The Volgograd State Medical University is one of the leading medical universities in Russia. The Diplomas granted by the VolSMU are recognized by the World Health Organization and in over 80 countries. Our University has got wide international links.

History. The Stalingrad Medical Institute was founded in 1935. There was only one medical faculty then. It was the faculty of General Medicine. In 1993 the institute was granted the status of Academy, in 2003 – the status of University.

Structure. Nowadays the Volgograd State Medical University has nine faculties (the Faculty of General Medicine, the Faculty of Pediatrics, the Faculty of Dentistry, the Faculty of Pharmacy, the Faculty of Biomedicine, the Faculty of Social Work and Clinical Psychology, the Faculty of Postgraduate Training, the Faculty of Continuing Training and the Faculty for International Students) and a medical college training dental technicians, pharmacists and nurses. Medical students may specialize in General Medicine, Pediatrics, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Biology and Biochemistry, Mental Health, Nursing and Medical Diagnostics correspondingly.

Academic staff. Today the Volgograd State Medical University has a highly qualified academic staff. The University employs more 850 faculty members working in 78 departments, among them there are 3 academicians of the National Academy for Medical Sciences, 93 professors, 125 assistant professors, and 500 candidates of sciences.

Buildings and facilities. The Volgograd State Medical University occupies 4 buildings for studies and 5 multi-profile hospitals for 7 000 patients. It also has 4 hostels for students, a swimming pool with sport rooms, a student canteen and a library. The University has lecture halls, classrooms, and laboratories equipped with modern training devices and simulators. The Medical University framework includes a number of research centres: the Centre for clinical and experimental rheumatology, the Centre for clinical and experimental pharmacology, the Federal centre for acupuncture, the Centre for licensing health care professionals, the Central research laboratory.

Educational process. The period of studies at the Medical University lasts for 4-6 years (4 years at the Bachelor level, 6 years at the Specialty level). During the first 2 years the students study general subjects, such as Anatomy, Medical Physics, General Chemistry, Latin, Foreign Languages, etc. They gain the required knowledge of the structure and functions of the human body. In the third year medical students start their clinical training. All the clinical departments are located in different hospitals of our city, for example in Clinic 1 of Volgograd State Medical University, dental clinics and other clinics and in-patient hospitals. All of them provide all the necessary facilities for students to gain the required knowledge. Bedside teaching is the part of instruction when students acquire basic hands on skills in medicine and health care. Senior students learn to prevent, diagnose and treat various diseases. They study clinical courses such as Dentistry, Surgery, Pharmacology, Internal Medicine, Psychology, etc.

Studying. The academic year is divided into two terms (or semesters): the autumn and the spring ones. After the autumn term students have winter examinations and then winter vacations, after the spring term students have summer examinations and then summer vacations. The attendance of lectures and classes is compulsory at the Volgograd State Medical University. The students who have missed classes have to present a permit note from the dean’s office and to come to the make-up classes.

Research work. The Volgograd State Medical University is also a centre of medical research. There are a number of scientific schools and societies at different departments. Our scientists do research in different fields of medicine: clinical and experimental pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, immunology, genetics and others. Our university organizes annual scientific and practical conferences on various medical issues where the students may also take part.

Post-graduate education. The University provides Post-graduate training which involves Clinical residency and Post-graduate courses in many medical fields.

Exercise 1.5. Give the English equivalents of the following words and word combinations from Text A:

1) Всемирная Организация Здравоохранения; 2) Волгоградский государственный медицинский университет; 3) лечебный факультет; 4) педиатрический факультет; 5) стоматологический факультет; 6) фармацевтический факультет; 7) медико-биологический факультет; 8) факультет клинической психологии и социальной работы; 9) факультет последипломного образования; 10) факультет повышения квалификации; 11) последипломное образование; 12) клиническая ординатура; 13) аспирантура; 14) факультет для иностранных студентов; 15) стоматология; 16) выполнять исследования; 17) учебный год; 18) пропущенные занятия; 19) приобретать основные навыки; 20) приходить на отработку; 21) зимняя (летняя) сессия.