October 25, 2011, By: P. K., Section: i-Forum informs

On October 24, the Charles University Rector along with representatives of Masaryk University and Palacký University signed a statutory contract with the Health Minister on the transfer of postgraduate medical education onto faculties of medicine. As of January 1, 2012, seven medical faculties will thus assume responsibility for the specialized education of physicians and dentists.

“This agreement with the universities is a milestone in the whole system of medical education. I hope it brings a new impetus to postgraduate education,” Health Minister Leoš Heger said at Monday’s press conference. Postgraduate education should constitute a more significant part of the medical faculties’ work.

“The system of pre-qualification education is a decisive factor in securing the quality and stability of the whole healthcare system,” the Charles University Rector Prof. Václav Hampl said and emphasized he believed that this joint endeavour of the universities, which was being put together for about two years, will be a success.

“From our point of view, assuming responsibility for pre-certification education is a logical step,” Prof. Hampl said and added that the personnel of medical faculties is already covering a large part of the work related to specialized education.

Another topic the Health Ministry presented at Monday’s press conference concerned university hospitals. “We see the transfer of certification education as a step leading towards university hospitals,” Prof. Hampl said. According to him, the model of university hospitals as a non-profit organization run by the Health Ministry along with universities is a viable one but it will not be easy to overcome certain difficulties – for example the issue of employer/employee relations.

Specialized medical education has so far been organized by the Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education (IPVZ). The institute will continue to provide education to pharmacists and physicians in the fields of general practice and paediatrics and adolescent medicine.