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This was discussed at an information event for scientists, researchers, and innovators in the healthcare sector. The event was organized by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the National Research Foundation of Ukraine, and the Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine.

During the meeting, the participants discussed the modernization of medical training at the undergraduate and postgraduate stages, the conditions for admission to universities, a comprehensive improvement of the internship model in 2024, cooperation with the NHSU to involve university hospitals and university clinics in the program of state guarantees of medical care for the population from 2025, and the involvement of innovations in the healthcare sector through participation in grant programs, in particular, the Horizon Europe framework program.

“Reforming the healthcare system and bringing it closer to the best international standards is impossible without changing approaches to medical education and science development. European universities that train doctors are the main bases of scientific research in the medical field, which further form the basis for making management decisions of state institutions that formulate relevant policies. They, together with specialized associations, develop modern treatment protocols and standards. All of this together ensures high quality medical care both in terms of the qualifications of specialists and scientific approaches. This should be the case in Ukraine as well,” said Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health of Ukraine. “Last year, Ukraine joined the EU4Health program on equal terms with EU countries. This means that Ukrainian scientists can receive grants for research, just like their European counterparts. Instead of looking for work opportunities abroad, Ukrainian scientists and researchers have gained access to a powerful resource through grant programs that allows them to implement their ideas and projects in Ukraine. Another important aspect of improving the quality of education is the optimization of medical universities. Medical education must be combined with practical skills and science.”

The participants of the event also discussed the issue of attracting innovations in the healthcare sector through the European Union’s Horizon Europe framework program for research and innovation, which is envisaged for 2021-2027.

This will facilitate the implementation of scientific and innovative projects and Ukraine’s integration into the EU and the European research area. Thanks to the grant programs, Ukrainian doctors and scientists will be able to work on projects and implement them in Ukraine.

In addition, the participants of the meeting discussed the training of healthcare professionals, both at the undergraduate and postgraduate stages. Another important issue was the improvement of the internship model and the conditions for admission to universities in 2024.

In particular, they discussed draft amendments to the current Regulation on Internships that would improve the existing model. The main changes include the following points:

• expanding the number of healthcare facilities where interns will be employed and trained;
• a mandatory requirement to conclude an agreement with the NHSU for healthcare facilities that provide services under the medical guarantees program and have positions of interns;
• a specialist doctor who has completed an internship at the expense of the state budget is provided with a job in accordance with their specialty and rating distribution in the healthcare facility to which they were assigned;
• in the absence of employment opportunities in a given healthcare institution, the healthcare department should provide a vacant position for a doctor in another institution;
• rating distribution of graduates, etc.

It should be noted that this week, draft amendments to the current Regulation on Internships will be submitted for public discussion.

As for the conditions of admission to universities in 2024, the main ones are as follows:

• passing the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT) remains a mandatory component of admission to higher education institutions;
• The NMT will consist of four subjects: three are compulsory and one is optional. The new subjects are Ukrainian literature and geography. Applicants can also use the NMT for 2022-2023 in three subjects or the 2021 EIT;
• for admission to the art and sports specialty, NMT and a creative/physical ability competition are taken.

Another priority for the Ministry of Health is to improve the educational process in higher education institutions and use the potential of existing university clinics and clinical bases while creating modern multidisciplinary university hospitals.

After all, such hospitals are educational, scientific and clinical centers where students and interns can more effectively learn practical skills and improve their competence. Currently, the Ministry of Health is actively working to establish university hospitals at each higher education institution.

According to experts, despite the difficult times for the Ukrainian healthcare system, the medical industry is developing, modernizing and responding promptly to the challenges posed by the full-scale war.