State Certification of Graduates of the Public Health Program

This year, for the fourth time, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University held the state certification of graduates of the educational and professional program “Public Health”, specialty 229 “Public Health”, at the second (master’s) level of higher education. The certification took place in the form of the Unified State Qualification Exam “Krok 2” and a public defense of qualification theses. The Krok 2 exam was held on May 6, while the public defense of qualification theses took place on June 16–17, 2025. A total of 28 theses were submitted by full-time and part-time students, along with 4 theses from international students.

The chair of the examination board, Professor Olena Lototska from the Department of General Hygiene and Ecology, gave the opening remarks and officially launched the session. The master’s theses were presented by Professor Nataliia Terenda from the Department of Public Health and Human Resources Management, who is also the guarantor of the educational program.

The thesis defense was attended by examiners – Associate Professors Olha Sopel, Kostiantyn Pashko, and Yurii Petrashyk – along with scientific supervisors of the qualification papers. Associate Professor Nataliia Panchyshyn from the Department of Public Health and Human Resources Management served as the secretary of the certification board.

Active participation in the defense was also taken by Dr. Oksana Chaichuk, a member of the examination board and Director General of the State Institution “Ternopil Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine,” who also serves as the Chief Sanitary Doctor of Ternopil Region.

In their research, the master’s students explored various aspects of public health, including factors influencing population health and strategies for improvement. Their theses addressed topics such as the epidemiology of leading infectious and non-infectious diseases in Ukraine and globally, determinants of health, public health marketing and communication, and health promotion. The presented works sparked genuine interest and led to active discussions among members of the examination board, academic staff, and attendees.

All defended theses were scientifically sound, relevant, and included practical recommendations for implementation in the public health system. As a result, all graduates received good or excellent grades.

Based on the results of the state certification, positive trends in the quality of thesis writing and presentation were identified, along with certain shortcomings. These will be addressed by academic supervisors and future candidates in preparation for the next state certification.