New Requirements for Medical Specialty Training Promulgated

The amendments to the uniform state requirements for medical specialty training have now been promulgated in the State Gazette. Students admitted prior to the decree’s entry into force will complete their education under the previous regulations, although higher education institutions will have the option to apply the updated curricula at their discretion.

In the “Medicine” specialty, the discipline of “General Medicine” is being introduced into the pre-graduation internship. Previously, it was studied only theoretically within 60 academic hours, without mandatory practical training. This change aims to consolidate acquired knowledge and skills and was proposed by all medical faculties in the country.

Updates have also been made to the training for the specialties of “Nurse,” “Midwife,” and “Physician Assistant,” introducing additional mandatory academic disciplines and competencies in accordance with European legislative requirements. The pre-graduation internship for healthcare professionals will be recalculated from 1,600 astronomical hours to 1,600 academic hours to reduce the overall academic workload.

A requirement is also being introduced for theoretical training in key nursing care disciplines to be led by habilitated lecturers with a completed degree in “Nursing.” In the training of midwives, the terminology in academic disciplines is being refined, removing the term “nursing care” to avoid misinterpretation of professional competencies.

Changes have also been implemented in the “Dental Medicine” and “Pharmacy” specialties. In dental medicine, the credit hours for medico-biological and general medical disciplines are being updated, while in pharmacy, new mandatory subjects are being introduced, including “Medical Devices,” “Statistical Methods in Pharmacy,” and “Bromatology,” aimed at better preparing students for scientific data analysis and patient counseling.

View the Council of Ministers’ Decree here.