Does the Academy set its minimum scores based on Unified State Examination results?
Vladimir Davydenko examined the level of Russian pharmaceutical education according to various parameters
Over the past few years, experts have noted in our country an increase in the interest of applicants in obtaining higher pharmaceutical education and education in the field of medicine. According to statistics published on the website of the Ministry of Health, in 2010 the number of people wishing to study at Russian medical universities increased by 33.5% compared to the previous enrollment. A year later, the Ministry of Health recorded another 21 percent jump. During the 2013 admissions campaign, officials again reported an increase in the number of applications submitted (this time by 10%).
These figures allow us to talk about the emergence of a new trend in Russia, which, on the one hand, is associated with the maturation of society, the growing level of social responsibility, and on the other hand, with quite decent salaries, which the commercial sector of the pharmaceutical industry and medicine promises graduates, as well as with the prospects of the profession (which, for example, is included in the list of “professions of the future” compiled by American journalists). The question arises, where can one obtain high-quality pharmaceutical education?
Where can a future pharmacist get a higher education?
Those who decide to take this noble path have plenty to choose from: in Russia there are more than 50 medical universities, many of which have long since opened faculties of pharmacy, as well as two independent specialized academies — in St. Petersburg and Perm. The third specialized university — Pyatigorsk State Pharmaceutical Academy — became a branch of Volgograd State Medical University in 2012. But where in Russia do they provide the best pharmaceutical education and how to get it?At first glance, it seems that answering this question is not very difficult: the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Health should probably have this kind of information. And the Internet should not be discounted: a couple of authoritative ratings have definitely been published there. But in reality, everything turned out to be not so simple.
Probably, no one who has tried to understand the issue will be surprised by the complete absence of our medical and pharmaceutical universities in the authoritative international top 100, -200 or -500. Here, even classical universities with a century-old history feel very uncomfortable: this year Moscow State University named after. Lomonosov entered two international rankings, but in none of them did it rise above 49th place.
There are other difficulties within the country. Let's start with the fact that official rankings of Russian universities, prepared with the participation of specialists from the Ministry of Education (and in our case, the Ministry of Health), have not been published since the mid-2000s. So, in response to my questions, the press secretaries of these departments just shrugged their shoulders.
In recent years, the place of ratings in the structure of state assessment of the quality of higher education has been taken by the so-called effectiveness monitoring. “But let me emphasize, these are university monitoring data, and not ratings based on any criteria,” the press service of the Ministry of Education warned me, leaving no doubt: this is a completely different story. Nevertheless, some monitoring information turned out to be quite interesting.
However, first, let’s look at the ratings that we managed to find on the Internet—the fruits of the work of various independent expert groups. True, this information cannot completely satisfy us: almost none of the authors of such studies focused on medical and pharmaceutical universities.
List of Russian universities with pharmaceutical faculties
Perhaps the most extensive top Russian universities are regularly compiled by the Expert rating agency. In 2013, 19 universities with pharmacy faculties were included in the top hundred, according to his version, of higher schools, almost half (9) of which are non-specialized medical alma maters (see Table 1).
The first lines of the top, as expected, were occupied by famous classical universities. Among specialized educational institutions, Muscovites are also in the lead, but the regions are literally breathing in the capital’s back: Siberian (Tomsk) and Kazan State Medical Universities are among the 50 best universities in the country.
There is not a single rating available to the average user on the Internet that reflects the balance of power specifically in the field of Russian pharmaceutical education. Therefore, we will talk about independent assessments relating to the university as a whole, which means we need to remember a certain amount of conditionality.
Vox populi
Another noteworthy rating, compiled annually by the Vseved portal, paints a much more motley picture—this resource is dedicated to the development of higher education. It reflects the view of education of those who directly receive it. This is a student ranking of universities, which, based on the results of last year’s survey, included just under 500 universities. In addition to this extensive summary top, the portal’s experts compiled ratings for each educational sector, including medicine. We present this ranking excluding universities without pharmaceutical faculties (see Table 2).
The place in the ranking is determined by the average score that students give to their university during an anonymous survey. Criteria such as the quality of the curriculum, the degree of workload balance, the level of the teaching staff, attendance control, the quality of the material and technical base, the level of corruption, etc. are assessed. As can be seen from the distribution of places, the principle of metropolitan orientation of ratings does not work here — reputable medical universities St. Petersburg and Moscow are by no means top leaders. However, by visiting the portal, you can be convinced that every university mentioned has received its share of criticism.
List of the best universities with pharmaceutical faculties according to students
Following in the footsteps of the Higher School of Economics
Students judge universities, and universities judge students even more so. Each university is given the right to decide which of the admissions committees knocking on the doorsteps is worthy of entry into the temple of science. In recent years, the ticket there has been the Unified State Examination results. And if so, they can also become the basis for compiling a rating that indicates the pretentiousness of educational institutions in relation to the level of preparation of the future student.
The staff of the Higher School of Economics is also guided by this logic; since 2010, they have been compiling their own rating of the quality of budget-funded admission to state universities, based on the average Unified State Exam score of newly graduated first-year students (by default, it is believed that the best of the best get into the budget). This “university average temperature” includes the scores of those admitted through competition, out of competition, and into target places. The picture that emerged in 2013 (again, excluding universities that are not of interest to us) is in Table 3.
List of universities with pharmaceutical faculties and Unified State Exam scores
Flight of scientific thought
In 2010, the same team from HSE, in addition to the Unified State Examination ranking, conducted another interesting comparative study of universities. Experts ranked the top universities based on the level of scientific and publishing activity of their employees. In total, the sample included 474 Russian institutes. They haven’t forgotten about the medical cluster here either. HSE staff assessed the publication activity of the university's scientific and teaching staff, participation in grants from major Russian grantors, the average number of citations per article in the Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI) database, and the university's publishing activities.
As you can see, scientific thought in the medical cluster is by no means concentrated within the Moscow Ring Road. There are few capital universities in the ranking, but the rest of Russia is represented quite evenly: the first positions in the HSE top are taken by universities from almost all federal districts of our country. What is good news is that high scientific activity often goes hand in hand with the same high quality of teaching.
List of pharmaceutical universities in Russia with the highest scientific activity
The first monitoring of universities took place in our country in 2012. The main goal of this procedure is constant state control over the progress of the educational process in order to increase its efficiency. To do this, Russian universities must provide their data in several areas of assessment, such as the average Unified State Examination score of admitted applicants, the university’s income and its expenses on research and development work per one teaching employee, the share of foreign students, the total area of educational scientific premises and infrastructure per student, employment of graduates, as well as about 50 more indicators for assessing branches and specific (military, medical, creative, etc.) universities.
For a university to be considered effective, it must show good results in at least three of the six basic criteria. Conclusions about this based on the results of the analysis of indicators are made by working groups created in each region. The final decision on the fate of a university with signs of inefficiency (its reorganization, optimization) is made by an interdepartmental commission with the participation of the Ministry of Education and other interested parties.
Since its inception, monitoring has generated lively debate in educational circles. Many accuse the system of insufficient representativeness of indicators, subjectivity of assessments and blurring of the very concept of “efficiency”. Nevertheless, last year Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that work in this direction would continue.
The Chemical-Pharmaceutical Academy is a federal government institution that was created by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.
Educational institution address
Before analyzing the features of this educational institution, let’s find out its location. Where is the St. Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical Academy located? Address Aptekarsky Island, Professor Popov, building 14. In addition to the main one, the academy has a building for laboratory work. The St. Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical Academy received a separate department of biotechnology and microbiology, located on the street. Kazanskaya, 14. The nursery with medicinal plants is located in the village of Lembolovo.
Pages of history
This educational institution appeared in order to train full-fledged pharmacists with higher education for the domestic pharmaceutical industry.
In 1925, the Faculty of Pharmacists transferred to the First Leningrad University. In 1937 it became the Leningrad Pharmaceutical Institute.
In 1945, the Faculty of Technology appeared at LPI. And since 1949, the institute received the name of the Leningrad Pharmaceutical Institute. Its task is to train technologists and microbiologists to work in pharmaceutical and factories specializing in the production of antibiotics.
In the middle of the last century, the St. Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical Academy acquired BID, on the basis of which various self-supporting options for scientific research work were carried out. A little later, a research laboratory appears, within the walls of which pharmacists are trained at the Faculty of Pharmacy. Then the Faculty of Medical and Engineering Industry appears.
Since 1990, LHTI was called the St. Petersburg Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute, and since 1996 it is the St. Petersburg State Chemical-Pharmaceutical Academy (SPHFA).
Activities
What areas of training are currently represented here? Who does the St. Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical Academy train? The faculties represented by this educational institution are related specifically to medicines and medicine.
Faculty of Pharmacy
It was created for the training of pharmacists specializing in pharmacy. The St. Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical Academy specializes in preparing students to work in pharmacies, analytical laboratories, hygiene centers, pharmaceutical enterprises, and forensic laboratories.
Training at the faculty is offered only full-time (full-time). You can undergo training on a commercial or budget basis.
Engineers for industrial production of drugs
What specialties does the St. Petersburg State Chemical-Pharmaceutical Academy offer at this faculty? You can choose the biotechnology of medicinal products, which involves the production of active substances using microbial analysis. Graduates who have received this specialty are engaged in the production of biologically active additives using chemical reactions. You can apply for the specialty “Technology of ready-made herbal remedies and medicinal substances.”
In 2012, the Department of Protein Technology was created, which deals with development based on monoclonal antibodies.
Faculty of Additional Vocational Education
Its main task is to conduct certification training cycles for pharmacists in the following areas:
- economics and management of pharmacy;
- pharmacognosy and pharmaceutical chemistry;
- educational certification cycles that allow doctors and pharmacists to improve their qualifications.
Reviews and useful information
What kind of education does the St. Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical Academy provide? Reviews from graduates of this institution are mostly positive. Newly-minted specialists are convinced that they have received excellent knowledge and can easily adapt to the workplace. Employers are also satisfied with SPHFA graduates: they willingly employ pharmacists and specialists who have a diploma from this highest-level state educational institution.
SPFA has its own nursery in the village of Lembolovo, in which medicinal plants belonging to different climatic zones are grown. More than 400 useful plants are grown in a special collection area. This nursery has long been an excellent base for practical training for students of the Pharmaceutical Academy.
This university also has its own structural divisions: a center for examination of tools and databases, and its own publishing house.
In addition to training specialists for the domestic academy, it trains specialists from foreign countries in two specialties: biotechnology and pharmacy. Foreign citizens can undergo scientific internships and postgraduate studies at the Pharmaceutical Academy.
Features of admission
How accessible is the St. Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical Academy for applicants? The points you need to score when passing the Unified State Exam in specialized subjects must be at least 70 for budget education.
When studying at the academy on a paid basis, they are slightly lower. Currently, the State Academy of Pharmacy is considered the country's leading higher-level educational institution, specializing in training specialists for enterprises in the microbiological and chemical industries.
Only within the walls of this educational institution there is a special faculty that trains engineers for the pharmaceutical and chemical industries in the technology of production of medicinal substances.
Among the innovations used at the academy, evening preparatory courses for high school students (grades 10-11) are of particular interest. There is also a preparatory department, designed for a year of study, for foreign citizens.
Graduates of the Pharmaceutical Academy have the opportunity to obtain postgraduate education. This educational institution accepts candidate exams, including foreign languages, philosophy, and you can study in graduate school and doctoral studies. Some students defend their dissertations remotely (remotely).
Conclusion
Currently, the Pharmaceutical Academy has an excellent technical base and highly qualified teachers. Students have the opportunity not only to obtain serious fundamental knowledge, but also to find a well-paid and prestigious job after completing their studies. Over the entire existence of this higher-level educational institution, many certified specialists have been trained. Many of them have already received scientific degrees and titles, government awards. The leadership of the Pharmaceutical Academy tries to provide students with the results of all research that appears in this segment of domestic and foreign science.
How and to what address can I send documents to the SPHFA Admissions Committee by mail?
Documents should be sent by registered mail with notification and a list of attachments to the address: 197376 St. Petersburg, st. Prof. Popova, 14. (St. Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical Academy. Admissions Committee).
Please note that when submitting documents for several specialties or areas of training, you must submit one set of documents and one application (indicating areas of training and specialties, as well as forms of training (places financed from the state budget or with full reimbursement of tuition fees) in the competition for which you want to take part).
The application can be downloaded in electronic form on the official website for applicants of the academy in the “Documents” section.
Possibility of receiving documents in electronic digital form not provided.
How will I know if my email has been received and if I am participating in the competition?
The admissions committee publishes on the website and updates daily lists of applicants who have applied for each specialty.
Does the Academy set its own minimum scores based on Unified State Examination results?
The minimum number of points based on the Unified State Examination results for each specialty is set equal to the minimum number of points established by the Federal Service for Supervision of Education and Science, confirming the development of the general education program of secondary (complete) general education in accordance with the requirements of the federal state educational standard in the current year.
What were the passing scores for budget places in 2013?
In 2013, the passing grade for the Faculty of Pharmacy was 264 , at the Faculty of Industrial Technology of Medicines: Chemical Technology - 222 , biotechnology - 219 (based on the sum of USE results in three subjects).
Are all out-of-town students provided with hostel accommodation?
In 2012, all nonresident first-year students who entered state-funded education were provided with dormitories.
Check-in to the dormitory will be carried out in accordance with the norms of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation. Currently it is possible to accommodate 90 people. The Academy is working to select dormitories in the city for students; information will be posted when the admissions committee begins its work.
Are non-resident applicants participating in entrance examinations conducted by SPHFA independently provided with hostel accommodation?
Nonresident applicants participating in entrance examinations conducted by SPHFA independently are provided with a place in a dormitory for the period of entrance examinations.
What Unified State Exam results must be provided for admission to the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Industrial Drug Technology?
Upon admission to the Faculty of Pharmacy (full-time study) (specialty) - chemistry, biology, Russian language;
Upon admission to the Faculty of Industrial Technology of Medicines in the specialty “Chemical Technology” (academic and applied bachelor’s degree) and “Biotechnology” (academic bachelor’s degree) - chemistry, mathematics, Russian language.
Is it possible to apply for state-funded and commercial training at the same time? How will enrollment be made in this case?
Yes, you can. In this case, the applicant first participates in the competition for places financed from the state budget, and if he does not pass the competition, he automatically participates in the competition for places with full reimbursement of tuition costs.
Where is the SPHFA Admissions Committee located and what are its opening hours?
The Admissions Committee of the SPHFA is located at st. Prof. Popova, 14, rooms 23 and 23a. The admissions committee works with Monday to Friday With 9.00 to 19.00, By Saturdays- With 10.00 to 16.00.
What documents must be submitted to the Admissions Committee when submitting an application?
When submitting an application for admission, the applicant submits, at his discretion, an original or a photocopy of documents proving his identity, citizenship, an original or a photocopy of a state document on education and an application. Applicants entering the Faculty of Pharmacy must also providea certificate of completion of a mandatory preliminary medical examination (examination) in the manner established when concluding an employment contract or service contract in the specialty “Pharmacy”.
If a medical certificate is not submitted by an applicant entering the Faculty of Pharmacy, or the medical certificate completely or partially does not contain information about a medical examination in accordance with the list of medical specialists, laboratory and functional tests established by order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia, the Academy has the right to require the applicant to undergo a medical examination in the missing part in the manner established by the order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia.
If an applicant has medical contraindications established by order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia, the Academy ensures that the applicant is informed about the consequences associated with these medical contraindications during the period of training in the organization and subsequent professional activities.
Applicants for training have the right to provide information about their individual achievements (in accordance with the area of training or specialty), the results of which are taken into account when applying for training (granting a preferential right).
Upon enrollment - the original state document on education, 6 photographs and medical certificate 086-U
Enrollment in the Academy is carried out only if you have the original document of education.
What is special about submitting documents to target places?
Persons entering the target places, along with the documents specified above, submit originals state document on education. A referral in the established form and an Agreement on targeted admission, concluded in accordance with paragraph 3 of Article 56 of Federal Law No. 273-FZ “On Education in the Russian Federation,” are also provided.
How and within what time frame can I pick up original documents from the Admissions Committee?
Documents submitted by the applicant to the Admissions Committee are returned to the owner within one working day only on the basis of a written application and in the presence of a receipt issued by the Admissions Committee upon submission of documents.
I have a secondary professional medical (pharmaceutical) education. Do I have to take the Unified State Exam?
Persons with a secondary professional medical (pharmaceutical) education are admitted to the Academy to study in the specialty “Pharmacy” based on the results of entrance tests conducted by the Academy independently (chemistry, biology, Russian language), or based on the results of the Unified State Examination in the relevant general education subjects.
DetailsIf we translate the name of the specialty into Russian, it turns out that a pharmacist is a person who is able to understand medications and methods of their preparation. You can get an education in this specialty either in college, then it will be secondary specialized, or at the chemical-pharmaceutical academy or at the pharmaceutical faculty of a medical institute, then it will be higher.
As a result, we receive two specialties: pharmacist and pharmacist. Their main difference is that the pharmacist is just an assistant to the pharmacist. Although at present this line, if we talk about a pharmacy, has long been erased. But the admission plan is practically the same.
What is needed to become a pharmacist?
To be admitted to the entrance exams, you need to have the following list of documents: passport, school certificate, commission conclusion on passing the unified state exam. Or another exam if admission is made after the ninth grade. Approximately six photographs 3x4 cm. You need a medical report from the clinic on completion of all specialists and vaccinations with a certificate of fitness or unfitness for study for health reasons, a compulsory health insurance policy, a copy of the work record book (if the applicant works), a certificate of benefits.
Now about what subjects to take to the pharmacist. In most higher educational institutions, admission to this specialty requires passing exams in chemistry, biology and the Russian language. Some universities also include physics in their entrance examination program, but this pitfall is easy to get around, because there are not many such educational institutions. Accordingly, admission requires good knowledge in these subjects, which, as a rule, should far exceed the level of the school curriculum.
If we talk about entering college, about what exams to become a pharmacist you need to take there, then they are as follows: one subject is the main one, and the second is optional. Entrance exams take the form of a unified state exam. The main subject is Russian, and the second subject can be either chemistry or biology. If for some reason an applicant has not previously passed the Unified State Exam (a foreign citizen who already has an education), then he can take it as part of the entrance examination directly at a college or medical school. Admission to training is based on the number of points that the applicant scored in the exams.
Entrance tests usually begin in July, when school exams are already completed, and continue until mid-August. Enrollment occurs after all applicants have passed the exams and all scores have been calculated. This is usually the second half of August.
After graduating from pharmaceutical college, you can get a job in a pharmacy or continue your education to the rank of pharmacist by enrolling in the chemical-pharmaceutical academy or the pharmaceutical faculty of a medical institute or university.
How many points do you need to get to become a pharmacist?
The passing score for a pharmacist will depend on the prestige of the chosen educational institution and the number of people willing to enroll there. In one year, the passing score for higher education at the Faculty of Pharmacy ranged from 212 to 250 points for the first wave of applicants and from 146 to 180 points for the second wave of applicants.
How many points does a pharmacist need to get admitted is a difficult question. Considering that the demand for the specialty does not fall, the passing score is growing year after year, in contrast to medical institutes, where it either falls or remains at a low level.
It is clear what exams you need to take to become a pharmacist, at what time. All that remains is to decide on the university, the entrance program and start actively studying chemistry and biology. There are different possibilities for this: you can enroll in a specialized class, the program of which is aimed at preparing for admission to the medical or pharmaceutical faculty, or a specialized lyceum (if there is one in the city). You can hire a tutor, or you can gain in-depth knowledge of the subjects yourself. The main thing is to have a goal and the desire to achieve it.
As practice shows, chemistry and biology are the most difficult for applicants. If the level of Russian language among school graduates is more or less decent, then knowledge of chemistry and biology is not enough. Therefore, there is no need to rely on the school level of knowledge and hope for chance. Don't think you'll be unlucky. Only broad knowledge of the subject will help you achieve success. I would like to hope that this will not dissuade those wishing to enroll in the Faculty of Pharmacy. And good luck with your studies.
