TNMU Teachers Took Part in Annual General Assembly of Endocrinology Section of European Union of Medical Specialists

On June 3-4, 2023, in Vilnius (Lithuania), the teachers of I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University, Associate Professor Lyudmyla Mazur and Professor Mariya Marushchak, took part in the annual general assembly of the endocrinology section of the UEMS (European Union of Medical Specialists), where they represented Ukraine on behalf of the All-Ukrainian Medical Society.

The participants of the general assembly were greeted by Mrs. Maeve Durkan (President), Professor Dalius Jatuzis (Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University) and Associate Professor Lina Zabuliene. Today, UEMS is working on the unification of requirements for narrow specialists, in particular endocrinologists, in the countries of the European Union. The goal is to implement a single standardized training system and a single exam that would allow endocrinologists to work in EU countries without additional qualification confirmation.

A meeting was held with the president of ESE (European Society of Endocrinologists), Professor Jerome Bertherat, who described the directions and prospects of ESE’s work, in particular, regarding the harmonization of undergraduate and postgraduate education in EU countries.

Representatives of the Royal College of Medicine of Ireland presented their project to provide an online test exam in endocrinology in the fall of 2023. The issue was widely discussed in the question/answer session, with a particular focus on the preparation of the exam by non-native endocrinologists, as well as the creation of a database of relevant tests for the exam.

Professor Hans Perrild presented an overview of undergraduate and postgraduate education in the 33 UEMS member countries. It is emphasized that doctors acquire broad specialization during their studies at universities. The duration of postgraduate education for obtaining a narrow specialization in endocrinology in different countries lasts from 4 to 7 years. The first two years of this period are residency in family or internal medicine; the longest part after passing the entrance exam is the residency in endocrinology itself.

The cultural program of the event included informal communication in the ancient capital of Lithuania, the city of Trakai. The days of the forum coincided with the Trakai Day holiday, and the participants had the opportunity to admire the laser show on this occasion. A sightseeing tour of the Old Town of Vilnius was conducted. A pleasant surprise for us was a visit during the excursion to the Trinity Church, the only one in Vilnius where services are conducted in Ukrainian.

During the entire time of the general assembly of the endocrinology section of the UEMS, and during the period of our stay in Lithuania, we felt the support of our country by all the members of the UEMS and ordinary Lithuanians.

The information was provided by Lyudmyla Mazur and Mariya Marushchak.