapy, occupational therapy”. By means of  this clinical training students will have the opportunity to practice with patients with various functional disorders.

The knowledge gained during training at the psychoneurological hospital (a branch of the department of physical therapy, occupational therapy and physical education is located in the physiotherapy department), as well as during clinical practices, will contribute to the improvement of the training program 227 “Physical therapy, occupational therapy” of the second (master’s) level of higher education and completion of clinical practices in accordance with the requirements of the Standard of the second (master’s) level of higher education, specialty 227 “Physical therapy, occupational therapy”.
The information was provided by Prof. Daria Popovych.