History

The initiator of the creation of the faculty with a psychological bias was a man of advanced views, the first vice-rector of the Grodno State Medical Institute, Vladimir Semenovich Vasilyev.

In April 1993, it was decided to organize the Faculty of Mental Health Medicine. In the same year, the first set of students was carried out. Mikhail Mikhailovich Petkevich simultaneously headed the pediatric, medical and psychological faculties and the department of nurses with higher education. Since October 1997, the head of the faculty was Gennady Grigoryevich Marmysh, and since May 1998 – Konstantin Ustinovich Vilchuk.

Since September 1, 1998, by the order of the rector of the Institute, an independent Faculty of Mental Health Medicine has been organized, and Tatyana Mikhailovna Shamova has been appointed the first dean.

Tatiana Mikhailovna is the scientist, doctor and teacher, with enthusiasm and soul approached the organization of educational and methodological work at the faculty.

Graduates of the Faculty of Mental Health Medicine from different years speak warmly about their relationship with Dean Shamova T. M., they are happy to meet at the meeting evenings, share their achievements and moments from life.

From 2006 to 2010, the Faculty of Mental Health Medicine was headed by Associate Professor Valentina Alekseevna Karpyuk. Valentina Alekseevna took a serious approach to the formation of the personnel of the departments of the Faculty of Mental Health Medicine, the development and promotion of educational support for the activities of the faculty. Karpyuk V. A. headed the service of psychotherapeutic assistance in the Grodno region, made a huge contribution to the organization of postgraduate education of psychotherapists and psychiatrists-narcologists.

From 2010 to 2019, Professor Tatyana Mikhailovna Shamova worked as a dean. The Faculty celebrated its 20th and 25th anniversary, graduates from different years met, and scientific and practical conferences were held.

At the end of 2020, state accreditation for the specialty 1-79 01 05 "Mental Health Medicine" was confirmed, in June 2021, the educational program " Mental Health Medicine" received a certificate of international accreditation.

The Faculty of Mental Health Medicine includes 8 departments: psychology and pedagogy, psychotherapy and clinical psychodiagnostics, psychiatry and narcology, neurology and neurosurgery, medical rehabilitation, the 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, the 2nd Department of Surgical Diseases, the Department of Social Sciences and Humanities. The departments of psychotherapy and clinical psychodiagnostics, psychiatry and narcology are graduating departments. In 2022, one of the founders of the faculty, Professor Yakov Yakovlevich Gordeev, celebrated his 80th birthday.

Seven part-time specialists of the Main Health Department of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee work at the departments of the Faculty of Mental Health Medicine in various areas of medical care. In 2024, the number of trips of university employees, chief part-time specialists of the Main Health Department of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee was increased to provide organizational and methodological assistance to young specialists, psychiatrists-narcologists and psychotherapists on the ground.

Grodno State Medical University takes part in the preparation of internship plans and programs.

Academic mobility for 5th-6th year students of the Faculty of Mental Health Medicine (BSMU–GrSMU) has been implemented. A number of international cooperation agreements have been concluded.

The highest numbers of admission to the specialty "Mental Health Medicine " were observed in 2019-2020 - 135 people annually, which was due to the need of practical healthcare for psychiatrists-narcologists and psychotherapists.

The faculty has an active student co-government council, a curatorship institute, and since 2022 – a tutoring institute.

For 2019-2024, 273 graduates in the specialty "Mental Health Medicine " were assigned to the positions of "psychiatrist-narcologist", "psychotherapist". Most of the graduates were sent to the Brest, Grodno, Minsk regions and the city of Minsk.

Over 35 years, the faculty has trained 1287 doctors, 91 graduates received a diploma with honors. About 25% of the faculty's graduates are heads of structural divisions of psychiatric and narcological healthcare institutions. Graduates of the faculty are in high demand not only in the healthcare system of our country, but also work in various organizations of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Education, and the State Forensic Expertise Committee.

As of 09/01/2024, 544 students are studying at the faculty, the graduating class of 2024 is the 26th graduating class of The Faculty of Mental Health Medicine - 81 doctors.