From 1 February this year, the inclusion of doctors in resident studies is only possible in the specialization field of general medicine. Doctors, of course, continue to have the possibility of being included in all specialization fields, even outside of resident studies. The Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic will review the list of specialised subjects included in the resident study for the medical profession by October 2023.
The Department of Health Education also has for this year in the Plan of Legislative Tasks of the Government of the Slovak Republic the modification of Act No. 578/2004 Coll. on Health Care Providers, Health Workers and Health Organisations, precisely with emphasis on the update and innovation of resident study.
These innovations will concern, in particular, the more significant participation of self-governing regions in the organisation and conduct of the resident study, as well as the adoption of decisions on the philosophy and objectives of the resident study. Simply put, it will be addressed whether resident studies will only be implemented in primary health care in outpatient settings or will be implemented in constitutional health institutions. Understandably, the update will also answer questions in relation to the funding of a resident study.
The educational establishment shall include the healthcare professional in the specialisation study at 1 October or 1 February of the relevant calendar year. Most medical graduates use the October term to apply, as they complete their studies in the summer months of the year. Since the existence of resident studies, it has taken advantage of the possibility to sign up for a specialization study in February at a summary of all medical faculties of 35 graduates, which was 5 doctors last year. By way of comparison, in October, 208 doctors applied for the entire period of living studies, last year 28, Vladimír Lengvarský, health minister, explained.
Further training of a healthcare professional under Law No 578/2004 Z. z. includes specialisation studies for the performance of specialized work activities, certification training for the performance of certified work activities and ongoing education. A specialization study means further training of a healthcare professional in an accredited specialisation programme. Resident is a health professional whose specialist studies are financed by the state budget.

Residency study was initiated in 2014 in response to the lack of general practitioners in general offices for adults and paediatricians to general offices for children and adolescents and other inadequacy specialist fields designated by the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic. The priority objective and interest of the resort is that resident studies should continue.
The situation was also intensively communicated with four medical faculties with which the resort has signed a cooperation agreement. The educational institutes subsequently informed potential candidates for inclusion in the resident study of the pediatry and other specialization fields. We stress that doctors still have the possibility to be included in the "pediatry and other specialization fields" outside the resident study.
Moreover, following the re-enlargement of the resident study to these specialisation fields, they can, of course, transfer to a resident study and continue the specialisation study in the same specialization field as residents. The duration of the completed part of the specialisation study as well as the health performance outside the resident study will be automatically counted.