Hygiene

A person responsible for the delivery, development, and quality of the study programme:

Intitute od Hygiene FM CU, Špitálska 24, Bratislava

Teachers of the profile subject:

prof. Alexandra Bražinová, MD., PhD., MPH

Assoc. prof. Michaela Kostičová, MD, PhD., MPH

Study advisor of the study programme:

Prof. Ľubica Argalášová, MD, Ph.D., MPH, e-mail: lubica.argalasovafmed.uniba.sk (personal contact after agreement via e-mail)

List of the supervisors:

prof. MUDr. Ľubica Argalášová, PhD., MPH, prof. MUDr. Alexandra Bražinová, PhD., MPH, doc. MUDr. Michaela Kostičová, PhD., MPH, prof. MUDr. Tibor Baška, PhD.

Place/s of realisation of the study programme:

The Medical Faculty, Comenius University in Bratislava and its parts seat, including clinical workplaces, which are part of university hospitals providing an education of students at Faculty of Medicine, CU in Bratislava, with which the university has concluded ‘Contracts on practical training’ (University Hospital Bratislava, National Institute for Children's Diseases, Merciful Brothers University Hospital, St. Elizabeth Cancer Institute, National Oncological Institute, National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease)

Awarded academic degree: doctor ("philosophiae doctor", in short, "PhD. ")

The language in which the programme is organised: Slovak, English

The standard length of study in academic years: four years (internal form) / five years (external form)

Graduate profile and learning objectives:

The content of the Ph.D. study programme 'Hygiene' focused on studying hygiene, epidemiology, preventive and social medicine. During the doctoral study, a student in this study programme acquires knowledge in hygiene, epidemiology, preventive and social medicine, environmental health, and primary prevention with an orientation on determining the impact of environmental bio-positive and bio-negative physical, chemical, biological, social, and other factors on health indicators. During the study, the student will learn to independently formulate a scientific problem, formulate a scientific hypothesis, prepare and implement a scientific experiment, use statistical and epidemiological methods in research, and evaluate the results objectively using statistical analysis.

The main goal of these activities will be theoretical as well as the practical use of risk assessment methods, biological-medical monitoring and approaches in the field of prevention, intervention, and community health, and the principles of sociological research. The graduate knows the current problems of the epidemiological situation in the occurrence of infectious and non-infectious diseases with the principles of primary and secondary prevention and knows the importance of social determinants in the promotion and protection of health and their role in health inequalities. The graduate participates in multidisciplinary scientific research activities and with his/her theoretical knowledge covers all areas of hygiene, epidemiology, preventive and social medicine, pathophysiological mechanisms of action of basic types of environmental and occupational factors, and lifestyle on the health of individuals and population. He/she develops intervention programs leading to the protection and promotion of the health of population groups. Graduates from the study program find employment in the field of scientific research in preventive medical disciplines as well as in other areas of medical and environmental research. One of the requirements to complete the study program is also the ability to present their research results to the professional public at conferences and scientific events and in the form of publishing articles in professional and scientific journals. The results of creative experimental work not only contribute to the development of science and scientific knowledge, but their proper scientific value allows their application in various fields of preventive and clinical medicine.

Employability:

Graduates are sought at the healthcare workplaces (regional public health authorities, departments of hospital epidemiology and hygiene of health facilities, national health information center, health insurance companies, and so on). Graduates from doctoral studies might find employment in the frame of education as university teachers or scientific research workers at universities focused on medicine, healthcare, social sciences, public health care, and biology.

Graduates from the proposed study programme at the Faculty of Medicine CU in Bratislava master a broad spectrum of scientific methods used in biomedical, epidemiologic, and sociological research, which they can creatively apply in their work and contribute to the development of scientific knowledge. They are qualified for successful employment in the team leading a broader spectrum of scientific and research institutions focused on medical, veterinary, pharmaceutical and social sciences. They are professionally prepared to work creatively in scientific institutes of the Slovak Academy of Sciences at various research levels.

A doctor – hygienist, a doctor – epidemiologist belong among their other possible occupations that, however, for independent performance require also accredited specialisation education in the healthcare occupation.

Evaluation of the study programme quality by employers:

A request to assess the quality of the submitted study programme was sent to selected employers to express their opinion on the need for a new doctoral study programme focused on medical biology and clinical genetics. Delivered letters are available at the Department of scientific-research activities, doctoral studies and international relationships of the Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava