International summer practical training 2025. How it was!

International student exchange programs with Russian partners have already become firmly established at our university as an integral part of the practice-oriented educational process. Over the years, the tradition of summer student exchanges has been actual, gathering more and more best students from Russia, ready to gain invaluable practical experience under the guidance of the leading Belarusian specialists in various fields, to replenish their life experience, to get acquainted with Belarusian culture and, of course, to make good friends.

This year, from the 16^th of June to the 25^th of July, 100 students from 10 universities of the Russian Federation underwent practical training at Belarusian State Medical University and participated in summer scientific and educational schools. The students were from the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov (Moscow), Russian University of Medicine (Moscow), North-West State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov (St. Petersburg), St. Petersburg State Chemical-Pharmaceutical University (St. Petersburg), Samara State Medical University (Samara), Ryazan State Medical University named after academician I.P. Pavlov (Ryazan), Kirov State Medical University (Kirov), Volga Region Research Medical University (Nizhny Novgorod), Tambov State University named after G.R. Derzhavin (Tambov) and Voronezh State Medical University named after N.N. Burdenko (Voronezh).

Students of the medical faculty from Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Kirov and Ryazan were received by the departments of cardiology and internal diseases, internal diseases, cardiology and rheumatology with a course of advanced training and retraining, obstetrics and gynecology with a course of advanced training and retraining, surgery and transplantology with a course of advanced training and retraining. The students were given a varied program, including working with patients, participating in diagnosing and determining treatment tactics for diseases, attending surgeries, and much more. Russian students had the opportunity to undergo practical training in various sections and visit leading clinics in Minsk – the clinical bases of Belarusian State Medical University: at Minsk Scientific and Practical Center for Surgery, Transplantology and Hematology, the 1^st City Clinical Hospital, and the 10^th City Clinical Hospital.

Students of the pediatric faculty from Samara State Medical University and the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov were able to not only improve their practical skills in pediatrics at the 1st Department of Children's Diseases, but also, according to personal preferences, to undergo practical training in the field of pediatric oncology, endocrinology, surgery at the departments of pediatric endocrinology, clinical genetics and immunology with a course of advanced training and retraining, as well as pediatric surgery with a course of advaned training and retraining. The students also got acquainted with the work of Belarusian clinics: Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Pediatric Surgery, 2^nd City Children's Clinical Hospital, where they were able to immerse themselves into the work of the departments, examine the most interesting clinical cases, and participate in medical consultations.

Traditionally, a large delegation from Russia comes on an exchange to the Faculty of Medicine and Prevention. This summer was no an exception, and students from St. Petersburg, Samara and Ryazan came for practical training in hygiene and epidemiology. The practical training was organized at Minsk City Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology. The students were given the opportunity to become familiar with the current legislation of the Republic of Belarus on the issues of sanitary and epidemiological control of territories and objects, with the basics in organizing and conducting state supervision. The students learned about the work of the anti-epidemic department, the departments for supervision of healthcare organizations, especially dangerous infections with a sanitary and quarantine base, radiation hygiene, occupational hygiene, communal hygiene, food hygiene, and hygiene of children and adolescents. There were organized visits to different organizations. Students of the Faculty of Dentistry came to our university from five universities: Russian University of Medicine, Kirov State Medical University, Volga Region Research Medical University, Samara State Medical University and North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov. Lecturers of three departments worked with Russian students: Department of Orthopedic Dentistry and Orthodontics, Department of Conservative Dentistry, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Facial Plastic Surgery with a course of advanced training and retraining at the Republican Clinical Dental Center - University Clinic, the 11^th City Clinical Hospital and other healthcare institutions.

The Faculty of Dentistry did a great work to strengthen international student mobility programs, and the result of this work was enthusiastic reviews from Russian dental students and gratitude to the university management for organizing such a practical training.

No less intense was the week of practical training in pharmacognosy for the students of the St. Petersburg State Chemical-Pharmaceutical University. The students were received by the Department of Pharmacy Organization with a course of advanced training and retraining, which prepared a rich program for students with a visit to the Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, RUE "Belmedpreparaty", Control and analytical laboratory of the RUE "Belpharmatsiya". The students learned to determine the authenticity and quality of medicinal plant materials according to the State Pharmacopoeia of the Republic of Belarus, and became familiar with the peculiarities of standardization, storage, use and dispensing of medicinal plant materials and herbal preparations; they studied the basics of the process of procurement of medicinal plant materials and much more. The deans of the medical, pediatric, medical and preventive, dental and pharmaceutical faculties, the faculty of the departments, and the department of international relations did a great deal of work to make the students’ summer practice an unforgettable experience which they would tell their colleagues about and want to return to Minsk again.

The students spoke about their future work in the profession, what they liked about Belarus, what they would use in their homeland; they spoke about the hospitality of the Belarusian people and the cleanliness of our capital, gratitude to the lecturers who supervised the students and the university management – all of this was what the students talked about at the meetings with the Rector of the university, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Sergey Rubnikovich.

To remember – vivid memories, certificates of completion of the internship, and, of course, joint photos.

Author: Varvara Boiko, head of the Department of International Relations of BSMU, The photos are provided by Aleksandr Novikov, Margarita Biryuk, and students