Pharmaceutical Education in Belarus

In our country there are two institutions of higher medical education, which train pharmacists: Vitebsk Medical University and, since 2011, Minsk Medical University. The pharmaceutical faculty of the VSMU was founded in 1959, and now it is the basis of Belarusian pharmaceutical education. Every year, more than 300 applicants enter both day-time and correspondence (extra-mural) department of the faculty.

To enter a pharmaceutical faculty applicants take written entrance tests in chemistry, biology, and Russian or Belarusian languages. The course of study lasts for five years. During the first two years pharmacy students study general subjects, such as botany, physiology, general chemistry, physics, etc. During the third, fourth, and fifth years they have classes in special sciences, like pharmacology, pharmacognosy, pharmaceutical chemistry, etc. Six special chairs function at the faculty: pharmacognosy and botany chair, practical pharmacy chair, organization and economy of pharmacy chair, pharmaceutical technology chair, toxicological and analytical chemistry chair and pharmaceutical chemistry chair.

Since 1999 12 optional courses have been introduced in the curriculum which contains all the basic and practical subjects necessary for the training of highly skilled pharmacists.

The students also have practical classes in laboratories, where they study physical and chemical properties of medicines. They acquire practical skills in botany and pharmacognosy at a large Botanical Station. Pharmaceutical students have practical training at chemist’s shops, where they learn to work as pharmacists. In the 5-th year the students defend a graduation thesis and take final state examinations consisting of a) test control, b) practical skills control, c) personal interview on theoretical problems.

80% of students are engaged in social activities and scientific research work. The students’ scientific societies play an important role in the training of young specialists. Every year joint conferences of young scientists and members of students’ scientific societies take place, collections of papers being published.

After graduation all pharmaceutical students have a period of internship, which lasts for one year. Here they specialize in the following pharmaceutical specialties: “pharmacy”, “clinical pharmacy”, “technology of pharmaceutical preparations”, and “organization and economy of pharmacy”.

At higher medical institutions of Belarus there is also postgraduate study as a form of training scientific and teaching specialists. Postgraduate education is not compulsory. The students study and write a thesis to get the Master’s Degree or the Candidate of Science Degree.

After completing the course of study at the pharmaceutical faculty graduates can work as managers, assistants, dispensing pharmacists or chemists-analysts at chemist’s shops, pharmaceutical plants or chemical laboratories.

Exercise 1. Fill in the gaps with the words and word combinations from the list.

the degree, take, specialize, higher medical institutions, completing, practical training, pharmaceutical plants, outlook, need, management, period of time, curriculum, influence

1. In our country there are … , which train pharmacists.

2. Pharmaceutical students have … at chemist’s shops.

3. Students … in four pharmaceutical specialties.

4. Applicants … written entrance tests in chemistry, biology and Russian or Belarusian.

5. Postgraduate students get the … of Candidate of Science.

6. After … the course of study graduates can work as managers, assistants or dispensing pharmacists.

7. The urgent … for pharmaceutical specialists led to the organization of the faculty.

8. The faculty trains professionals for chemist’s shops and ….

9. The … at the faculty consists of general and special subjects.

10. For a relatively short … all the necessary scientific and research facilities were created at the faculty.

11. The VSMU trains a new generation of pharmacists, with wide university … and knowledge of clinical presentation and pathology of the human body.

12. They master the mechanisms of drug’s … on the body.

13. Senior students study … and marketing of pharmacy.

Exercise 2. Fill in prepositions where necessary.

1. Organization and economy ... pharmacy is one of the subjects in the curriculum.

2. ... present there are six special chairs at the pharmaceutical faculty.

3. The course of study lasts ... five years.

4. The curriculum at the faculty consists ... many subjects.

5. The faculty trains students ... different countries of the world.

6. The students master the mechanisms of drug influence ... the body.

7. Radiation pharmacology is of primary significance ... our country today.

8. During the third, fourth, and fifth years students have classes ... special sciences.

9. ... graduation all pharmaceutical students have a period of internship, which lasts for one year.

10. Here students specialize ... several pharmaceutical specialties.

11. Half ... all the foreign students getting education in our country study medicine.

12. Nearly 300 applicants enter both day-time and correspondence department … the faculty each year.

13. ... higher medical institutions of Belarus there is also postgraduate study as a form of training scientific and teaching specialists.

Exercise 3. Replace the underlined words with their synonyms:

various, broad, crucial, experts, continues, pharmacies, effect, opportunities, prepares, comparatively, medications, comprises, significant, views, learn, mandatory, establishments, drugs, level, finishing, directors, instruct, learn, qualities, drugstores, system, undergraduates, pharmaceutists

1. The urgent need for specialists, who can solve the most important social problems of providing the people of Belarus with medicines, led to the organization of the pharmaceutical faculty at our university.

2. The faculty trains professionals for chemist’s shops and pharmaceutical plants as well as scientists of different branches.

3. The curriculum at the faculty consists of many subjects.

4. For a relatively short period of time all the necessary scientific and research facilities were created at the faculty.

5. The course of study lasts for five years.

6. The VSMU trains a new generation of pharmacists, with wide university outlook and knowledge of clinical presentation (демонстрация случая) and pathologies of the human body.

7. The students master the mechanisms of drug influence on the body.

8. There is a wide network of medical institutions, which train pharmacists.

9. During the first two years students study general subjects.

10. Students study physical and medical properties of medicines.

11. After completing the course of study graduates work as managers, assistants, dispensing pharmacists.

12. Pharmaceutical students have practical training at chemist’sshops.

13. Postgraduate study is not compulsory.

Exercise 4. Match each word from column A with its opposite from column B.

Exercise 5. Give English equivalents to the next word combinations:

Дневное отделение; заочное отделение; высшее медицинское образование; письменные вступительные тесты; курс обучения; общеобразовательные предметы; специальные предметы; токсикологическая и аналитическая химия; учебный план; высококвалифицированный специалист; практическая подготовка; физические и лечебные свойства; дипломная работа; элективный (факультативный) курс; государственные экзамены; научно-исследовательская работа; студенческое научное общество; сборник научных докладов; фармацевтические специальности; последипломное обучение; писать диссертацию; степень кандидата наук.

Exercise 6. Answer the following questions.

1. What higher medical institutions of our country train pharmacists?

2. What entrance tests do the applicants take?

3. Where do the students have practical training?

4. Where do the students have practical classes?

5. What is internship?

6. What pharmaceutical specialties do you know?

7. What does the final state examination consist of?

8. What is postgraduate study?

9. Where can graduates work after completing their study?

Exercise 7. Correct the statements below.

1. Applicants take oral exams to enter pharmaceutical faculties.

2. Students have practical classes at chemist’s shops.

3. Students study pharmacology and pharmacognosy during the second year of study.

4. Students specialize in pharmaceutical specialties during the last year of study.

5. In laboratories students study pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, and technology of pharmaceutical preparations.

6. Every student of pharmacy takes a postgraduate course.

Exercise 8. Read the text and say about: a) the semester system; b) the examination period; c) the subjects studied in the first and second years; d) practical training. Retell this text.

The University training course for full-time students lasts for 5 years. The semester system divides the academic year into two almost equal terms of approximately 18 weeks each. During a semester students must attend lectures and practical classes and prepare for them regularly, participate actively in seminars, fulfill written assignments, do laboratory works. At the end of each semester students take examinations. The examinations period lasts approximately for 3 weeks.

The first two years of University studies are to give students a sound background for obtaining their professional knowledge. So, first- and second-year students take classes in a number of general and basic subjects. They also study social sciences and foreign languages. Later, usually beginning with the third year, students take classes in their special subjects and are engaged in practical training in the field of their specialization. Professional skills are acquired at the laboratories and the practical work at the chemists’ of Vitebsk and other towns.