1
Evaluation of the Daugavpils University (DU) Curriculum and Programmes for
speciality Physiotherapy (4 study years)
Accreditation Commission: prof. Lembit Allikmets (Faculty of Medicine, University
of Tartu), prof. Aleksandras Kisčiunas (Kaunas University of Medicine), Dr. Güntis
Osis (Director LFA, Riga) has made side visits to the DU during two days, June 13
and 14’ 2002, has had meetings with Rector, Vice-Rectors, Dean, Faculty members,
Librarians and students and also the Clinical Chiefs and teachers. All needed info was
presented to the Commission members: info about the aims, organization,
management, immatriculation, structure of curriculum, annotations and essentials of
programmes.
The people we met in DU and hospitals were very enthuziastic about their mission,
friendly and helpful. We are particularly indepted to Dr. Juris Dzelme, Director of
HEQEC, Ministry of Education of Latvia, who took care of the organization of our
visit, and also to the government of DU.
I thank especially the eminent Baltic colleagues of this commission, A. Kisčiunas and
G. Osis, who helped me to understand specific problems of this country.
1. Goals and aims of the Curriculum
The aims are: to master basic knowledge and minimum necessary skills for practical
actions on the level of professional Bachelor degree of higher education in the field of
Physiotherapy, to educate specialists with a level-5 professional qualification in
physiotherapy. The graduates have rights to continue their education in Master
studies.
2. Structure and Division of the Curriculum
The Curriculum for 4 years is divided into 4 main (A, B, C, D) blocks: (A) basic
disciplines in medicine (anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, microbiology,
genetics, biochemistry, biometrics); also Latin terminology and computer sciences are
included. (B) obligatory disciplines for professional specialization in physiotherapy
(fundamentals of physiotherapy, physical medicine, physiotherapy in pediatrics, in
neurology, in traumatology and orthopaedy, internal diseases, massage, manual
therapy, ergotherapy, speech therapy), 14 CP-s are devoted to medical pathology, 2
CP-s to medical psychology, 2 CP-s to first aid. (C) optional courses in humanities
2
and social sciences, which include 14 disciplines (56 CP-s), among which students
have elect at least 20 CP-s. The large scale of optional courses is possible because of
University level education, where there are many faculties and departments.
(D) optional (free choice) courses include 10 disciplines (17 CP-s) among which
students have to get at minimum 6 CP-s. This part D is added to master profesisonal
field in medicine.
The professional study programme for Bachelor’s degree includes in total 171 CP-s.
Out of these 129 CP-s include basic, medical, professional and practical courses in A,
B, C and D parts, 30 CP-s to clinical practice. Each year the students are obligued to
write a course paper and in the end Bachelor’s paper. The clinical practice is
performed in Daugavpils City Central Hospital, National Rehabilitation Centre
”Vaivari” (incl. Latgale regional branch), Rehabilitation hospital “Baltezers”, P.
Stradina Clinical Hospital and in the Institute of Orthopaedy and Traumatology in
Riga, Rehabilitation Centre “Ligatne”.
3. Educational process and assessment
The Curriculum has all disciplines needed for contemporary education of
physiotherapists. The load of teaching is divided quite equally during 6 semesters of
the first three study years. The number of exams and tests are satisfactory divided by
semesters. 4th year is devoted mostly to clinical practice, plus 3-4 months for
wrighting Bachelor’s dissertation.
Programmes in special disciplines are mastered in cooperation with Rigas Stradins
University professors. It is very valuable that in DU is an active Multimedia Center
where several teaching aids, including videos have been made. Most of the teaching
faculty is qualified because there have been earlier tradition in teaching basic medical
and health disciplines to the physical culture students and also for other faculties of
the DU. There are enough good lecture rooms both in the University and in hospitals.
The library has very necessary for speciality literature and few journals. DU has
supplied the division with the number of computers and there is a good cooperation
between DU and General Hospital in Daugavpils. 8 highly qualified clinical
specialists are among teachers.
4. Research, involvement of students
Research in medicine in DU is increasing, the Department of Physiology is
collaborating with the Departments of physics. The students get special tasks every
3
year to work through and to present the course paper. Also the topics for Bachelor’s
dissertations are planned. The division of Physiotherapy has been started only 3 years
ago and first students will graduate 2003.
Among teaching faculty there are two professors, 12 docents and quite a member of
lectors and teaching assistants. Some assistance is given by RSU in few disciplines.
The overview was given to us by Dean of RSU and Director of “Vaivari”, professor
Aivars Vetra. Also research is assisted by RSU.
5. Feedback, quality assurance
All students fill out a teacher and course evaluation form in the end for each course.
The questionnaires are anonymous and give possibility to use the information to
improve the class.
6. Financial Resources
The study programme is chiefly financed by the state budget, but students of the
second and third year had to pay tuition Ls 300 per years. The class which entered
2001, has 10 students according to state plan and others (8 students) have to pay 300
Ls.
7. Conclusions
The strong points of the Curriculum and programmes are:
-
the structure of University gives comparatively good technical provision and
teaching staff, and good cooperation with other DU departments,
-
clear aim and strategy of the programme,
-
strong ties and cooperation with RSU School of Physiotherapy, Daugavpils city
Central Hospital and National rehabilitation Centers,
-
possibilities for students to use through Internet the electronic data-bases,
-
good cooperation between faculty members and students, regular evaluations for
the development of Curriculum,
-
European level of prgrammes, good equilibrium between credit points and
practical training.
The weak points are:
-
the teaching staff has very high load of auditorial work (700-1000 hrs annually),
-
insufficient research activities in physiotherapy by part of the academic staff,
4
-
insuffisiently employed possibilities of lecturers exchange with foreign
Universities,
-
insufficient financing of the study programme, specially for supplying modern
technical equipment for research and clinical practice,
-
too much time is devoted to teach foreign languages.
Recommendations
-
The number of hours (CP-s) for teaching biomechanics and orthopaedics should
be increased.
-
To increase financing of the faculty for developing possibilities for research.
-
The Government of Latvia should think about increasing medical profile in the
DU, there could be possibilities to open there also school for public health or
school for nursing sciences. It seems to be important both to strenghten regional
measures to develop Latgale and to use medical teaching staff more effectively.
General conclusion
The Curriculum and programmes are well designed and well comparable to the
programmes of physiotherapy in the European Union.
Recommendation: to accredit the Curriculum and programmes of Physiotherapy in the
Daugavpils University for 6 years.
Professor Lembit Allikmets
University of Tartu
Chairman of Accreditation Commission
5
Individual report
About study program
Daugavpils University Professional Study Curriculum in Physiotherapy
with Bachelor's Degree in Health Care
Goals and aims of the study program
After graduation students acquire professional degree of Physiotherapist, which
allows to work within profession of Physiotherapy and Bachelor's Degree in Health
Sciences. That allows to continue academic career in different branches of Health Sciences.
Structure and division of the study program
Course is full — time and last four years. Physiotherapy curriculum
functionally is divided in to four main subject groups:
1. Foundation subject - total amount of credit points is 51,
2. Clinical sciences - total amount of credit points is 14,
3. Sciences and Techniques of Physiotherapy - total amount of credit points is 80,
4. Other subjects - total amount of credit points is 26.
There is large common field of activity practical by physiotherapists. In the
physiotherapy curriculum not separate included rehabilitology, ergonomics. More hours
should be for biomechanics, orthopaedics.
The education process and assessment.
Education is provided by qualified physiotherapy teachers or clinical
physiotherapists. Clinical experience is supervised by Latvia Physiotherapists
association. For student's education used: lectures, practical classes, seminars, students
independent work, individual research project, clinical practise. Each subject has its own
assessment requirements - test, colloquiums, exams. At the end of each Physiotherapy
subject there is combined exam.
Research, involvement of students in research.
Every student has individual research projects. The total amount of credit points for
research is enough.
Strong and week points
Main strength of the programme is good background and comparable with
curricula of PT programmes with European country's.
Weakness - some technical instruments are required.
Conclusion
The program is well designed and is similar to the other programmes of
physiotherapy in the European union. Recommendation: accreditation for 6 years. 2002.06.14.
6
Dr.habil, professor Aleksandras Kriščiūnas
Head clinical of Rehabilitation
Kaunas University of Medicine
Individuālais studiju programmas novērtējums.
Daugavpils Universitātes Profesionālo studiju programmas
“Fizioterapija” ar bakalaura grādu veselības aprūpē.
Fizioterapijas programma ir 4 gadīgā universitātes līmeņa izglītības
programma, kas sastāv no 4 galvenajām priekšmetu grupām.
Programma ietver visas galvenās mācību priekšmetu grupas, kuras saskan ar
Eiropā akceptētiem fizioterapijas izglītības standartiem.
Izglītības programmas nodrošināšanai augstskolā ir nepieciešamais
akadēmiskā personāla sastāvs.
Labā līmenī ir nodrošināta A. grupas priekšmetu materiāli tehniskā bāze.
Augstskola ir organizējusi nodarbību bāzi (Daugavpils Universitātē, Daugavpils
pilsētas centrālajā slimnīcā) un klīnisko prakšu norises vietas (Daugavpils pilsētas
centrālā slimnīca, Nacionālais rehabilitācijas centrs “Vaivari” un tā Latgales
reģionālās filiāles, Rehabilitācijas centrs “Baltezers”, Stradiņa klīniskā slimnīca,
Traumatoloģijas un ortopēdijas institūts, Rehabilitācijas centrs “Līgatne”,
Universitātes bērnu klīniskā slimnīca). Klīniskās prakses vada medicīniskais
personāls ar nepieciešamo izglītību un pieredzi.
Programmas vājie punkti:
1. Nepieciešams papildināt tehnisko aprīkojumu, kas nepieciešams
“Fizioterapijas pamatu” apgūšanai un zinātniski- pētnieciskā darba veikšanai;
2. Jāpapildina programmu ar Ergonomijas priekšmetu.
Programmas pozitīvie aspekti:
1. Ir nodrošinātas klīnisko prakšu iziešanas vietas, klīnisko prakšu kredītpunktu
apjoms sakrīt ar Eiropas valstu fizioterapijas izglītības standartiem.
2. Tiek veikts regulārs programmas salīdzinošs novērtējums ar citu (Latvijas un
Ārvalstu) augstskolu programmām.
7
Slēdziens. Novērtējot Daugavpils universitātes studiju programmu “Fizioterapija” ar
bakalaura grādu veselības aprūpē secinu, ka ir izveidota laba bāze kvalitatīvai
turpmākai programmas attīstīšanai ar sekojošam speciālistu studijām maģistratūrā.
Studiju programma ir veiksmīgi integrēta Daugavpils Universitātes struktūrā.
Rekomendēju akreditēt programmu 6 gadiem.
2002.06.14.
Guntis Osis
LFA priekšsēdētājs