GENESIS OF THE FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPECIALTY “THERAPY AND REHABILITATION”

Abstract

The article analyzes the formation and development of the specialty 227 “Therapy and Rehabilitation” in Ukraine, along with the recent changes in the professional training process for physical therapists. It describes the government’s staffing policy in rehabilitation medicine, highlighting the annual increase in budget-funded slots for bachelor’s and master’s students in specialty 227 “Therapy and Rehabilitation.” The regulatory documents governing the organization and content of training for Ukrainian rehabilitation specialists were reviewed to assess compliance with global standards. The educational infrastructure is outlined, detailing trends in enrollment volumes for undergraduate and graduate training programs in 2023–2024 for specialty 227 “Therapy and Rehabilitation”. Initiatives introduced by the Ministry of Health in both pre-graduate and postgraduate education are also examined to support an effective training model for healthcare rehabilitation specialists. These include an experimental project on dual education, enabling students to gain employment in healthcare facilities as assistant physical or occupational therapists, and the introduction of continuous professional development approaches for rehabilitation specialists through seven newly established rehabilitation centers of excellence. These centers serve as hubs for advanced rehabilitation practices and training bases for multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams. Factors contributing to the gap between the professional level of rehabilitation specialists and modern rehabilitation medicine standards are analyzed. One of the main issues identified is the need to eliminate long-standing traditions of using outdated, non-evidence-based methods in human recovery. Developing an adaptive, integrative, and technology-oriented methodology for teaching evidence-based practice could be a critical step forward. This approach aims to help future physical therapists better acquire skills in scientific analysis and apply evidence-based methods in clinical rehabilitation.