The educational institution "Vitebsk State Order of Peoples' Friendship Medical University", founded in 1934, (hereinafter referred to as VSMU, University) is one of the oldest institutions of higher medical and pharmaceutical education in the Republic of Belarus, recognized at the national and international level. The university is a member of the Eurasian Association of Universities (EAU), the International Association of Medical Education (AMEE), and the European Association of Faculties of Pharmacy (EAFP). Information about the university is posted on the website of the World Health Organization (WHO). The university is included in the Avicenna Directory. In 2022, the university passed international institutional accreditation (certificate No. AA 0232, date of issue 04/22/2022);
In the prestigious international ranking “Three Missions of the University” for 2025, Vitebsk State Medical University confirmed its high status:
- 1st place among medical universities in Belarus;
- 2nd place among all universities in the country represented in the ranking;
- The ranking included 2,000 leading universities from 112 countries. The university is a state institution of higher education that provides training for specialists with higher education, as well as training individuals for admission to educational institutions, training highly qualified scientists, retraining and advanced training of personnel with higher education, and professional training of medical specialists in clinical residency. The university provides multi-level educational activities: Specialist, Internship, Master's, Postgraduate, Doctoral, Clinical Residency. The educational institution “Vitebsk State Order of Peoples' Friendship Medical University” (VSMU) trains more than 6,500 students, masters, graduate students, and trainees from the Republic of Belarus and 53 countries of the world. VSMU today has 7 faculties (medical, dental, pediatric, pharmaceutical, faculty of training foreign citizens, faculty of pre-university training, faculty of advanced training and retraining in pedagogy and psychology, faculty of advanced training and retraining of personnel). Faculties implementing educational programs of higher education:
Faculty of Medicine – Specialty “General Medicine” 6 years of study;
Faculty of Pharmacy – Specialty “Pharmacy” 5 years of study;
Faculty of Dentistry – Specialty “Dentistry” 5 years of study;
Faculty of Pediatrics – Specialty “Pediatrics” 6 years of study;
Faculty of training for foreign citizens – Specialties “General Medicine”, “Pharmacy”, “Dentistry” where teaching for foreign citizens is conducted in Russian or English. Particular attention is paid to practice-oriented training of students. The educational activities of VSMU are based on modern innovative technologies and practice-oriented training. The university has 22 clinical sites, a simulation and certification center, a center of professional excellence, a university clinic, a “University Dental Clinic,” modern laboratories, a library, computer classes, and an electronic reading room. The university has created all the conditions for continuous professional training and professional advancement of employees thanks to the presence of the faculty of advanced training and retraining in pedagogy and psychology, the faculty of advanced training and retraining of personnel, as well as the work of the School of Young Teachers and the Laboratory of Innovative Pedagogy. The areas of scientific research at the university correspond to the profile of the ongoing training of specialists in the field of medicine and pharmacy based on the priority areas of scientific and technical activity in the Republic of Belarus: surgical diseases and trauma; pharmacology, pharmacy and biotechnology; infection and biosafety; diseases of the circulatory system; healthy mother - healthy child; internal diseases; medical rehabilitation; innovative pedagogy. The university has a modern research base, which is equipped with unique scientific equipment: research laboratory; center for molecular genetics and biotechnological research; vivarium (experimental biological clinic); chemical and pharmaceutical laboratory; student scientific laboratory; laboratories of professional excellence. There is a scientific and educational cluster “Medicine and Pharmacy - Innovative Projects”, which includes educational institutions, small businesses and pharmacy organizations, as well as the Center for the Transfer of Medical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, the purpose of which is to transfer innovations from the sphere of their development to the sphere of practical application. The University has a Technology and Innovation Support Center. The University actively participates in competitions for funding within the framework of state scientific research programs, state and industry scientific and technical programs, and programs of fundamental research funds. In 2024, VSMU, for the first time in the Republic of Belarus, created a support sector for young specialists and interns. The “VSMU Roadmap for supporting graduates for 5 years after graduation” has been developed and approved. Graduates can continue their education in clinical residency, master's degree (in 4 specialties), graduate school (in 40 specialties), and then in doctoral studies (in 22 specialties). Students who have received a diploma of completion of master's and postgraduate programs have the opportunity to engage in teaching and research activities in higher education. The university publishes 4 scientific and practical journals: “Bulletin of VSMU”, “News of Surgery”, “Bulletin of Pharmacy”, “Protection of Maternity and Childhood”. The journals are included in the list of publications of the Higher Attestation Commission of the Republic of Belarus, included in the Russian Science Citation Index of the eLIBRARY.RU company, and are available in the Google campaign search engine. The journal “Surgeon News” is presented in the international SCOPUS database.