Oral Pathology – a new project implemented at USMF “Nicolae Testemitanu”
At the State University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Nicolae Testemitanu” was held an international workshop on oral pathology, organized by the Department of Dental Propedeutics “Pavel Godoroja” in collaboration with the Department of Morphopathology. The event took place in the context of the development of the Collaboration Project for Education and Research in Oral Pathology, funded by the Norwegian Center for International Cooperation in Education (SIU) under the EURASIA program. The event took place between 4 and 6 September 2017 and brought together scientists, students and residents. The workshops included oral curriculums in Norway, Belarus, Armenia and the Republic of Moldova, and topics such as the role of the specialist in oral pathology, diagnosis of autoimmune diseases with oral manifestations, Sjogren’s syndrome, vesicular-bullous lesions , oral cancer, premalignant lesions, etc.
The project managers participated in a meeting with the rector of USMF “Nicolae Testemitanu”, professor Ion Ababii, where they discussed the opportunities offered by Moldovan-Norwegian collaboration to date. “The projects in which the Republic of Moldova participated and which was initiated and financed by the Norwegian government had a special role for the country’s economy and higher education, enriched us with many new experiences and took over traditions from the European countries. I hope that this project will have good results because our specialists do everything with great responsibility and the university community will support this initiative”, said academician Ababii. At the same time, the Rector spoke to his guests about the University Hospital, another project of great importance our University intends to develop with the support and support of Norway.
Professor Anne Christine Johannessen of the University of Bergen, Norway, an expert in oral pathology, has been very impressed by the endowment of our laboratories and the University Dental Clinic, and stressed that this project offers them the opportunity to learn new things, including the USMF “Nicolae Testemitanu”.
SIU Representative Bård Hekland, one of the main coordinators of the EURASIA program in the Republic of Moldova, was also present to evaluate three projects funded by the Norwegian Government in Moldova and was astonished that our University is a partner of the three projects. In this context, the expert reported that he is in the process of evaluating the results obtained by the Medical Scientific Library in collaboration with 17 academic libraries in our country, as well as the process of implementation of the new specialty Optometry in the program of university studies at USMF “Nicolae Testemitanu “.
The importance of studying oral pathology, a borderline discipline between pathology, surgery and pedodontics, which often creates confusion for the student, spoke the project coordinator for Norway, Professor Daniela Elena Costea, a specialist in tumor pathology. The expert has highlighted the need to introduce a curriculum in oral pathology, for which the student will be more confident of the information he holds and will not have any problems when he or she will experience a mucous lesion or other illness. In the same vein, the guest in Norway stated that all the achievements of the project were due to Professor Diana Uncuţa, the head of the Pavel Godoroja Chair of Dental Propedeutics and to Professor Eugen Melnic, head of the Department of Morphopathology, which, in her opinion, are the “engine” of this project.
The project’s international coordinator, Prof. Diana Uncuţa, head of the “Pavel Godoroja” Department of Dental Propedeutics, mentioned that this project represents an opportunity for collaboration between the departments of dentistry and morphopathology, the creation of a harmonious curriculum in the partner universities and the development of some mobility for doctoral students, with the possibility of specialization for at least 3 months in Norway.
The Collaboration Project for Education and Research in Oral Pathology was initiated last year by University of Bergen, Norway through the EURASIA program and with the support of the Norwegian Center for International Cooperation in Education. It is a partnership between Norway, the Republic of Moldova, Belarus and Armenia and aims to collaborate in the development and development of a curriculum in oral pathology. The project will last for 3 years, and besides the education and research component, it also includes an IT management administration that provides for the implementation of an on-line oral pathology course.