BASIC PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICIAN EDUCATION AT THE INTERNSHIP STAGE

Abstract

Abstract. For many years, the organization of the national system of medical education focused on the biomedical model of health and concentrated mainly on ensuring the normal functioning of the human body. The emergence and development of family medicine in Ukraine on the basis of a holistic approach in working with the patient became the first step on the way to the transformation of medical education with an orientation to the biopsychosocial model of health. The purpose of our study was to assess the interns’ basic understanding of the definitions of “human health”, “holistic approach in working with patients”, “patient-centered approach to patient management” and personal qualities for planning the educational process in the internship on a valeological basis. We interviewed 76 interns from the specialty “internal medicine” (76 %) and 24 from the specialty “general practice-family medicine” (24 %); 81 % of the respondents were women. The analysis of the received data confirmed the commitment of 41 % of future specialists to the definition of “health” from a medical and biological point of view, and 38 % – from a holistic point of view. However, only 43 % of respondents said they understood the phrase “holistic approach in working with patients”. The implementation of the “patient-centered approach to patient management” will contribute to the achievement of the main goal of medical activity – preserving the health of a person, society, and nation. However, only 28.6 % of respondents demonstrated an understanding of this definition. Future general practitioners – family doctors – showed greater awareness. Implementation of a “patient-centered approach to patient management” is impossible without effective communication. Therefore, we asked future specialists about important personal qualities in working with a patient. According to the results, such qualities as professionalism (100 %), ability to explain (91.2 %) and responsibility (75.3 %) led the rating. Although communicativeness was recognized as an important trait of a doctor by 51.2 % of respondents, its elements such as humanity, empathy, sensitivity, respect, tact, patience, tolerance, and care were ranked secondary. Consequently, the biomedical model of health still holds strong positions in higher medical education. Therefore, the implementation of valeological principles in the training of future specialists is a necessary task of postgraduate medical education.