N 1 (182) 2023. P. 82–88

ELECTIVE DISCIPLINES IN PEDIATRICS AS A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Odesa National Medical University, Odesa, Ukraine

DOI 10.32782/2226-2008-2023-1-18

The article is devoted to the determination of awareness, commitment and conscious choice of selective educational components by students of higher education, created by employees of the Department of Pediatrics No. 1 of the Odessa National Medical University in the 2022-2023 academic year. The free choice of educational components by students of higher education influences the development of student-oriented educational professional programs and promotes competition in the teaching environment both at the level of departments and in individual relationships. Employees of the department have developed 5 elective programs for students of the 5th year and 12 elective programs for students of the 6th year. Selective components for 5th-year higher education applicants were aimed at critical conditions in neonatology, emergency care for children at the pre-hospital stage, critical conditions in pediatric endocrinology, observation of a healthy and sick child by a family doctor, organization of preventive vaccinations for children. For students of the 6th course, elective components allowed to expand knowledge and skills from various sections of pediatrics, such as: emergency conditions in children’s allergology, endocrinology, cardiology, neurology, pulmonology, or caused by external factors, child abuse syndrome, sudden infant death syndrome, sudden cardiac death, as well as in the issues of the algorithm for making a clinical diagnosis in complex cases, organizing and carrying out preventive vaccinations, Integrated management of common diseases in children under 5 years of age, communication ethics and mastering communication skills during the examination of healthy and sick children. A survey of students was conducted regarding the motivation for choosing a selective discipline. The predominance of the choice of selective components was revealed that related to emergency conditions in pediatrics, had an interesting program and contributed to the acquisition of practical skills and were useful in the future profession. A more conscious choice was characteristic of the students of the 6th year. An increasing of the specific weight of qualitative academic performance was noted in elective components compared to the main. In addition, the impracticality of creating selective disciplines with a load of 1.5 credits was clarified, with a proposal to increase it to 3 credits in order to improve the educational process and the formation of the class schedule.

Key words: selective components of higher education, awareness, commitment, free choice, qualitative academic performance.

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