EDUCATION IN MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY IN
SERBIA
Nada Majkic-Sing
Institute of Medical Biochemistry,
Pharmaceutical Faculty and Clinical Centre of Serbia
Belgrade, Serbia
Correspondence
Prof. dr Nada Majkic-Singh
Institute for Medical Biochemistry,
Clinical Centre of Serbia
Belgrade, Serbia
e-mail: singh@eunet.rs
Abstract
Medical biochemistry is the usual name for clinical
biochemistry or clinical chemistry in Serbia. Medical biochemistry
laboratories and medical biochemists as a profession are part of
Health Care System and are regulated through: the Health Care Law
and rules issued by the Chamber of Medical Biochemists of Serbia.
The first continuous and organized education for Medical
Biochemists in Serbia dates from 1945, when Department of Medical
Biochemistry was established at Pharmaceutical Faculty in Belgrade.
In 1987 at the same Faculty a five years undergraduate branch was
established, educating Medical Biochemists under a special program.
Since 2006 the new five year undergraduate (according to Bologna
Declaration) and postgraduate program of four-year
specialization according to EC4 European Syllabus for
Post-Graduate Training in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory
Medicine has been established. The Ministry of Education and
Ministry of Public Health accredits the programs. There are four
requirements for practicing medical biochemistry in the Health Care
System: University Diploma of the Faculty of Pharmacy (Medical
Biochemistry), successful completion of the profession exam at the
Ministry of Health after completion of one additional year of
obligatory practical training in medical laboratories, membership
in the Serbian Chamber of Medical Biochemists and licence for
skilled work issued by Serbian Chamber of Medical Biochemists.
Introduction
Medical biochemistry is the usual name for clinical biochemistry
or clinical chemistry in Serbia, and medical biochemist is the
official name for the clinical chemist (or clinical biochemist).
This is the largest sub-discipline of the laboratory medicine in
Serbia. It includes all aspects of clinical chemistry, and also
laboratory hematology with coagulation, immunology, etc.
Medical biochemistry laboratories in Serbia and medical biochemists
as a profession are part of Health Care System and their activities
are regulated through: the Health Care Law and rules issued by the
Chamber of Medical Biochemists of Serbia.
The first continuous and organized education for Medical
Biochemists (Clinical Chemists) in Serbia dates from 1945, when the
Department of Medical Biochemistry was established at the
Pharmaceutical Faculty in Belgrade. Further development in the
education of Medical Biochemists was in 1955 with the introduction
of a postgraduate specialization in Medical Biochemistry at the
Pharmaceutical Faculty of Belgrade University. In 1987 at the same
Faculty a four years undergraduate branch was established,
educating Medical Biochemists under a special program, and in 1991
four-year study become five-year study. In order to get a license
to work in clinical chemistry laboratories, students must have one
year practical work experiences in hospital laboratories after
graduation (1).
Since school-year 2006/2007 as a result of the Decision of
the University Senate in Belgrade the Faculty of Pharmacy has
been offering courses according to new curricula and syllabuses,
entirely in the line with the Bologna Declaration, i.e. with the
study porgrammes of the EU member-states. The Bologna process
represents a standardization of the European higher education area
thus enabling compatibility and comparability of different study
programmes, mobility of students and teaching staff as well as the
possibility of degree recognition (2-4). One of important
attainments of the Bologna process is the European Credit Transfer
System (ECTS). In order to meet the requirements of the National
Accreditation Committee the adjusted study syllabuses have been
adopted for the integrated graduate five years studies of Pharmacy
and Pharmacy-Medical Biochemistry(5).
European Credit Transfer System and the Assessment of
Students
Each subject from the study programme is assigned a value
expressed in ECTS credits and the scope of studies as a whole is
expressed as an overall of ECTS credits. One ECTS credit stands for
25 to 30 hours a student has to spend on all types of class work
and individual study to complete all planned learning activities.
ECTS credits are allocated to a specific subject based on the
estimated overall time spent in order for an average student to
acquire the expected knowledge and skills that the subject in
question requires. A total of 60 ECTS credits equal the overall
workload of an average student within 40-hours work week during one
academic year. Student earn their ECTS credits only after passed
exams, i.e. only after having completed all the necessary
requirements outlined by the curriculum and the syllabus.
The performance of students in learning activities is monitored and
expressed through points. By fulfilling the pre-exam obligatory
activities and by passing the final exam a student can score a
total of 100 points. Pre-exam activities bring a minimum of 30 and
a maximum of 70 points. Students obligatory activities consist of:
class activities (lectures, theoretical exercises and laboratory
practice, consultations), individual study, assignments (tests),
exams, final paper and voluntary work in the local community.
The planed teaching methods encompass lectures, laboratory
(experimental) exercises that students do an own, theoretical
exercises and coursework. Interactive teaching, implemented at the
Faculty of Pharmacy, implies students' active participation in the
teaching process for better acquisition of necessary knowledge and
skills.
The Studies at the Faculty of Pharmacy-Undergraduate
Studies
Sylalabus Pharmacy-Medical Biochemistry
The studies at the Faculty of Pharmacy are inegrated academic
studies that last for five academic years, i. e. 10 semesters,
including the work on the Diploma Paper, and result in 300 ECTS
credits realized through two syllabuses: Pharmacy and
Pharmacy-Medical Biochemistry. Having finished the studies,
students obtain a degree of Master of Pharmacy and Master of
Pharmacy-Medical Biochemist (5).
The syllabus Pharmacy-Medical Biochemistry encpompassing 35
compulsory courses and 18 optional courses (out of which a student
should choose 9). In the first year a student attends 11
courses, in the second 8, in the third 7, in the fourth 8 and in
the fifth year of their academic studies a student attends 10
courses. In the 10th semester it is obligatory for the
student to write a final (Diploma) paper, worth 10 ECTS credits and
allocated 150 working hours. The 10th semester also comprise 75
hours of pre-graduate practice work, worth 2 ECTS credits. All
subjects are devided into the following groups: general-academic
(represented with 15,3%), theoretical-methodological (17,7%) and
applied professional (32,3%). The optional courses make 19,7% of
the overall score of ECTS. The majority of optional courses
are professional and applied professional subjects.
The program is designed for candidates who plan to pursue a career
in medical biochemistry laboratories within the Health Care System
or a career in pure and applied medical biochemistry research and
education. Creative work and research in medical biochemistry
requires broad formal training in basic natural sciences and
medicine and extensive laboratory experience. During the studies
Pharmacy-Medical Biochemistry, medical biochemist is qualifying for
work in clinical-biochemical, toxicological and sanitary laboratory
dealing with medical biochemical, toxicological and sanitary
practice.
In the course of education, a student is expected to acquire
knowledge on: human organism, disease, role of biochemical
laboratory in diagnostics and health care system. In the course of
the study, a student is expected to acquire abilities and skills
for: laboratory work, quality control that assures continuous
process of checking and assessment measuring values to obtain
reliable result and medicinally relevant information, handling with
instruments and equipments, protection of laboratory staff and safe
handling with chemicals and biological materials as well as
pharmaceutical/medicinal waste.
Requirements for starting a career in medical
biochemistry
Medical biochemistry laboratories in Serbia and medical
biochemists as a profession are part of the Health Care System and
their activities are regulated through: The Health Care Law and The
Rules issued by the Chamber of Medical Bbiochemists of
Serbia.
According to the number and complexity of the tests performed as
well as to the qualifications of the personnel in laboratory
the medical biochemistry laboratories are: General (in a
primary health care setting), Special (in an community or country
hospital), Subspecial (in a special hospital or clinical hospital),
and Clinical (in a University clinical hospital). Clinical medical
biochemistry laboratories as a part of the University hospitals are
a teaching units for undergraduate and postgraduate education of
medical biochemists. Private laboratories are either general or
special laboratories. All medical biochemistry laboratories and the
list of tests performed are licenced through the Ministry of
Health.
There are four requirements for practicing medical biochemistry in
the Serbian Health Care System:
- University Diploma of the Faculty of Pharmacy (Study of
Medical Biochemistry),
- Successful completion of the profession exam at the Ministry of
Health after completion of one additional year of obligatory
practical training (interim) in the medical biochemistry
laboratories,
- Membership in the Serbian Chamber of Medical Biochemists,
- Licence for skilled work issued by the Serbian Chamber of
Medical Biochemists
In 2006 according to Health Law the new
institution - The Chamber of Biochemists of Serbia has been
established with aim to do licensing of the medical biochemists. In
cooperation with Ministry of Health the Chamber prepared the
documents that regulate the program of Continuing Medical Education
(CME) and Regulation of Licensing of Medical Biochemists. The
program of CME should be accredited by the Republic Health Council,
and in program realization the Pharmaceutical and Medical
Faculties, The Society of Medical Biochemists and The Chamber of
Biochemists of Serbia are participated. The License of medical
biochemists will be renewed every 7 years on the basis
of successful completion of continuing education requirements
during that period. Minimum requirement for renewal of the license
is 24 credits per year gathered from different types of the
programmes (courses, symposiums, congresses, publications,
etc.)
A variety of programs organized by various groups, for example the
Faculty of Pharmacy (scientific degrees), Society of Medical
Biochemists (symposia, congresses), Chamber of Medical Biochemists
(courses), programs of other scientific societies (research and
publishing activity), and other activities will be recognized as
continuing education by The Rules of Continuing Education of
Medical Biochemists issued by the Chamber of Medical
Biochemists (www.komorabiohemsrbije.org.rs).
Acknowledgment
The Ministry of Science and Technology of Serbia supported this
study on the basis of contract No. 145010.
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