Socio-Psychological Features of Professional Competence Formation in a Medical Student During Studying of Pediatrics

Abstract

Abstract. The aim of research is to make compilation and supplementation of the research data concerning components of the professional competence of a medical student during learning of pediatric disciplines.

Research methods: theoretical – analysis and synthesis of scientific papers, systematization and generalization of received issues.

The study results revealed the constituent features during development of physician’s professional competence at the undergraduate level of education: professionalism, communicative competence, professional activity, and professional reflection accordingly. Personality-orientated approach to learning, in addition to competence, will significantly improve the quality of preparation of the future medical specialists by diversifying of teaching techniques and tools. It also ensures implementation of the basic principles of objective structured medical exam (OSCE) and combination of the game techniques in teaching process. For successful development of professional competence individual mobility is also important, like obligate component of the socio-psychological structure of the personality. Due to organization and psychological-pedagogical requirements of its formation, the following components are needed for a competence of the future doctor: cognitive, that include practical use of the theoretical knowledge and educational information  in concrete clinical case; operational, that means options to train practical skills and abilities of the doctor through integration of theoretical knowledge in practice; axiological or application of the system, which cooperates important individual qualities and personal professional skills being applied in doctor’s activities. Among the multiple structural components of the professional competence of the physician, a set of the most important items seems to be verified. They are: informational, which determine the methods of perception, storage and transmission of educational information; analytical, which include comparison, classification, abstraction, forecasting, systematization and specification; design or projective, reflecting ways to define goals, resources, actions and deadlines; communicative, through which the transfer of the information is carried out, and intrapersonal interaction and communication are determined; social (socio-professional positions and roles performed by the medical specialist); reflexive (focus is made on the successful future professional activities); creative (knowledge, skills and abilities of productive and creative activity of the doctor).

Contributive factors in the realization of the future medical specialist are as follows: social – the necessity for self-improvement, dictated by the requirements of educational working curriculums, which aims to develop a professional profile (a kind of standard)  specialist; psychological – the content and nature of the individual, which is realized in the effectiveness of the educational process in general;  organizational and pedagogical, that consists of mechanisms, procedures and conditions for the implementation of the principles and results of the learning process in high educational institutions and after graduation.         

Conclusions. The professional competence of the future doctor is a sufficient theoretical and practical training of the student, based on personal traits, professional qualities, abilities and professionalism, which is achieved by combining of different methods and tools of educational activities.

Its components, in particular, the communicative one and professional reflection in combination with professional identity and activity, provide the formation of professional knowledge, skills, values, speech culture, communication style, and analytical, prognostic, design skills, required to perform the activities of the doctor, work for the result, and provide a qualitatively higher level of medical student training at the undergraduate stage. It is determined that formation of the significant professional qualities can be performed at the background of life values in concrete medical student, his professional identity and communicative competence, in addition to theoretical knowledge, practical skills and abilities.

Keywords: medical student, socio-psychological competence, professional  identity, professional reflection, professional activity.