Department of physical therapy and occupational therapy

The history of the Department of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy originates from the Department of Physical Education, which was founded in 1930. In 2012, the department graduated with a license volume of 50 people and was renamed to the Department of Physical Education, Sports and Human Health.

In 2012, the Department of Physical Education, Sports and Human Health began to train bachelors in the major 6.010203 "Human health" with the qualification "specialist in physical rehabilitation".

In 2016, the department of physical education, sports and human health carried out the first graduation of bachelors in the major 6.010203 "Human health" on the basis of full general secondary education and at the same time carried out the first admission based on the shortened period of study on the basis of the educational qualification level "junior specialist ". In accordance with the decision of the Accreditation Commission dated June 16, 2016, a certificate of accreditation of specialty 227 "Physical therapy, occupational therapy" was received, the validity period of the certificate is until July 1, 2021. In 2022, the department again successfully passed accreditation and received certificate No. 3106, which is valid until July 1, 2027.

The number of students who obtained a bachelor's degree in the field of training 6.010203 "Human health", specialty 227 "Physical rehabilitation" is more than 200 people (for 2016-2019). From September 2, 2019, the department underwent reorganization and was renamed to the Department of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy, which became a structural division of the new Faculty of Physical Culture and Sports. For the first time in the history of the university, scientific and pedagogical staff of the Department of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy is training specialists for the field of health care. The Department of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy is a graduation department, training bachelors under the educational program "Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy" (field of knowledge 22 "Health Care").

The number of students who obtained a bachelor's degree in specialty 227 "Physical therapy, occupational therapy" is more than 100 people (for 2019-2022). On December 16, 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a Resolution on making changes to the name of the specialty, so educational services are now provided by the Department of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy under specialty 227 "Therapy and Rehabilitation". In the 2022-2023 academic year, 140 students are studying in specialty 227 "Therapy and rehabilitation". The research of the department is carried out on the complex topic "Theoretical and methodological principles of professional training of future physical therapists in the conditions of a classical university."

The department has a unique educational-scientific laboratory of physical therapy and occupational therapy, an educational-scientific laboratory of manual therapy, an office of preclinical practice, which are located in a modern, comfortable building of the University. In addition, higher education graduates of the specialty "Physical therapy, occupational therapy" undergo practical training in medical and rehabilitation institutions, which brings them closer to the real conditions of practical activity.

Mission, vision and strategic orientations of the Department

 The mission of the Department of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy: ensuring the quality of educational activities under the educational program "Physical therapy, occupational therapy" specialty 227 "Therapy and rehabilitation" field of knowledge 22 "Health care" on the basis of student-oriented  training, which meets the level of world standards.

The mission of the Department of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy is to maximize the satisfaction of the value expectations of the stakeholders of the educational program "Physical therapy, occupational therapy" by ensuring the undeniable competitive advantage of the educational services provided by the graduation department.

The vision of the Department of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy defines the vision of the department as a highly rated department of the National University "Poltava Polytechnic named after Yury Kondratyuk", where scientific activity with an international focus and relying on innovative educational technologies ensures the training of highly effective specialists for the field of health care - physical therapists, occupational therapists .

1. Development of educational opportunities.

The department is constantly working on updating the educational program "Physical therapy, occupational therapy" for students of the first (bachelor's) level of higher education, modernizing the academic course working program

of educational disciplines and their syllabi in according to the modern development of physical therapy and occupational therapy. The demand for specialists in physical therapy and occupational therapy on the domestic labor market, whose preparation is carried out by the department, the relevance of specialty 227 "Therapy and rehabilitation" among applicants, students and stakeholders-employers, is evidenced by the results of admission campaigns in recent years. Thus, for four years, the number of students involved as a result of admission for the first (bachelor) level of higher education in specialty 227 "Therapy and rehabilitation" has been constantly increasing. The opening of the second (master's) level of higher education is planned.

2. Increasing the scientific potential of the Department.

The teachers of the Department carry out  active scientific activities, implementing academic mobility, support scientific cooperation with leading domestic and foreign scientific and educational institutions; actively participate in international, all-Ukrainian and regional scientific and scientific-practical conferences. An indicator of the effectiveness of the research of the Department is the publishing activity of scientific and pedagogical staff. In particular, in recent years, the number of publications in scientific collections, not only domestic, but also foreign, has increased, including scientific and metric databases, such as Scopus and WebofScience.

The Department annually holds the All-Ukrainian scientific and practical conference with international participation "Physical rehabilitation and health-preserving technologies: realities and prospects", the participants of which are well-known domestic scientists, colleagues from Poland, Lithuania, France, Belgium, America, Israel, China. Based on the results of the conferences, a collection of conference materials is printed. Taking into account the achievements and realizing the prospects of the Department development, it is planned for the next 5 years: to continue an active participation in scientific and scientific-practical events of various levels with the publication of report materials; active work of the department's teachers to attract external funding for research projects; publication of scientific articles together with students; avising students in writing research papers; publication of the results of scientific research by the teachers in publications that are included in the recognized scientific-metric databases Scopus, Web of Science; ensuring the constant improvement of teachers' qualifications, including through participation in international projects.

3. Expansion and preservation of international cooperation of the Department.

One of the Department's achievements is the establishment of effective cooperation with educational institutions in Poland, Lithuania and other European countries. As a result of such cooperation, the teachers of the department publish joint scientific articles with foreign partners, collective monographs, take an active part in international scientific and practical conferences abroad every year, involve European partners in the co-organization of various scientific events in Ukraine. Student exchange and exchange of experience among teachers is also actively taking place. Taking into account the achievements of previous years and realizing the prospects of the department's development, the following tasks have been defined for the next 5 years: preservation and expansion of cooperation with foreign institutions of higher education within the framework of current cooperation agreements of University ; involvement of new foreign partners in international cooperation; foreign internship of scientific and pedagogical staff for a period of at least 3 months; teachers obtaining B2 level certificates of foreign language proficiency; organization and holding of international scientific and practical conferences in Ukraine and abroad, where the Department will act as an organizer/co-organizer; development of international academic mobility.

5.Provision of dual education.

About personnel support of the Department

The Department includes 11 academic researchers and teaching emploees, among them Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor H.M. Traverse; 6 Candidates of Sciences (associate professor, head of the department V.I. Horoshko, associate professor L.V. Kletsenko, associate professor A.A. Levkov, external part-time associate associate professor O.A. Grechko, associate professor T.O. Synytsia, associate professor A.V. Geta ); 3 senior teachers (O.V. Gordienko, E.V. Skalyansky, A.I. Rudych). In particular, the department employs: 5 full-time employees, 3 internal part-time employees and 3 external part-time employees (employer stakeholders). Among the scientific and pedagogical staff of the department, there is 1 Master of Sports of Ukraine of international class, 1 Master of Sports of Ukraine and 1 candidate for master of sports of Ukraine: CSsana Valeryivna Hordiyenko - Master of Sports of Ukraine of the international class in powerlifting; Tetyana Oleksandrivna Synytsia– Master of Sports of Ukraine in cheerleading; Alla Volodymyrivna Geta is a candidate for master of sports of Ukraine in swimming.