About the study program

DOCTORAL ACADEMIC STUDIES IN THE FIELD OF MEDICAL SCIENCES are structurally conceived so that they represent the symbiosis of education, research and adoption of contemporary clinical and surgical practical skills, because they integrate theoretical knowledge acquisition, independent and original study research and professional work and ways of presenting and affirmation in the world. By their very essence, this study enables organized scientific and professional development in the field of biomedical research through linking fundamental and applied research in the field of cell biology, genetics, morphology, biochemistry, immunology, pharmacology and physiology of the cell and organism, directed towards the study of molecular mechanisms of the origin and development of the disease (from the aspect of functional genomics and proteomics). A comprehensive approach to diseases at the molecular level aims to contribute to the establishment of the most reliable markers of diagnosis, the ability to understand modern pharmacological procedures and procedures, and the establishment of prophylaxis measures. In addition to gaining knowledge and appropriate skills, awareness of the significance and applicability of scientific research in medical diagnostics and therapy develops, a sense of teamwork is developed for a multidisciplinary integral, first and foremost a comprehensive and comprehensive approach to the medical problem.

Hodogram through doctoral academic studies in the field of medical sciences:

The first type of activity is reflected in the attendance of active teaching from general methodological orientations. They are part of the list of compulsory subjects, which the student is obliged to attend without distinction as to his scientific determination. This is why the mastering of the skills of modern information technology, knowledge of English language, knowledge of contemporary statistical programs and the ways of their application, knowledge of established rules of writing and presenting scientific work, based on the highest ethical standards, a prerequisite for a responsible, comprehensive and successful approach to the research process. Therefore, these subjects constitute the first semester of doctoral academic studies and carry 30 ETCS points.

The second type of activities takes place in the second semester and also carries 30 ETCS points, and is presented with thematically targeted methodological subjects aimed at:

• to acquaint students with modern research methods in the field of morphological and histochemical techniques, analytical and modern physico-chemical and biochemical methods for obtaining biological material, isolating cells and subcellular structures, obtaining highly purified organic compounds, such as nucleic acids, proteins and lipids; enzymological tests, recombinant DNA technology and immunological procedures, as well as molecular microbiology techniques. Within the framework of the methodological subjects, the student is obliged to carry out his / her activities with continuous residences (ie circuits) in the laboratories which are foreseen in the program and plan;
• to provide information to students about procedures in working with experimental animals, starting from the basic principles of ethical approach in these researches, where the largest part of the activity is individual work;
• to provide students with basic knowledge related to work rules in laboratories, contained in the principles of good laboratory practice and knowledge of the place of laboratory markers in evidence-based algorithms;
• to master the ways in which relevant information related to scientific and medical procedures and their critical application is based on the subject of evidence-based medicine
• to deepen their knowledge of molecular genetics, especially from the aspect of studying the human genome, regulation of gene expression and methods of genetic polymorphism testing, as well as pathogenic mechanisms (pharmacogenomics and nutrigenomics).
• to become familiar with the standards of Good Clinical Practice, to learn the legal, professional and ethical limitations of various research processes and vulnerable groups of patients.
• to learn techniques of designing survey research at the stage of data collection for scientific research work,
• to master the methods of managing scientific research projects, the procedures for applying and administering research projects in medical science, the way of organizing the work team as well as managing finances in order to make the best use of objective technical and financial opportunities for research purposes.
• to get acquainted with the basic characteristics of modern functional medical research in clinical practice - from spotting the subject to the interpretation of the results obtained.

Active teaching takes 6-8 hours a day, of which up to two hours or 3 school hours are foreseen for theoretical knowledge of problems, while the rest of the time is dedicated to the adoption of certain skills of laboratory methods. Teachers who are based on their references and active researchers on projects are involved in the teaching process, and almost all of them are permanently employed at the Medical Faculty in Niš. One part of the activities is carried out in other reference laboratories, such as the Institute for Nuclear Sciences "Vinča" - in the Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Endocrinology, Belgrade and Military Medical Academy, Belgrade.

The third group of activities consists in introducing students into a selected research process. This group of activities is designated as a core curriculum in a number of study programs (Greece, Germany, Austria). According to the experiences of the aforementioned university centers, this central part of the activities requires its duration and continuous education, it is just contained in the definition of the system of studies as "learning, mastering skills and research" and lasting in most centers for 18 months. In the proposed program, elective research work lasts three semesters (second, third and fourth). The list of elective subjects implies that the student can choose from the offered program units-modules the teaching and practical contents that are most dynamic for his or her defining during the development of the doctoral thesis. Each elective subject is presented with the number of ECTS points, hours of theoretical lessons and the hours of study research work. For the elective course, the student is defined in the second semester, and his entire engagement during the studies is 65 ECTS, whereby he is part of the specific engagement in the publications of the papers also contained in the scientific activity.

Elective subjects are divided into different elective groups depending on whether they contain discipline of basic, clinical, preventive or surgical disciplines. Interdisciplinary approach and clinical applicability are in the focus of applied research. Students were given the opportunity to perform part of their research activities in other Unievrsity Research Centers with which the Faculty of Medicine has signed cooperation agreements or to receive scholarships and stay on the basis of application for training in other institutions.

The fourth group of activities is the study research work under the guidance of a mentor, who needs to study the studies from the beginning. Original, autonomous, scientifically founded and recognized by a wide scientific public, the only research work that is a confirmation of the implementation of standards and European principles of doctoral studies, as well as recognition of the acquired diploma in the world. Study research work is recognizable by published results, which are expressed as a scientific activity. Scientific activity 1 refers to the second year of studies (third and fourth semesters), carries 10 ESPBs, and is equivalent to at least 3 M points of quantitative criteria of the Rulebook on the evaluation of scientific results of the Ministry of Science and Education, categories M20-M70 (publications, press releases and / or master's thesis). Scientific activity 2 carries 20 ESPBs, refers to the third year of studies (fifth and sixth semesters) and equivalent to at least 6 M points of the Rulebook on the evaluation of scientific results, whereby the student must possess at least 3 publications in scientific journals. The requirement to report the topic of doctoral thesis is three papers in scientific journals, of which at least one candidate is the first author (unless the Regulations of the University include additional conditions). The candidate is obliged to possess at least one authorial work of category M21-M23 to the defense of the thesis.

The fifth group of activities is the preparation of a doctoral dissertation, which is envisaged in the form of a monograph, where it is necessary to contain the relevant results that originated from the original and independent research work. After approval of the topic, the student approaches the development of a thesis that is evaluated by the appropriate commission and publicly defends. Details are set by the rules.

For each student at the doctoral studies, adequate documentation on the regularity of arrivals is kept through a semestral booklet on the stay, as this is a condition for obtaining a signature on a regular course and studies.

The planned activities are in relation to the level of student load by ESPB system distributed by semesters, as shown in the realization plan.