Development Strategy

Development strategy
College of Medical Sciences
Strategy
for the development of the UR College of Medical Sciences
for 2021-2030

The mission of the College of Medical Sciences reflects the fundamental elements of the mission of the University of Rzeszów such as creating intellectual capital for the region based on highly qualified own staff, a modern scientific and educational base and high-quality scientific research. 

SWOT analysis of the development perspectives of the College of Medical Sciences UR

Strengths:

 - Academic teachers in a group of research and teaching staff, for whom the College is the main workplace. Their number and competences have recently allowed the College to significantly expand its educational offer with courses that are of great interest to graduates and the favour of regional employers. 

- Modern scientific and educational equipment and facilities. A large part of it was made available thanks to the significant financial resources obtained by the College and the University, mainly from European funds. 

- Fields of studies conducted by the College. The first and second degree courses are offered in Physiotherapy, Nursing, Midwifery, Public Health, Dietetics, Physical Education, Tourism and Recreation. Bachelor’s studies are conducted in Electroradiology and Emergency Medical Service. Uniform Master’s studies are conducted in a full-time and extramural mode in the field of Medicine. Within Medicine, English Division is developed in English, i.e. studies for foreign students. In addition, postgraduate studies are conducted in the field of Physical Education and Tourism and Recreation. The training programs implemented in our study courses are in line with the requirements of the dynamically changing labour market and the expectations of secondary school graduates. This is evidenced by the stable number of candidates for studies, despite the clearly marked demographic decline. 

- The authorization to confer the scientific degree of Doctor of Health Sciences, Doctor of Medical Sciences. 

- Maintaining the growth rate of publications in high-score journals according to the ministerial list of scientific and reviewed conference materials. 

- Maintaining the increasing trend of the scientific and teaching staff, in particular among independent employees. 

- An internal education quality assurance system for the College based on the development of its own scientific and teaching staff, research and teaching infrastructure, and efficient administration and study programs tailored to educational standards (Nursing, Midwifery, Physiotherapy, Emergency Medical Service, Medical Course) or the National Qualification Framework (other fields) with the involvement of regional employers, as well as efficient procedures for verifying educational outcomes and organizing the course of studies. 

- Internationalization of the research and teaching activities of the College. As part of many international agreements, the College's workers conduct active scientific cooperation, manifested in collective publications, research projects, scientific internships, study visits, and more. Employees and students benefit from international Erasmus+ programs. 

- Education of doctoral students within the UR Doctoral School facilitates the accelerated development of young scientific staff in the fields of medical and health sciences. 

- Organization of internships and apprenticeships of students in leading public and non-public healthcare units, sanatoriums, recreation centres, nursing care homes not only in the Podkarpackie province and other Polish regions, but also outside the Polish borders. 

- Functioning Student Scientific Group in the College enabling students to develop their scientific passions and gain experience in conducting scientific research and publishing their results. 

- Systematic updating of the programs (curricula) taking into account the opinions of external stakeholders, labour market analyses, experiences of foreign universities and organizations, healthcare needs of society, current state of knowledge and trends in preparing for professional activity. 

Opportunities:  

- Internationalization of the College through mobility of the staff and students of the University of Rzeszów, cooperation with researchers affiliated with universities of the top 150 international rankings of higher education institutions (ARWU, QS, THE) or with universities strategic for the University of Rzeszów, cooperation with Polish scientists living outside the borders of Poland, through international scientific consortia; conducting research projects within the framework of bilateral agreements of the University of Rzeszów. 

- International cooperation as well as systematic modernization of the equipment base will allow for a significant acceleration of the development of the scientific staff and its participation in research using modern technologies aimed at achieving practical effects in the field of improving medical procedures. This gives an opportunity to publish the results of the research process in high-score national and international scientific journals. 

- Student and graduate internships. Career Office monitoring the career of university graduates. Information obtained through internships, systematic consultations with potential employers of the medical sector, research of the UR Career Office and other sources will serve continuously improvement of training programs in all types of studies conducted by the College of Medical Sciences. 

- UR research offer encourages foreign researchers to choose the University of Rzeszów as a research unit to conduct research.  

- Newly launched fields of study are focused on modern technologies and current labour market needs, such as: Medicine, Electroradiology, Dietetics, Diagnostic Systems in Medicine as well as Medical Biotechnology conducted in cooperation with the UR College of Natural Sciences. The planned launch of new field of studies: Medical Analysis, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Hearing Prosthetics. Adjusting the educational programmes to European standards and expectations of the medical environment create an opportunity to maintain a constant level of recruitment and to prepare well graduates to meet the requirements of the contemporary medical labour market oriented on high technologies, notable improving treatment efficiency.  

- Plans to obtain rights to carry out the habilitation procedure in medical and health sciences.  

- Wider use of post-doctoral scholarships and scientific internships to accelerate habilitation procedures for the College's employees within already in-force international agreements. 

- Continuation of ongoing projects and active involvement in new projects that fit into the regional strategic plans for 2021-2027, in the framework of European programmes.  

- Competitions activating the process of building the University's Third Mission, allowing the UR College of Medical Sciences to establish relationships with the local community/potential recipients of the teaching offer before they make a decision about further education.  

- Implementing, within the University/unit, a scientific promotion system and the education quality assurance system.  

Weaknesses:  

- Insufficiently developed system monitoring the careers of graduates.  

- Insufficient educational offer in the field of public health leading to low recruitment.  

- Insufficient involvement in research and educational programmes financed by NCN, NCBiR, the European Union and other beneficiaries.  

- Insufficient level of cooperation with regional partners - other institutions of higher education in the Podkarpackie province, Health Care Units - in the development plan of new forms of scientific and application activities for Podkarpackie province. 

- Relatively low (clearly below the ambitions of the College's scientific and teaching staff) parametric evaluation index and degree of categorization.  

- Insufficient knowledge of the organisation/financing of research/educational projects among parts of the scientific and teaching staff.  

- Insufficient integration of the College staff and awareness of the need for joint work to achieve the stated goals and development of the unit. 

Threats:

- Lack of entitlement to habilitation qualifications in the discipline of health sciences and medical sciences hinders the possibility of creating new study fields resulting from the needs of the region. 

- Possible strong decrease in the number of candidates for studies, especially extramural  ones, related to demographic decline, competition among higher education institutions, weaker preparation of youth for studying in medical fields. 

- Level of financing of the College inadequate to the development plans. 

- Lack of teaching base fully meeting the needs of teaching in currently offered and planned study fields. 

- Lack of a university hospital enabling the conduct of clinical trials. 

Strategy of development of the College resulting from SWOT analysis 

The assumptions of the College of Medical Sciences strategy are in line with the strategy of the University of Rzeszów and include the following development objectives: 

Educating students in accordance with the needs of the labour market in the field of health, economy, public life and the current state of medical sciences, health sciences and physical culture sciences, implemented with particular care for their quality and practical application, including the use of opportunities created by various interdisciplinary forms of education, developing the offer of postgraduate studies and other forms of training. 

- Increasing the amount, quality and effectiveness of scientific research in medicine, health sciences and physical culture which would ensure the College's permanent presence in national and international research and application projects and programs, as well as special care for the development of scientific staff, including independent researchers (professors). Perfecting a pro-quality system motivating employees for greater scientific activity. 

- Undertaking efforts to employ outstanding scientists at the University, creating conditions to attract talented students, doctoral students and young scientists. 

- Systemic and professional building of relations with the medical environment of the region by engaging in various research for increase health care standards, through the transfer of knowledge on modern technologies, as well as through the development of practical specializations of curricula and dissemination of scientific achievements of the College and improvement of forms of dissemination of knowledge. 

- Supporting scientific staff in building relationships with businesses and economic, cultural and social institutions. Designing and conducting research focused on practical results (commercialization of research results). Developing interdisciplinary research teams. 

- Further development of the research and teaching base of the College. Consistent equipping of units with modern research and teaching facilities, improving working conditions and increasing the attractiveness of studying at the University.  

- Construction of the University Hospital with accompanying infrastructure in order to meet the educational and research and diagnostics needs of the University of Rzeszów. Completion of the construction of the University Athletics Centre (called Podkarpackie Academic Sports Centre) 2nd stage. Construction of football pitches with artificial surface. 

- Start of new infrastructure investments (construction of a research laboratory - Centre for Diagnostics and Health Promotion) with a high standard of functionality ensuring their accessibility and non-discrimination in all areas.  

- Start of renovation of the scientific and teaching building on Cicha Street for teaching purposes. The strategic scientific development of the College assumes special care for the development of young independent scientific staff in the fields of medical sciences, health sciences and physical culture sciences. Ensuring a system effectively supporting the research of young scientists employed in UR units, as well as students and doctoral students. 

This is reflected in investments made by the College directed towards the development of its own scientific and research facilities and particularly an unique equipment base, which allows to conduct research at the highest level.  

It also opens opportunities for international scientific cooperation based on the research centre at the College for Innovative Research, departments and research laboratories, and for wider participation in the creation and implementation of new technologies together with health care units of the Podkarpackie province. Increasing the status of a scientific journal published by the UR publishing house "European Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine" and “Scientific Review of Physical Culture” in both national and international ranking. 

Among the specific scientific objectives, the following should be mentioned as primary: 

• obtaining the entitlement to confer habilitation qualifications in the discipline of health sciences,

• obtaining the entitlement to confer habilitation qualifications in the discipline of medical science,

• obtaining the entitlement to confer doctoral qualifications in the discipline of physical culture.

Obtaining these rights will enable the launch of postgraduate studies in modern technologies and medical procedures, which will significantly contribute to the development of the academic and research staff of the University and the Voivodeship, improve the quality of teaching and broaden our educational offer for Podkarpackie province. 

In the development plans of the College, the launch of the Medical Analysis, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, and Hearing Prosthetics fields of studies is foreseen. Furthermore, the College will participate in the commencement of the engineering studies in the College of Natural Sciences in the fields of Medical Engineering and Bioinformatics. 

It is planned to constantly improve the competence of the teaching staff in terms of content, methodology and language in order to conduct classes at the highest scientific level (obtaining funds for their funding, among others, in NCBIR competitions). The College plans to implement the Tissue Bank and Scientific Information Centre in the  structure of the Centre for Innovative Research in Medical and Natural Sciences, whose main aim is to intensify the activities of the academic staff in the field of preparing and participating in national and international projects and developing applied research. 

In the framework of the Centre for Innovative Research in Medical and Natural Sciences, research activity of the students of the College of Medical Sciences UR will be developed. The organization of summer schools for students showing outstanding achievements will be another activity aimed at developing students. The summer schools will be a nationwide undertaking integrating the environment of young scientists and promoting the unit on a national forum. 

In the development plans of the Centre for Innovative Research in Medical and Natural Sciences is to obtain the status of a reference centre in such fields as flow cytometry, molecular diagnostics of human diseases, ethics, etc. This will allow for conducting improvement courses for representatives of biomedical professions at different levels of training. 

In addition, obtaining certificates that will strengthen the position of PMCBI on the laboratory market.