History of University

Kharkiv National Medical University has passed a glorious historical path from the faculty to the higher educational institution, which trains not only highly qualified doctors, but also pedagogical and scientific personnel for medicine.

The history of the Higher Medical School of Kharkiv Region is 215 years and is closely connected with the history of the Imperial Kharkiv University, from the medical faculty of which Kharkiv National Medical University traces its history.

Well-known scientists who made the glory of national science, professors  Lambl D.F., Tsenkovsky L.S., Shchelkov I.P., Krylov V.P., Lazarevich I.P., taught and worked in practical medicine at the medical faculty, Lashkevich V.G. and others. Professors: surgeons Podrez A.G. and Trinkler M.P., therapist Shatilov P.I., ophthalmologist Hirshman L.L., physiologist Danilevsky V.Y. and many others were educated here and became authorities in various fields of medicine. It was the professors of the medical faculty who performed at that time the first ovariotomy operations in the Russian Empire, total gastrectomy, heart operations, and significant scientific discoveries.

The Imperial Kharkiv University and, in particular, its medical faculty played an outstanding role in the development of the Kharkiv region. He sent his best representatives to provide qualified medical care to soldiers during the war, the civilian population threatened by various epidemics.

At the initiative of professors of the medical faculty, the Kharkiv Medical Society was established, which still exists today. In 1910, this society opened the Women’s Medical Institute in Kharkiv. In 1887 a special building for the anatomical theater was built for the medical faculty, in 1896 – four independent clinics.

In 1920, Kharkiv University was abolished, its medical faculty was merged with the Women’s Medical Institute, as a result of which the Kharkiv Medical Academy was formed, which a year later, in 1921, was renamed the Kharkiv Medical Institute. It had two faculties: medical and preventive and odontological.

Among the teachers of the institute were prominent academicians and professors: anatomist Vorobyov V.P., who embalmed the body of Lenin V.I. with his students; physiologist Danilevsky V.Ya. – one of the founders of labor physiology and endocrinology; surgeon Shamov V.M., who founded in Kharkiv the first in Ukraine institute of hematology and blood transfusion, future academician and winner of the Lenin Prize; biochemist Palladin O.V. – the founder of the Institute of Biochemistry, which now bears his name; Honored Professors: Trinkler M.P., an outstanding surgeon, a pioneer of asepsis in Kharkiv, and Bokarius M.S .- the founder of forensic medicine in forensic medicine; neurologist OMGrinstein and pathologist Melnikov M.F.-Razvedenkov, microbiologist Tsekhnovitser M.M. and pharmacologist Cherkes O.I., hygienist Marzeev O.M., dentist Gofung Y.M. and many others.

From the first days of the war, some teachers and graduate students went to the front, the institute was sent to evacuation, where it continued to work on the release of doctors, so necessary at the front and in the rear. In 1944 the institute was re-evacuated to Kharkiv.

Peaceful institutional life began with the restoration of the destroyed educational base, the improvement of the educational process. In 1949, KhMI moved to a 6-year term of study. In the jubilee year of 1955, the institute worked as a part of 53 departments, which were headed by 43 professors and doctors of sciences and 10 associate professors. More than 3.5 thousand students studied at the institute at 3 faculties.

During these years, the institute was subordinated to the Ministry of Health of the USSR and had a high professional status. The institute was headed by prof. B.Ya. Zadorozhny, Honorary Professor of the Poznan Academy of Medicine, the departments were headed by a full member of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences M.M. Solovyov, Corresponding Member. V.S. Derkach, V.O. Belousov, E.O. Popov, E.O. Popov, D.O. Alpern, A.M. Utevsky, E.K. Prikhodkova, laureate of the State Prize B.V. Alyoshin, Academy of Sciences of the USSR Honored Scientists of the USSR Professors: I.R. Braude, GLD.

In 1978, the fourth faculty of dentistry was established at KhMI.

In 1994, by a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Kharkiv Medical University was established on the basis of the KhMI. According to the results of accreditation, Kharkiv Higher Medical School received the highest category, which it still justifies today. Currently, KhNMU teaches at six faculties and 63 departments. In addition to 4 medical, there is also a dental and postgraduate faculty. The scientific and pedagogical staff of the university is over 700 people. Among them are 122 professors and 236 associate professors, 110 and 445 people have the titles of doctor and candidate of medical sciences, respectively. The university staff includes a full member of the NAS of Ukraine and two corresponding members of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, 4 laureates of the State Prizes of Ukraine, 18 honored scientists and technicians, 8 honored doctors, 2 honored educators of Ukraine, 37 full members of international and departmental academies of sciences.

The total number of students studying at KhNMU is about 5,000, including 1,024 foreigners. The university has established and successfully operates 6 educational research and production associations: “Obstetrics and Gynecology”, “Medical Genetics”, “Medical Radiology”, “Therapy”, “Urology”, “Surgery”.

KhNMU has all the conditions for learning and the comprehensive development of students. The Student Scientific Society provides a wide field for scientific classes. Its most active and talented members receive recommendations for scientific work before graduating from the university.

The University has a Youth Union, a youth center and the People’s Theater “Dialogue”, the newspaper “Medical University”, the National Museum of History of KhNMU. Under the guidance of the Department of Physical Education and Health, the university staff participates in sports competitions of various levels and often receives.

The educational and material base of the university is organized by 6 educational buildings. On the basis of the departments located here, pre-clinical training of junior students is carried out. From the third year, students study on clinical bases. 40 clinical departments of the university are located in clinical treatment and prevention facilities and have 7,500 beds. In 2005, the construction of a training dental clinic was completed.