"You can achieve your dreams anywhere in the world!" – the two-week summer practice of the students of Medical University – Varna in the Northwestern State Medical University "I.I.Mechnikov" in St. Petersburg began with this motto. The eight students of medicine will take part in the work of the Clinics of Endocrinology, Cardiovascular Surgery, Pediatrics and Internal Diseases in the period between August 3rd and 16th, 2015. All of them have covered the requirements for participation in the summer practice - very well and excellent grades, active participation in students' initiatives related with the training, research, cultural and social activities of the University.This year the group is headed by Prof. Todorka Kostadinova - Vice Rector International Relations, Accreditation and Quality Management and Assoc. Professor Emanuela Mutafova – Dean of the Faculty of Public Health.
In the framework of the first week the Bulgarian students carried out blitz training in the simulation center of the Department of General Medicine. In the Museum of Medicine History and University Development the internship students saw valuable books and medical instruments from different historical periods of the development of medical science and practice (an original written work by Avicenna, hand-made old atlases in ophthalmology, full emergency set of tools from two hundred years ago and others).
The first week of the practice was very successful and promising for both the internship students and the further development of the bilateral collaboration between the two universities. The opportunities for joint training and specialization programmes as well as joint work on international projects were discussed in the framework of several meetings between Prof. Kostadinova and Prof. Aleksei Victorovich - Vice Rector of Sciences and International Relations, the Dean and the Management of the Faculty of Public Health and Health Management, the Head of the Department of International Relations - Dr. Natalia Cinzerling.
The development of the bilateral collaboration is also supported by the General Consulate of the Republic of Bulgaria in St. Petersburg with the active assistance of Mrs. Petya Nestorova – Consul General. Particular issues with regard to our students' visit to St. Petersburg as well as opportunities for expanding the collaboration in other fields – cultural exchange, social projects, environment and health in big cities were discussed on a meeting between Prof. Kostadinova and Mrs. Nestorova held on August 6th in the General Consulate. Prof. Kostadinova expressed appreciation on behalf of Prof. Krasimir Ivanov, MD, PhD, DSc – Rector of MU-Varna and the Academic Staff for the professional and timely arrangement of all visa matters and the overall support of the bilateral collaboration between the two universities.
