Didactic aspects of pharmacy students’ training at UK universities

Abstract

The article discloses didactic aspects of pharmacy students’ training at UK universities. To begin with, the article shows that one of the main objectives of medical education in the UK today is to prepare students for conscious participation in social life and health care via various forms of teaching and learning. Future pharmacists should be able to adapt to rapid social changes and practically assess the current situation to discover ways to improve it due to their area of expertise. Besides, the article indicates that the UK adheres to the internationally recognized global standards for medical education and aims to develop the professional elite of pharmacists. The following technologies are relevant for medical education in the UK and, especially, pharmacy students’ training: problem-based learning, team-based learning, teaching with simulation, teaching with practicals and labs, teaching with technological tools. Importantly, the article proves that interactive learning eliminates the boundaries between instructors and students and, therefore, strengthens their educational partnership. In this regard, medical education is becoming a turning point in the ongoing transformation of future professionals as the focus is on interactive pedagogy. The article concludes that the transition from passive to active learning, which lies in the dialogization of knowledge transfer, is becoming a priority in the UK’s medical education and, in particular, in the professional training of future pharmacists. Further research should attempt to find ways to improve the professional training of future pharmacists under the internationally recognized standards to strengthen the competitiveness of Ukrainian medical education, as well as optimize conditions for international mobility of medical students in both Ukrainian and international labour markets.