DEFINING “TEACHER-STUDENT” RELATIONSHIP STYLE IN HIGHER MEDICAL SCHOOLS

Abstract

The Higher Medical School (VMU) can be considered as a complex interpersonal system, which is
characterized by a peculiar specificity of the relationships in it. Mastering the medical profession is a long and
complex process, during which trainees and trainers enter into certain professional relationships. Pedagogical
activity at VMU is determined by a number of its main characteristics, which derive from the purpose and tasks,
from the main means by which it is realized, from the peculiarities of its object, as well as the environment in which
it takes place.
The object of the pedagogical activity places the teachers in special ethical and deontological relations, requiring for
the behavior such biosocial values and norms that overlap with those of the medical specialist and the teacher.
During the training, the students, along with the necessary professional competences, also develop personal qualities
necessary for the profession. In this sense, the personality of the teacher and the style of relationships with students
is of primary importance for their formation as individuals. It is important for the teacher at Higher Medical School
to know the specifics of individual relationships, their norms and deviations, in order to be able to influence them.
The European and national Strategies in the field of education and development define the new vision for
professional competence, which "acquires the status of an integral characteristic of the person, with the ability and
willingness to independently solve professional problems and tasks, in real situations of professional activity".
Purpose of the study: to analyze some more important relationships between teachers and students, based on which
to determine the style of relationships in education at Higher Medical School. The opinion of 45 teachers
(professors, associate professors, assistant professors) from the Medical Universities in the country, who are directly
involved in the training of students with medical specialties, was studied. A modified Test for university teachers
was used to determine the "teacher-student" relationship in the learning process, completed anonymously, on a
voluntary basis. The test contains 14 questions with 4 answer options each, and 9 of the questions can have more
than one answer option. Results and discussion: The teacher is the main person forming the personality of the
medical specialists. He constantly enters into relationships, both with his colleagues and with the working medical
specialists from the practical training bases, with the patients, with the students and their relatives, as well as with
non-physicians. Any deviation from the norms of ethical behavior can affect both the relationship in the triad -
"educator-patient-student" and affect the style of the relationship.The results of the conducted Test show that more
than half of the studied teachers (55% n 25) at Higher Medical School adhere to the democratic style of
relationships, about ¼ 26% n 12 show a liberal style of relationships, and 20% n 9 show a mixed (flexible) style of
relationship with students depending on the specific situation. Conclusion. The relationships in the interpersonal
system of VMU are of particular importance, not only for effective pedagogical activity, but also for the overall
development and improvement of the personalities of students and trainees. Compliance with ethical principles and
norms in relationships is the duty of all participants in the educational process. The teacher's role is to apply an
adequate style of behavior to resolve problem situations and to be an example of ethical behavior.