Courses
About the university
I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University was founded in 1957 as a state medical school. Since 1994, it has held level IV accreditation, the highest level, and around 250 students from Poland also study there.
| Founded | April 12, 1957 |
|---|---|
| Accreditation | level IV, the highest level (since 1994) |
| Staff | 549 academic staff members |
| International students | 1,556 students from 53 countries (2019/2020 academic year) |
| Students from Poland | around 250 |
| Partner universities | 78 in Europe, the USA, Canada, and Asia |
| Class size | 8–12 students |
History
- April 12, 1957: the state medical school is founded.
- July 1, 1992: the university is named after its patron, Ivan Horbachevsky.
- 1994: level IV accreditation, the highest level.
- January 30, 1997: renamed the State Medical Academy.
- November 17, 2004: reorganized and renamed the State Medical University.
The first rector of the medical institute was Petro Ohiy, and the vice-rector was Arsen Martyniuk. By decision of the regional council, the institute received two teaching buildings and two dormitories, and its clinical base was the city hospital, which also served as the regional hospital. At the same time, construction began on a morphology building, a regional hospital, and another dormitory. The institute opened 19 departments with 66 lecturers, including 1 Doctor of Sciences and 17 PhD holders. Its researchers included Kostiantyn Kovanov, Rostyslav-Yuriy Komarovskyi, Anatoliy Lokay, Ivan Sytnyk, and Mykola Skakun.
When Ukraine regained its independence in 1991, new opportunities opened up for the university to develop, enter the market economy, and join the European education area. In a 2000 assessment of all universities with level IV accreditation, the university ranked second in Ukraine, after Kyiv.
In 2010–2011, the university renovated, equipped, and opened five academic teaching and training centers for primary health care in rural areas. In one of the villages, a pilot project for a teaching and training center for elderly care was also launched, based on the experience of training teachers at a university in the Netherlands.
Staff and students
Two-thirds of the 549 academic staff members are graduates of the university. Its 41 departments employ 86 Doctors of Sciences and professors and 297 PhD holders and associate professors, including 3 members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 9 honored scientists and engineers, 2 honored educators, a laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology, 2 honored inventors, and 3 honored doctors of Ukraine. Between 2002 and 2012, 58 Doctor of Sciences dissertations and 282 PhD dissertations were defended here.
In the 2019/2020 academic year, 1,556 students from 53 countries studied at the faculty for international students, 98% of them in English. Students from the United States, around 270 people, were the second-largest national group, and students from Nigeria, around 350 people, were the largest.
| Region | Share of international students |
|---|---|
| Africa | 48% (over 700 students) |
| Asia | 21% |
| United States | 16% |
| Europe | 15% |
Modern teaching
Following the example of American and European universities, new ways of organizing studies have been introduced: the one-day method, cycles of practical classes, knowledge assessment every semester at independent testing centers, and a teaching system modeled on the modern European system, completely different from the approaches used at other Ukrainian universities.
- The independent testing center has closed the door to corruption at the university.
- Lecturers have prepared 250 multimedia teaching discs with e-textbooks, science films, and tests.
- A computer-based system for remote knowledge checks and testing on the Moodle platform assesses students’ knowledge and preparation for classes.
- A special practical exam tests skills, not just knowledge.
The university has two academic councils where PhD and Doctor of Sciences dissertations are defended in 6 specialties. Every year, the university hosts national and international forums.
Cooperation
The university cooperates with 78 foreign universities in Europe, the USA, Canada, and Asia, as well as with international organizations:
- EUA (European University Association)
- Erasmus Mundus Medea and Erasmus+
- World Health Organization (WHO) and UNESCO
- ECFMG (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) and FAIMER Distance Learning
- European Resuscitation Council
- Horizon 2020, the framework program for research and innovation
- AIESEC and DAAD scholarships for developing countries
The university is a member of the International Scientific-Educational Innovative-Technological Consortium of universities. Its research cooperation with Wroclaw Medical University is particularly fruitful: together, the two universities carry out projects under the Polonez 1 and Polonez 2 programs. With the Pope John Paul II State School of Higher Education in Biała Podlaska, it conducts, among other things, clinical and laboratory research on the pathogen that causes Lyme disease in foresters and hunters from the Ternopil region and the Biała Podlaska area.
International summer schools
Every summer, the university organizes training sessions, excursions, and meetings at its “Red Viburnum” summer center.
Research facilities and classes
Research is carried out in five laboratories with state accreditation and qualification certificates. On August 7, 2008, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine designated the university in Ternopil as the lead institution supporting the universities under the ministry. The university has its own Congress Center, which hosts 30 national and international scientific meetings every year.
- Lectures are usually held in one of 10 large lecture halls with modern audio-video systems.
- Practical and laboratory classes are usually taught in groups of 8–12 students.
- Clinical training takes place at hospitals affiliated with the university.
- Departments are located in buildings in central Ternopil, and clinical departments are located in hospitals.
- Classes usually run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Lectures are given in English, Ukrainian, or Russian, depending on your choice.
