12^th ZEVA Symposium

Tirana, Albania 11-13 November 2005

hosted by the Order of Physicians of Albania

 

Memorandum of Tirana on the Bologna Process

The 12th Symposium of Medical Chambers of Central and East European Countries meeting in Tirana, Albania, on November 12, 2005 revisited the issue of the Bologna-Process to reform the higher education in Europe.

The Symposium welcomes the initiatives of the ministers of higher education to facilitate the migration and exchange of students and teachers. A transparent and mutually agreed system of credits and diplomas would allow better recognition and by that facilitate migration. Academic education in Europe will highly profit from these improvements.

 

However, this Symposium rejects the introduction of a two-cycle education for medicine.

Firstly, during the last three decades the traditionally study of medicine has been integrated in a unified one-cycle education combining clinical training with basic science. A split of the medical education in a theoretical and a clinical part would spoil the tremendous efforts that have been made so far.

Secondly, the introduction of a bachelor degree would not provide an entry into a professional career because there is no professional field for a semi- trained physician and there should not be one for the reason of patient safety. As regards medicine, the reform would not achieve the aim set by the ministers, i.e. to enter profession after three years to four years of training.

For these reasons the participants of the 12th Symposium of Medical Chambers of Central and East European strongly advise not to implement the two-cycle education and not to introduce bachelor and master degrees in medicine.