Explanation of doctors’ professional development during residency

Residency is an accredited professional education programme intended for acquiring and improving a specific basic medical speciality, subspeciality or additional speciality. It is an intensive training programme that allows doctors to gain a deeper understanding of and develop the skills and knowledge of a particular field of medicine.

A resident is a doctor who is learning their chosen speciality. This term is used to describe professionals who continue their studies in a specific speciality after obtaining a medical degree in order to become certified specialists. These requirements are established in accordance with the Law on Regulated Professions and Recognition of Professional Qualifications, which sets the general requirements for medical education.

Residency programmes include the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for the relevant medical speciality, ensuring that doctors are fully prepared to work in a specific field. Only doctors with a basic speciality certificate are admitted to residency programmes, ensuring that they are adequately prepared to acquire a subspeciality or additional speciality.

In Latvia, residency programmes are implemented only by Rīga Stradiņš University and the University of Latvia, which are recognised as two higher education institutions in the field of medical education. The residency programmes managed by these institutions guarantee high-quality education.

In addition, universities conclude agreements on resident training with medical institutions and cooperation agreements with medical institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Health. This provides residents with broad opportunities for practical training and direct experience in medical institutions, which is essential for their professional development.
 

At present, several doctors from FORTEMED and KATARSE medical centres are actively improving and expanding their knowledge through the residency process. The professionals in this group are: Timurs Zurmutaī, Sergejs Kižlo, Ilva Bikavena, Vladislavs Nikolajs Makovskis and Kārlis Kaufmanis.
 

These doctors are committed to maintaining and improving their skills and knowledge by actively engaging in learning and developing their chosen specialities during residency. This commitment demonstrates their professionalism and desire to provide patients with the highest level of care.

For more information about these specialists, you can visit them online through the FORTEMED and KATARSE websites — fortemed.lv and katarse.lv. There you can learn about each person's professional experience, education and specific areas of interest in medicine. This also includes their achievements and specialities, as well as how they invest their time and effort in improving patient care.

This information is available to ensure that patients are fully informed about a doctor's competence and the type of specialist assistance they can expect from a particular medical institution.

More information about the residency process is available at the Ministry of Health website.