Record-Breaking Number of Aspiring Doctors Took National Degree Examination This Year

Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) held the National Degree Examinations between 30 May and 2 June. 340 students (188 local and 152 international) sat for the exam this year – a record-breaking number. Students must pass the exam in order to be awarded their medical degree.

‘If the past six years at RSU had to be summed up in one word, it would be “growth”.

Not only the prospective doctors, but also the university itself has grown during these years. This development is well reflected by the large number of students taking the examination,’ RSU Rector Professor Aigars Pētersons said with satisfaction.

Preparations for the graduations are underway while students sit for exams and defend their bachelor’s and master’s theses. One activity Prof. Pētersons enjoys is signing all the diplomas.

The RSU National Examination Board involved 407 Latvian and foreign lecturers, employers' representatives, and support staff to help assess students’ knowledge and skills. The Board is chaired by high-calibre medical professionals: this year’s Chairperson of the National Examination Board was Valts Ābols (Chairperson of the Board of the Children’s Clinical University Hospital), while Prof. Aivars Lejnieks, Prof. Jānis Gardovskis, and RSU Visiting Professor Peter E. Goretzki from Berlin were the Vice-Chairs of the Board.

Ingus Skadiņš, Assoc. Prof. at the Faculty of Medicine, expressed his appreciation for the fact that the National Degree Examinations were held at a high, international level thanks to the participation of Prof. Goretzki who represents Charité, one of the largest university hospitals in the world, and who is also a board member of the International Association of Endocrine Surgeons.

‘This puts an international stamp of quality on the medical diplomas.’

This year, the exam marathon was held online and started with a theoretical test, followed by a draw for clinical scenarios and their interpretation.

‘Thanks to the digital environment at RSU and the different digital possibilities, technical support, lecturers, and support staff, we were able to minimise subjectivity in evaluating the examination results and saved time in correcting the papers,’

Prof. Lejnieks said in praise of how the exams were conducted.

Students need to pass their exam in order to be awarded a medical degree and their professional qualification. ‘It is an incredibly difficult for students to concentrate everything they have learnt over six years into one crucial conversation with the Examination Board. However, even this short interaction confirmed the high quality of their knowledge, while the students’ genuine smiles expressed their satisfaction with their education and the vast opportunities this would open to them in the future,’ said Valts Ābols, RSU lecturer and Chairperson of the National Examination Board.