RESEARCH COMPETENCY AT THE UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The aim of the article is to provide a justification for the introduction of “research competency” concept and to describe the ways of its formation among students of higher medical institution, based on the experience of the Students' Scientific Society (SSS) work at the Department of Internal Medicine 3 of State Institution “Dnipropetrovsk Medical Academy of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine”. The need to implement the research competency in the medical students training is substantiated in this article on the base of current legislation of Ukraine and today's requirements. A SSS work at a clinical department is analysed as one of the possible ways of the research competency acquisition, with the aspects that contributes to the development of the desired skills as well as those that may impede its mastery. Research work is a powerful impetus to the motivation to learn, as it directs students to scientific research. During working at SSS, students learn how to make a literary search, critically assimilate and assess of primary research literature and formulate a scientific problem, which require solution. At next step, they choose and apply the appropriate research methods that could be used in solving this problem. And finally, participants comprehend the statistics and process the obtained data followed by their scientific papers presentation in literary scientific sources or conferences. The work at SSS helps graduates be more competitive in today's job market as it brings up and cultivates professionally required qualities, including teamwork, ability to manage time and workload properly, an understanding of medical ethics and a range of communication skills. Currently, working in a SSS remains one of the best available options for introduction of the research competency in the training of the medical students, but it does not provide complete involvement of all undergraduate students, as required by the law of Ukraine.