The Faculty of Medical and Preventive Work at Astrakhan State Medical University trains highly qualified specialists in public health, hygiene, and epidemiology. The program prepares students for a wide range of professional activities, including preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, psycho-pedagogical, organizational, managerial, research, and health education functions.
During the first three years of study, students focus on humanitarian, socio-economic, natural science, and medical-biological disciplines. In the senior years, the curriculum emphasizes clinical and professional medical-preventive subjects, including general hygiene, epidemiology, food hygiene, occupational health, hygiene of children and adolescents, communal hygiene, radiation and military hygiene, public health, and health care.
The Academy provides modern facilities and practical outreach sessions, allowing students to gain hands-on experience in occupational hygiene, communal hygiene, and hygiene of children and adolescents, directly familiarizing them with their future profession. The main training bases include Rospotrebnadzor RD, the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology, and affiliated federal and regional centers in Makhachkala.
The curriculum complies with the new educational standards approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (Order №847, August 12, 2010). The total duration of study is six years, with a total workload of 360 credits, emphasizing medical-preventive disciplines. Compared with previous programs, the current curriculum has increased hours in epidemiology and hygiene by 1.5–2 times, while incorporating new subjects such as clinical laboratory diagnostics, legal frameworks for consumer protection, health economics, and fundamentals of management. Industrial practice has been expanded by over 30% to ensure practical experience.
Graduates of the Faculty of Medical and Preventive Work receive the qualification of Doctor along with the specialized title of “Expert in Medical and Preventive Work”. Their professional activities include the application of preventive technologies, diagnostic and medical methods, and sanitary supervision, all aimed at ensuring the epidemiological welfare of the population and improving public health. Graduates are prepared to work as hygienists, epidemiologists, parasitologists, bacteriologists, virologists, and other specialists in Rospotrebnadzor institutions, medical and research centers, and sanitary-epidemiological organizations.
The Faculty emphasizes high academic standards and active student engagement. Over the past five years, the program has remained highly competitive, attracting students dedicated to careers in medical-prophylactic specialties. Students participate in national and international competitions, Olympiads, and inter-university events, achieving notable success. Each year, several students are awarded All-Russian and regional scholarships for excellence in academics and extracurricular involvement.
Practical training is complemented by sports, cultural, and amateur activities, as well as educational excursions that introduce students to the history, culture, and natural beauty of the North Caucasus and Astrakhan region. This holistic approach ensures that graduates are not only highly skilled specialists but also responsible citizens with strong hygienic and healthy living habits.
Since 2006, the Faculty has been led by Dean MD Magomed Magomedov Gitinomagomedovich, who brings extensive experience in sanitary and epidemiological education and practice. Under his leadership, the Faculty continues to provide high-quality medical-preventive education, combining scientific research, clinical training, and practical public health skills for students in Russia and abroad.
