KMA Winter School at Dobrobut — a Step Toward the Medical School

For the first time, a medical day of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Winter School (KMA Winter School) was held at the Dobrobut multidisciplinary medical center at 3 Simyi Idzikovskykh Street. It became part of the preparation for the launch of the Medical School being established by Dobrobut and Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

For participants of the medical track, this day was an opportunity to see how a modern diagnostic and treatment space functions and to gain their first practical experience.

Chief Medical Director of the Dobrobut medical network, Oleksandra Mashkevych, welcomed the participants and introduced them to the Dobrobut ecosystem.

“For us, participation in KMA Winter School is not a one-time event, but a continuation of systematic work on developing medical education in Ukraine. We believe that getting acquainted with real clinical practice even before admission helps young people better understand the medical profession — without illusions, but with conscious motivation. This is how responsible choices are formed and future professionals who are truly ready for medicine emerge,” Oleksandra Mashkevych noted.

Next, Maria Kukushkina, Dean of the Medical School and Head of the Oncology Service at Dobrobut, and Dobrobut oncologist Yuliia Novytska shared their personal stories of their path in medicine — from first decisions and doubts to professional growth, responsibility, and the inner motivation of a physician.

After that, school students — future applicants — were able to see how the work of a modern medical center is organized, how teams interact, and what medicine looks like in everyday practice. The tour was conducted by Maksym Shcherbyna, Medical Director of the Dobrobut medical center at 3 Simyi Idzikovskykh Street. The students also took part in workshops to acquire basic clinical skills.

“We see how important it is for teenagers not just to dream about medicine, but to have the opportunity to truly experience it. A day at Dobrobut allows them to see live clinical practice, people, teamwork, responsibility — and understand whether this is really their path. For us, supporting medical education begins precisely with such honest and open meetings with future doctors,” emphasized Maria Kukushkina.

For many participants, this experience became the moment when an abstract idea of medicine turned into a concrete understanding of a doctor’s daily work. The students asked many questions, carefully observed the processes at the medical center, and shared that this was exactly what they lacked to make their perception of medicine real and clear. For some, the day became an internal confirmation of their choice; for others, an honest test of their own motivation.