Ukraine Plans to Reduce the Number of Medical Universities
Ukraine may reduce the number of institutions that train future doctors. At the same time, the government plans to maintain the state-funded quota, while students and faculty may be concentrated in fewer but larger medical universities. This was announced by Health Minister Viktor Lyashko.
The Ministry of Health wants to overhaul the medical education system in Ukraine. Specifically, this involves a possible reduction in the number of medical universities and faculties. Viktor Lyashko spoke about this in an interview with Ukrainian media. According to him, a major meeting with the deans of medical faculties is scheduled for September. At the meeting, they plan to discuss what the system for training medical professionals should look like in 2035–2040.
The minister emphasized that decisions must be made with an eye toward the future needs of Ukrainian medicine. In his view, it may be more beneficial for the country to have fewer medical universities but to provide them with better conditions for education.
“Perhaps it would be better to have fewer medical universities, but for those that remain, we should increase the number of state-funded spots and hire more faculty to provide a high-quality education,” Lyashko said.
In other words, this is not about reducing the state-funded quota for medical students. On the contrary, the minister suggests that the number of state-funded spots could remain at the current level, but they would be distributed among a smaller number of institutions. The situation with medical faculties at traditional universities may also be reviewed separately. According to Lyashko, there are now too many such faculties, so their role in the medical education system will be evaluated.
What requirements might be imposed on medical universities
Lyashko has previously spoken about new requirements for universities that train doctors. These include having their own hospital or a hospital affiliated with the university, as well as a sufficient number of students. The target is approximately 5,000 students per university. In this context, the total number of students across all faculties will be counted, rather than just students in a single specialty.
Lyashko explained that a large university has greater opportunities for development. In particular, it is easier for such institutions to maintain modern facilities, attract faculty, and implement new technologies in education. According to the minister, currently only a few medical universities in Ukraine have more than 5,000 students. These include institutions in Kyiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia, and Ternopil.
At other medical universities, the number of students generally ranges from 2,500 to 4,000. Therefore, the new requirements may pose a serious challenge for some institutions. At the same time, the minister’s statement does not imply that all universities currently with fewer than 5,000 students will automatically be closed. For now, the discussion centers on future deliberations and possible changes to the system.
Lyashko Wants to Talk to the Rectors
The minister also stated that he plans to have a frank discussion with the heads of medical universities. He reminded them that universities have financial and administrative autonomy, and that the Ministry of Health cannot directly appoint rectors.
“If you asked for financial autonomy and administrative autonomy, and if the minister cannot interfere in the election of a rector or appoint a rector, then deliver results,” Lyashko said.
According to him, following his conversation with the rectors, he is prepared to approach the leadership of the parliamentary Committee on Education and the Committee on Public Health to propose changes. Thus, the Ministry of Health aims to link university autonomy to specific outcomes of their work. First and foremost, this concerns the quality of medical training, staffing, and the institutions’ capacity for development.
What Might Change for Students
If the proposed model is indeed implemented, some medical universities may merge or lose their status as separate institutions. Changes are also possible for medical schools currently operating within traditional universities. At the same time, there is no specific list yet of institutions that may be downsized or merged. Likewise, no final rules have been announced regarding the 5,000-student requirement.
Currently, the Ministry of Health is merely preparing to discuss the future model of medical education with university presidents. The ministry’s main idea is to avoid spreading resources too thinly across a large number of small institutions and instead create stronger university centers with sufficient numbers of students, faculty, clinical facilities, and modern equipment. At the same time, final decisions regarding the number of medical universities, their consolidation, or changes to the state quota have yet to be made. For now, the discussion centers on the Ministry of Health’s plans and upcoming negotiations with the heads of medical education institutions.
