YEREVAN STATE BASE COLLEGE: THE PAST AND THE PRESENT
The Yerevan State Base Medical College is one of the oldest secondary specialized educational institutions in Armenia. Founded in 1921 as an obstetrics school within the structure of Yerevan's First Maternity Home, it was then reformed into a medical college. During 88 years of its existence, the college became a sound establishment for preparing specialists with secondary specialized medical education, serving the entire Republic. Basing on this institution, specialized medical schools were formed in various regions of Armenia. Thus, in 1938 the medical school of Leninakan (now - Gyumri) was opened; in 1959 - in Kapan; in 1961 - in Dilijan; in 1970 - in Kirovakan (now - Vanadzor); in 1977 - the Second medical school in Yerevan, now renamed into "Erebouni" Medical College; within 1994 - 2002 the branches of the base medical college were opened in the towns of Ararat, Hrazdan, Armavir, Martuni, as well as a branch of the Dilijan medical college was opened in Gavar town. Starting from 1978, the Yerevan Medical School, recognized as a leading educational institution preparing qualified medical personnel of the middle level, has been in the status of a base medical college. It continues to coordinate the curricular and methodological activities of all the state-owned medical schools and their branches functioning in the Republic. Within the Yerevan State Base Medical College a Board of Directors of the RoA Health Ministry state medical colleges functions, chaired by M. Research, summarization and dissemination of the advanced forms and methods of the educational process organization in the state medical schools of the Republic are carried out through the methodology unit of the Base Medical College and its Methodological Council. Since 1996 at the Base Medical College the reformation of the secondary medical specialized education was initiated on the basis of the WHO strategy "World Health in the XXI Century." The preparation of the middle-level medical specialists of a new type required to undertake a fundamental reformation of the basic education system. In accordance with the international standards applied to the knowledge and skills of school graduates the existing educational criteria were revised and new standards and educational programs were developed, which regard the primary medical and sanitary aid to population as a cornerstone of the educational process and which develop in future specialists a new mentality and approaches towards solution of their professional tasks, as well as give them wider professional capabilities.
