Postgraduate training in Cyprus

Background In Cyprus, health professionals can further their education through postgraduate training towards master’s and doctor- of-philosophy degrees. They can also qualify in a number of specialities through courses offered by the Ministry of Health (for example, on: haematology; radiology; general medicine; internal pathology; medical biopathology/laboratory medicine; cardiology; nephrology; neurology; pathological oncology; paediatrics; pulmonology; psychiatry; child and adolescent psychiatry; anaesthesiology; obstetrics and gynaecology; neurosurgery; orthopaedics and traumatology; ophthalmology; paediatric surgery; plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery; thoracic surgery; general surgery; and otorhinolaryngology). Doctors wishing to work in the general health-care system must have a speciality approved by the Cyprus Medical Council. Health professionals wishing to obtain master’s and doctorate degrees may apply to either public or private universities for postgraduate training. The Ministry of Health has established an annual procedure for specialist training whereby doctors are required to sit written and oral examinations based on the needs of the specialist positions available in clinics accredited by the Greek Central Board of Health (KESY), a body responsible for speciality accreditation and the planning and monitoring of doctor’s specialties. Delivery Cyprus follows a mixed model of postgraduate-training for all health professionals, which is provided by both public and private universities. The country also collaborates with Greece on accreditation of the above-mentioned specialities. Training is based on KESY guidelines and undertaken in selected clinics accredited by KESY. Degree validation is provided in Greece. Enhancing collaboration between the Ministry of Health, the universities and the clinical sector (hospitals) could improve the organization and delivery of postgraduate training in Cyprus, making it possible to take a holistic approach to both theoretical and practical training, based on the specific needs of each health profession (for example, midwifery, mental health and physiotherapy). Universities in Cyprus have limited resources (both human and financial) and, therefore, collaboration among them and with foreign universities on the provision of specialized training should be based on needs assessments. The Ministry of Health could help support this collaboration. Postgraduate training in Cyprus Initiatives For over 2 decades, foreign physicians have been invited to perform specific operations/procedures in Cyprus and train postgraduate health professionals at the same time. This collaboration has not only benefitted the population, but also provided health personnel with training in new examination or surgical procedures. Cyprus could also enhance the knowledge of existing personnel and resident doctors by establishing collaboration with hospitals in other countries (through formal agreements). In the future, Cyprus would like to establish an independent body, equivalent to KESY in Greece, responsible for the revision of health-professional training programmes and based on existing practice in Europe. In cooperation with the medical academia in Cyprus, this body could consider the training needs of physicians throughout the country. Data The Statistical Service of Cyprus (CYSTAT) provides data on education and health (for example, population and social conditions). Data are also available on: public and private medical, nursing and paramedical personnel; tertiary education; graduates (by type of education, level and field of study, and gender); and numbers of physicians accepted for (and types of) specialty programmes. Other necessary data could be collected with some additional effort, for example, data on resident medical doctors who qualify in Greece and, on returning to Cyprus, register themselves with the Cyprus Medical Council. Data requested must be linked to the strategic planning and policies of the Ministry of Health. Cyprus would like to have statistical data on undergraduates from universities in Cyprus that apply for postgraduate training in and outside the country. These data would be useful for planning purposes, that is, in estimating needs in terms of specialist doctors, as well as medical-training requirements within the different specialities. Currently, training in medical specialities is dependent on the availability of such positions in clinics accredited by KESY (Greece). © World Health Organization 2020. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO license. © W H O Postgraduate training in Cyprus Role of postgraduate training in reducing brain drain In Cyprus, types of postgraduate speciality programmes for physicians are limited, as are numbers of places available. Therefore, some physicians inevitably need to seek postgraduate training in other countries. Collaboration with well-known universities/hospitals and education providers abroad, particularly on training in areas where needs have been identified, could be one way of upgrading the status and standards of the training offered in Cyprus and reducing brain drain. Improvements in speciality training in Cyprus to meet quality standards, and collaboration with well-known hospitals and universities in Europe, may even attract qualified scientists and young resident doctors to Cyprus, thus bringing about brain gain. Challenges and enablers In Cyprus, an important challenge is the development and maintenance of close collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the universities on providing the necessary postgraduate training for all health professionals in line with the needs of the health-care system. Cross-country collaboration Collaboration with Greece is helping Cyprus improve the organization and delivery of postgraduate training, particularly in connection with doctors’ specialities. WHO support needed WHO guidance on and support in the improvement of postgraduate training for health professionals in Cyprus, especially doctors for whom there are few speciality training courses available, would be very useful. WHO could also constitute a link between health professionals in different countries to facilitate cooperation and the exchange of know- how and personnel with regards to training activities. Learning about other countries’ experiences, both large and small, would contribute to improving postgraduate training in Cyprus. Advice/how to improve postgraduate training Countries trying to understand their own needs in terms of postgraduate training for health professionals should focus on the areas of the health-care system that need to be developed and adapt training accordingly. Governments could create incentives for motivating health professionals to undertake training in areas lacking health-care personnel. At the same time, it would be important to establish collaboration (including agreements) with other countries to ensure availability of the personnel necessary to support the health-care system (both qualitatively and quantitatively). Collaboration with relevant professional bodies should be encouraged with the aim of continuously improving the competences of medical specialists and ensuring the quality and breadth of training provided within their specialities. © World Health Organization 2020. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO license. WHO/EURO:2020-1299-41049-55729