Vilniaus Kolegijos

VILNIAUS KOLEGIJOS

visuomenės sveikatos krypties

biomedicininės diagnostikos, dietologijos ir higieninės ir dekoratyvinės kosmetologijosstudijų programųišorinio išsamiojo

VERTINIMO IŠVADOS

VilniusCollege

study field of public health

external assessment of

hygienic and decorative cosmetology, dietetics and biomedical diagnostics

study programmes

Final Report

Grupės vadovas:
Team leader: / Prof. Ulrich Laaser
Nariai:
Team members: / Prof. Roza Adany
Prof. Anita Villerusa
Jonas Bartlingas

Profile of Public Health Study Programmes

Title of study programme / Hygienic and decorative cosmetology / Dietetics / Biomedical diagnostics
State code / 65310B106 / 65310B105
65310B108
(after re-registration) / 65310B102
Kind of studies1 / NU / NU / NU
Mode of studies2 (duration in years) / F(3); PX(4) / F(3) / F(3)
Volume of study programme in credits / 120 / 120 / 120
Degree and (or) professional qualification to be awarded / technologist / dietitian
technologist
(after re-registration) / technologist
Programme registration date, order No. / F
30-08-2002; No. 1514;
PX
29-05-2003-05;
No. 762 / 26-06-2002; No 1190
re-registered
24-12-2003; No1876 / 29-08-2001;
No 1234

1. Introduction

Membership

Members of the group were invited by the Studiju Kokybes Vertinimo Centras to review the Public Health training programmes in Lithuania.

• Professor Ulrich Laaser – head of the Section of International Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bielefeld, principal investigator of the Stability Pact programme on the reconstruction of Public Health teaching and research in South Eastern Europe and visiting professor at the School of Public Health, Belgrade, Serbia.
• Professor Roza Adany –Dean of the Faculty of Public Health, Head of the Department of Preventive Medicine, Medical and Health Science Centre, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
• Professor Anita Villerusa – Dean of the Faculty of Public Health, Stradin Universty, Riga, Latvia
• Jonas Bartlingas, Ministry of Health, Health Care Resources Management Division, Vilnius, Lithuania.

Vilnius College was established in 2000, when – in harmony with the Bologna Declaration - the new law on higher education was being implemented, legitimating a two-cycle higher education system in Lithuania.The College, the largest institution among the colleges of Lithuania consists of8 faculties: Electronics and Informatics, Economics, Business Management, Health Care, Pedagogic, Design and Technology, Arts andAgro-technologies.

Trainings delivered by he Faculty of Health Care were reviewed and evaluated. Presently the Faculty has 560 students in nursing, 200 students in rehabilitation and 400 public health students. The public health training consists of three courses: hygienic and decorative cosmetology (launched in 2002), dietetics (launched in 2002) and biomedical diagnostics (launched in 2001).

2. Aims and goals of study programmes

The aim of the studies is to prepare high qualification specialists of hygienic and decorative cosmetology, dietetics and biomedical diagnosticsin V level of professional training, satisfying the requirements of market and needs in Vilnius region and Lithuania and corresponding the level of modern technologies and science. Aims of the study programme were formulated according to employers’ needs and recommendations and normative documents.

3. Analysis of programmes

Students of the above 3 tracks study together the general subjects for the first 15 credits and after completing them they continue into the specific directions. Practical training sites are selected outside the College for students studying dietetics and biomedical diagnostics, while for students in cosmetology the practical training is on site. The study program for cosmetologist have been set up according to Standard of cosmetologist training approved by Ministry of Education and Science and Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania

3.1. Programme Hygienic and decorative cosmetology

3.1.1. Structure, contents and study methods

Full time and part-time (extramuaral) trainings are available in cosmetology. The arrangement of subjects in the extramural study programme into target groups, its aims, volume in credits coincide with those indicated in the full-time study program.

3.1.2. Execution of studies and support for students

General subjects and professional subjects are well-balanced. Subjects of the special study parts are focused on the main components of the cosmetology research and practice. Students get closer acquaintance with career possibilities while studying subjects of special study part and while performing practices of professional activity.

The titles of the separate study subjects could be considered in the future taking into account content and international recognition of its. For example, under the title environmental medicine I, II and III there are 3 separate very important subjects, as food and nutrition ( named as basic of dietetics), microbiology and eye diseases and prophylaxis, (named vision hygiene)

Thesis as final examination could be considered, while there are little emphasises to research methodology and statistical analyses of the data in the curriculum. Also only two of the staff members have a degree.

3.1.3. Variation in the number of students

Cosmetology is a very popular field of studies. All the new entrants indicated this programme as first priority and even the number of first priority applicants is about 2.5X higher than that of places available. Students are very motivated in general; from 2003 only 8 first year students of Hygienic and Decorative Cosmetology study programme have “dropped out”. The main reason for “drop-out” is poor progress.

3.1.4. Teaching staff

This study programme is being implemented by 28 including 2 guest teachers. In general, two persons have academic degree in each track.Load of teaching hours 720 contact hours/academic year as an average.

3.1.5. Advantages and disadvantages of the programme

The practical training rooms are nicely equipped. The on-site training is fully supported by all the neccessary equipments and consumables. In the specific part of the training the skin pathology and ethics in cosmetology are missing (not sufficiently covered).

3.2. Programme Dietetics

Dietetics is also a very popular field of studies.

3.2.1. Structure, contents and study methods

Training in dietetics exists only as full time training. General subjects and professional subjects are well-balanced. Subjects of the special study parts are focused on the main components of the dietetic research and practice.

3.2.2. Execution of studies and support for students

In general students’ knowledge is checked in written form. Tasks for testing, free-chosen work and exams are prepared. The tasks define subject aims, which should be fulfilled by the students, and also the criterion of assessment.

The title of the study subject Basic of training did not discover exact content, more relevant would be Pedagogy also Food hygiene could be replaced with the title food safety

3.2.3. Variation in the number of students

In 2002 30 students were admitted to dietetics study programme, in 2005 22 of them have graduated. Thus, during the 3 years of studies 8 students (26.6%) have “dropped out”. The most frequent “dropping out” is noticed during the first year. In 2003 31 students were admitted and it was predicted that 19 students would graduate in 2006, i.e. in three year time 11 students (about one third of the students in the class of 2006) have “dropped out”. The main reason of “dropping out” is poor progress.

3.2.4. Teaching staff

Subjects of general study part are taught by 5 teachers, subjects of acquisition of professional qualification by 13 teachers. One teacher has doctoral degree in physical studies and others have master’s degree. All the teachers have more than 3 years of practical work experience in the field of subject taught. Professional subjects are taught by the senior specialist for dietetics working at Ministry of Health who is the only person having doctor’s educational degree of this area in Lithuania, the president of National Federation of Dietetics.

3.2.5. Advantages and disadvantages of the programme

Close relationship with social partners, employers’ and international organizations exists, but lecturers recruitment for teaching subjects of special part is difficult.

3.3. Programme Biomedical diagnostics

3.2.1. Structure, contents and study methods

Training in dietetics and biomedical diagnostics exist only as full time training. In case of biomedical technologies four different branches (laboratory diagnostics, radiological diagnostic, diagnostics in pathology and forensic medicine, functional diagnostics) are identified and subjects are categorized accordingly. Each branch consists of subjects for 10 credits, and as a consequence none of them is really covered satisfactorily. Practices are accomplished in national institutes (oncology, public health research, pathology) and clinical/hospital laboratories.

Taking into account professional spectrum of employment more credits are recommended for basic training in physiology and pathological physiology, biochemistry, clinical pathology. According to the content the study subject Social medicine are more relevant to Public health. It will be appreciated to underline modern public health approach more in the curriculum

3.2.2. Execution of studies and support for students

Mode of final study programme assessment is qualification examination and final theses. Qualification examination estimated level of professional competences acquired while studying professional qualification subjects. Final theses for which there are appointed 6 credits, assessed level of professional competences acquired while doing branch subjects.

3.2.3. Variation in the number of students

The competition for the places of the biomedical diagnostics programme is not intense, the number of first priority applicants does not differ significantly from the number of places available (or if it is, number of first priority applicants is less than the number of places).

3.2.4. Teaching staff

The study programme is being implemented by 23 permanent and 6 guest lecturers. 1 lecturer is physical and an other one is biomedicine science doctor.Some other lecturers have master degree and more than 3 years of practical teaching experience. Complementing academic staff for this study programme there are invited lecturers experienced in special study part, taking into account quick changes in diagnostics sphere.

3.2.5. Advantages and disadvantages of the programme

Practical training is organised in real working conditions in different profile laboratories, retraining and upgrading training courses for former graduates are missing.

4. Material conditions

The general area of the Faculty of Health Care is 11261m2. There is a cafeteria and a canteen of 245 places in the faculty. The general area of the mentioned objects is 520m2. There is a gym hall of 650m2 where different sport activities and events take place. Modern teaching laboratories and classes are established in the Faculty of Health Care and they are periodically renovating with new teaching and learning material and equipment.

5. External relations

The departments of public health study field programmes of Vilnius, Kaunas and KlaipedaCollege periodically cooperate and collaborate. The consultative seminars are organized, the problems are analysed in order to improve and to raise the quality of the study programmes and to ease the students migration between the schools. Although, the faculty of Health Care collaborates with the institutions in foreign countries providing the study programmes in the similar study field, exchange programmes neither for teachers nor for students are developed.

6. Feedback

Feed back from the students is organized by different ways. Problems discussed between students and teachers: reduction in contact hours, shortage in books, speed of computers provided. Comments of students have to be seriously considered.

Instead of thesis work students would prefer a good practical exam – in case of cosmetologists the thesis work strongly linked to their practical work, but this is not the case in the two other courses. They would like a training programme with more emphasis on behavioural sciences and communication skills.

The former students would need retraining/upgrading short courses, especially people graduated more than 5 years ago in the field of biomedical diagnostics. The lifetime of knowledge is relatively short, because of the exponential increase in the field of diagnostic technology. It is a general problem, that the salaries in the health sector are very low.

7. Internal assurance of study quality

Regular self assessment process includes the academic staff, students, social partners and other members of the community.Special attention is paid to meet constantly increasing demands both of college academic staff and students and to satisfy needs of constantly changing careers possibilities; it will guarantee closed co-operation with the social partners.The results, analysis and conclusions at the end of every academic year are discussed in dean’s office, in the meetings of different departments, in the community meetings as well. These have great influence on curriculum development, teaching methods and on estimation of knowledge. The self-assessment of the members of every department becomes the base in planning the activity of the department. The self-assessment of the faculty is preparing annual on the basics of all departments of the faculty.

8. General assessment of the programmes within the study field

The Public Health study field is part of the Faculty of Health Care as one of eight faculties of the Vilnius College. Three professional Bachelor programmes are offered leading to the degree of a technologist after 3 years of study corresponding to 120 Lithuanian credit units (equal to 180 ECTS). All information requested by the international expert group was provided with a very cooperative attitude.

8.1. Recommendations to the higher education institution

The training programes offered have a dominant practice orientation. The material conditions are excellent. Students and employers are highly satisfied. The degrees issued by the college are highly demanded by the market.

8.1.1. Internationalisation

The number of bilateral and multilateral exchange agreements with similar training programmes abroad should be enhanced to allow more students to gain international experience.

8.1.2. Programme on cosmetology

The programme on cosmetology should include a module on ethics especially with reference to the decision making for referral of clients to the medical system. Furthermore an integrated module on skin pathology is highly recommended.

8.1.3. Programme on medical diagnostics

The content of the programme on medical diagnostics should be reconsidered with regard to the labour market i.e. more credits should be given to the 4 specialisation branches, especially laboratory and radiological diagnostics, whereas diagnostics in pathology and forensic medicine as well as functional diagnostics are less relevant and may be offered in a rotating scheme.

8.1.4. Thesis

Writing a thesis should not be mandatory in favour of an optional examination, as not enough lecturers have a PhD to supervise thesis work effectively.

8.1.5. Continued education

The efforts should be intensified to provide to previous generations of students continued education and upgrading of their knowledge in short courses making effective use of the modular system. This is especially valid in the area of medical diagnostics.

8.1.6 Facilities

The facilities are excellent, however, the availability of asecond big auditorium would allow to teach some general subjects for several programmes together and thereby save expensive lecturer time.

8.1.7. Labour market

In order to improve the feedback from the labour market the establishment of a council of employers /stakeholders should be considered.

8.2. Recommendation to the Ministries of Education and Health

8.2.1. Status of the professional Bachelor programmes

Improve the status of the professional bachelor programmes and provide opportunity to graduates to continue to study university master programmes (e.g. after attending some few additional modules on research methods) as is advised in the Bologna process regarding the full permeability of the educational sphere.

8.2.2. Preparation for the inspectorate

Establish a programme for the Public Health inspectorate at college level i.e. as a Professional Bachelor if feasible as a joint programme with participation of the university (e.g. College and University in Vilnius). The reason is that Public Health inspectors need a comprehensive knowledge and practice exposure especially in the area of environmental health which is difficult to provide in the framework and environment of the academic bachelor programes.

8. 3. Proposal for accreditation

Study programmes at VilniusCollege:

Non-university study programme Biomedical Diagnostics (state registration code 65310B102) is given conditional accreditation;

Non-university study programme Dietetics (state registration code 65310B105) is given full accreditation;

Non-university study programme Hygienic and Decorative Cosmetology (state registration code 65310B106) is given full accreditation.

Head of the group
Members / Ulrich Laaser
Roza Adany
Anita Villerusa
Jonas Bartlingas / ......
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