Professional education and training of physicians at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences: the opinions of the LUHS graduates

Abstract

The increasing significance of science and more intensive cooperation with foreign partners create favorable preconditions for the education and training of good specialists. In view of the renewal of specialty knowledge and the possibility to read the most recent scientific literature in a foreign language and to participate in international conferences with foreign partners, it has become relevant to educate specialists capable of cooperating in scientific and subject-oriented activity when freely communicating in several foreign languages. However, currently, many higher education institutions in Lithuania are reducing the number of hours in the professional foreign language modules. Still, despite the continuous reduction of the hours allocated for foreign language learning, the requirements for the quality of knowledge are actually increasing. For this reason, the teacher faces a problem of how to help a student internalize the required professional knowledge within a short period of time. The aim of the study was to reveal the peculiarities of the expression of integrated practical classes in professional language studies at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU). In search of new possibilities for professional language learning, integrated professional language classes were used for students learning medicine in Lithuanian and a foreign language. During these classes, medical issues were analyzed. The study on the learning process in the integrated professional language classes at the LSMU was carried out in 2014. Data for this quantitative study were collected by using a written survey. [...]