Over 2,500 trainee doctors have begun their internship following an electronic allocation process

On 1 August, graduates of higher medical education institutions started the practical component of their training in internships at healthcare facilities across Ukraine. Among them are 2,586 interns who, for the first time, were allocated to state-funded internship places through an electronic merit-based distribution system, taking into account their academic performance and personal preferences.

“This year, we introduced an electronic merit-based distribution system for trainee doctors for the first time. Today, we can already see its benefits – the allocation was transparent and fair, allowing everyone to choose their preferred location and speciality. Those with the best academic results over their university years had a wider choice. Most importantly, the state has secured interns in the areas of greatest need. This is a significant step towards building a modern, fair, and efficient system for training medical professionals. I am confident that such changes will help young doctors start their careers with confidence and gain the practical skills needed for a successful professional future,” said Minister of Health Viktor Liashko.

In total, over 2,700 graduates of higher medical education institutions participated in the allocation for state-funded places. The majority chose to undertake their internships in healthcare facilities in Kyiv city (451), Lviv region (282), Dnipropetrovsk region (198), Kharkiv region (182), and Kyiv region (157). The most popular specialities were: “Internal Medicine” (454), “Surgery” (356), “Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care” (282), “General Practice – Family Medicine” (234), and “Neurology” (182).

As of 1 August, data on 1,846 trainee doctors who will undertake their training under contract have also been entered into the electronic distribution system.

It is worth noting that the internship training process is now supported by the electronic merit-based distribution system. This system will record key stages of the internship, interns’ performance, and store necessary documents. Access to this data is available to the interns themselves, heads of healthcare and higher education institutions registered in the system, and the Ministry of Health. This will enable the state to maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the training of future doctors and effectively plan workforce policies in the healthcare sector.

The merit-based distribution system was developed by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Transformation on the Diia.Engine platform, with support from the Swiss-Ukrainian EGAP Programme, implemented by the East Europe Foundation.