EVALUATION OF THE CURRICULUM AND PROGRAMMES FOR
PHYSICIANS SPECIALITY COSMETOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
LATVIA
The specialisation to cosmetology after getting diploma from faculty of medicine
is completely new development among medical specialities. In the University of Latvia the
curriculum was started, 1996 based first on Faculty of Philosophy and later, starting 1999,
it was moved to the Faculty of Medicine.
The medical faculty graduates are learning during 1,5 years the following
disciplines: plastic anatomy, surgery for cosmetologists, pharmacology for
cosmetologists, aesthetic dermatology, stylistics, drawing and composition, some
disciplines connected to marketing, economy administration, culture and history,
psychology and venerological diseases.
The curriculum consists of programmes on A(compulsory) and B (optional) parts 63% and 37% of credit points accordingly.
All the subjects end with exams or tests to be credited. The aim is to give to the
graduates as professionals possibilities of setting up the praxis of the doctor cosmetologist.
The students pay all the expenses of training.
Few problems come out of curriculum, as it has presented to us. This is not the real
residency training as is required in Europe - the minimum time to be spent in residency, is 2
years. This requirement is not fulfilled, and that is why the cosmetologists can loose their
qualification as physicians. They have not passed the residency of dermato-venerology or
surgery, or plastic surgery.
Also the speciality of Cosmetology is not among medical specialities in European
context.
It seems that the cosmetology has to be counted among residency programs in
Latvia and the curriculum should be prolonged at least up to 2 years.
I agree with the accreditation of the speciality "Cosmetology" for two years to
master further the curriculum as needed for residency teaching of medical speciality or to
change it to the course of subspecialisation for physicians.
Professor Lembit Allikmets
University of Tartu
Riga, June 6, 2000
INDIVIDUAL REPORT ABOUT COSMETOLOGY PROGRAMME in Medical
Faculty, University of Latvia
I visited university of Latvia like member of the joint Evaluation Comission for
the cosmetology. I read written curriculum in cosmetology, visited University of Latvia.
I have possibility to discuss with teaching staff and students of University about this
Programm, training, research work and practical work.
Goals and aims of the study programme. This program gives a possibility of obtaining
the qualification of the cosmetologist to the practising medical workers and to acquire
additional higher professional education.
Structure and division of the study programme. This program consists of two parts: part
A - 38 credit points and part B - 22 credit points. (Total 60 credit points.
The educational process and assessment. Educational process consists from lectures,
practical works, seminars, student presentations and their research in library. Course
evaluation consists of oral and written examination, verbal tests, essays, projects etc.
Students work is evaluated on a 10-point scale.
Remarks:
In Baltic countries we can acquire doctor specialities by residency. And
only narrow professional skills we can acquire by special courses for doctors like
internist in endocrinology, endoscopy etc.
My opinion, that Cosmetology program can be detached like special doctors
courses today. After finishing this program, they can acquire only certificate in
Cosmetology.
If it is new profession in medicine (we haven't this profession on European
standard list, we haven't doctors cosmetologist in another Baltic countries), it must be
acquired by residency. For some reason necessary to enlarge this program till 80 or 100
credit points and to create new speciality in cosmetology by residency.
Conclusion. Level of Cosmetology Program in Faculty of Medicine University of
Latvia is debatable. I think, that specialist with higher medical education in
cosmetology must be prepared by residency (minimum course - 80 credit points) way.
My final advice in accordance with above - mentioned points would be to give
accreditation in the Cosmetology program for 2 years.
Assoc. prof. Juozas Stanaitis, M.D., Ph.D. Head of general surgery clinic of Vilnius
University, Lithuania. President of Baltic Association of Surgeons
Ingrid Thorell-Ekstrand
Individual report
The Professional Program for Cosmetology.
This short report was written immediately after the visit to the University and the
meeting with staff and students.
Goals and aims of the study program
The aim of the study program is to provide a possibility of optaining the qualifications of
the cosmetologist to the practising medical workers by giving a higher education.
The goals are clear and well defined. It seems that there is a proper need for this kind of
education in Latvia. There are given some international comparisons in the self-evaluation
report which further strengthen the need for a development of an academic cosmetological
education. However there are many questions.
Structure and division of the study program, organisation
The structure of the program is in general well divided and easy to follow.
The educational process and assessment
The program is described with exams after important parts.
Resources, management of education and resources
There are teachers with high enough qualifications. The inclusion to the University of
Latvia gives the students possibility to use the facilities there.
Research, involvement of students in the research is not described in the curriculum, nor
has we been shown any research work. Quality assurance, feedback is not discussed in the
program in any details.
Conclusion. It is not immediately clear that the students must have a completed medical
education before entering the cosmotology program. However, it is a new way of thinking
to give a higher education in what is ususually called 'cosmetics'. There is a possibility
to get a broader thinking about what it means to be healthy, to have a good health. In
conclusion, the program seems to me to need further development, either as a medical
specialization ansd as such be much longer and broader, or as a health care career also for
nurses. The latter suggestion is due to the fact that nurses now get a higher medical
education and that the suggested cosmetological education include a lot of humanistic
subjects which could well be suitable for nurses. Also the surgical content of the curriculum
was not very elaborated and therefore could be excluded, and the farmacological content
could well be suitable for nurses as well as doctors.
July 07 2000
Ingrid Thorell-Ekstrand, RN, PhD
Senior Clinical Lecturer
The Swedish Red Cross College/Karolinska Hospital,
Karolinska Institute
Department of Nursing Research