Saratov state medical university.

Our medical university is old. It was founded in 1909. It was the 10^th university in Russia. At that time the university had only one medical faculty. The founder and the first rector was professor V. Razumovsky, an outstanding surgeon.

The first 93 students admitted to the university were men. Women were not allowed to study at the university till 1914. Several departments in the basic sciences were opened at that time: Physiology, Chemistry, General and Operative Surgery, Histology, Forensic Medicine and others.

In 1930 the university was reorganized. An independent medical institute was formed. There were 3 faculties at the institute: Medical, Sanitary-Prophylactic and Care of Mother and Child. Many talented scientists worked at the institute at that time. They were Mirotvortsev, Bogomolets, Spasokukotsky and many others. The institute trained a lot of highly qualified specialists. They worked in different fields of medicine.

Since 1993 the institute is the university again. Now there are 6 faculties. They are faculty of medicine, faculty of pediatrics, faculty of dentistry, faculty of nursing, faculty of preventive medicine and pharmaceutical faculty.

I am a student of the pediatric faculty. At our faculty the course of studies lasts for 6 years and consists of pre-clinical, transitional and clinical periods. The general theoretic and practical training ends in the 5^th year. During the 6^th year students study at the sub-internship. There they take the primary specialization as pediatricians, surgeons and infectionists. At the end of the 6^th year students have state exams, receive their diploma and apply for internship. At the internship young doctors can specialize in therapy, nervous diseases, psychiatry, eye diseases, otolaryngology and radiology. After the specialization students have an exam in their speciality.

International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. Doctors Without Borders.

It’s already known that a nuclear war will be the human and environmental disaster. It would immediately become global, total and final. After it almost all medical service, staff and facilities would be destroyed.

For these reasons, professional and human duty of physicians and health organizations is to prevent the nuclear war and the nuclear arms race.

International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) is a global physician’s organization. It was founded in 1980. The initiators of this movement are Academician Euvgeny Chazov (Russia) and Professor Bernard Lown (USA). The contributors are Professor John Boag (Britain), Doctor Naomi Shono (Japan) and others.

The aim of this organization is to bring together physicians and apply their medical knowledge to the cause of preventing the nuclear war and controlling the nuclear arms race. Participants of the IPPNW Congresses focused on the physiological, psychological and biological effects of nuclear war. In 1985 this organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of the movement’s activities.

Another organization has become more significant nowadays. It is Doctors Without Borders, a private, nonprofit, international organization. It aims to provide medical relief to populations in crisis. Doctors Without Borders was founded in 1971 by a group of physicians. It offers emergency assistance wherever wars and man-made disasters occur. The organization operates independently of all political, economic, or religious influences. It depends on volunteer health professionals. Doctors Without Borders volunteers worked in Yugoslavia during the war, after earthquake in Armenia and during epidemic in African countries. In 1999 Doctors Without Borders was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its humane activities.