The joint education and upbringing of students, since the establishment of Ternopil Medical Institute in 1957, allowed training of high-skilled medical specialists, who preserve the university values and traditions as well as cultural and historical heritage of Ukrainian people.

Interesting issues on the forms and methods of educational work were discussed at the meetings already in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The involvement of students and teachers in amateur art activities were important for their all-round and harmonious development. Already in 1959, the first review-competition of amateur art among courses took part in the Institute. In the 1960s an art studio was initiated.

Student poets and artists managed a newspaper that was edited by Assistant Professor A.V. Kovalchuk, Assistant Professor V.S. Lisovyi, Associate Professor I.O. Sytnyk, Associate Professor V.V. Faifura, and Associate Professor M.M. Zakaliuzhnyi.

In the 1960s, Club of Humour (Club of the Cheerful and Sharp-witted) contests was met with great interest of medical students, and in the 1970s, teachers and students enjoyed a revue theatre.

In the 1970s and 1980s, more than 500 students and about 30 teachers took part in 12 project groups annually: choir, dance, vocal and instrumental ensembles; troupes of violinists, bandurists, folk instruments; a brass band, a vocal octet of teachers, a female vocal ensemble, a male vocal quartet, a vocal trio, a revue theatre, a ballroom dance group.

As a rule the participants of Institute's amateur art groups, as well as of individual genres, won prizes at regional reviews over and over again.

The trade union committee organized competitions among the departments of the institute, most often the winners and prizewinners were the teams of the departments of pharmacology, normal anatomy, paediatrics, histology, otolaryngology, general surgery, infectious diseases, microbiology, social and political sciences.

For many years, the teachers V.O. Homon, L.I. Kuchma, O.I. Berezovskyi, S.O. Davyd, V.I. Dryzhak, V.M. Pankiv, V.I. Kubei, Yo.Yu. Korchynskyi, H.V. Pizar, T.M. Khandoha, M.V. Turchyn, H.H. Shershun sang in the choir. For a long time I.Yo. Dziubanovskyi headed the men quartet. In different years A.V. Ukrainsky, V.O. Homon, V.I. Dryzhak were the coordinators of amateur performances of the institute. For a long time L.I. Kuchma headed the Art Unit.

The Institute teachers were involved into significant public affairs: lecture propagandas well as the Znannia (Knowledge) Society. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the rector of the Institute P.O. Ohiy headed the Ternopil Regional Organization of the Znannia (Knowledge) Society. The Institute staff participated in the promotion of healthy lifestyles. The tours of the institute teachers’ teams to the districts of the region for question-answers events were popular. The students followed the teachers’ example.

The Horizon International Friendship Club had operated since 1973; for many years it won regional competitions among educational institutions.

Much attention was paid to military and patriotic education. Student meetings with veterans of World War II were held at the Museum of History of Medical Institute.

Labour education was also important. Along with a hardworking studying, the students joined in the so-called labour semester every year: they worked in the construction units, agricultural units for harvesting, canneries. In 1982, detachments of selfless labour “Medic”, “Romantic”, “Komsomolets” were formed for the first time; they worked in Ternopil region and Surgut. According to the results of the labour semester, the Institute was long the first among the city’s educational institutions.

The club of aesthetic education “Harmony” had operated since 1983. Thematic evenings of listening to music, discussing books, pieces of music, works of pictorial art were held in the club. Meetings with writers, actors, artists, as well as exhibitions of artists’ works were arranged in the club.

The physical training and sports affairs were coordinated by the Department of Physical Education as well as the Sports Club. In the 80s, 4 masters of sports, 41 candidates master of sports, 157 first-class sportsmen were prepared. During these years, the institute placed third and fourth at the sports event among medical institutions of Ukraine. In 1984 in the All-Union Review-Competition of Student Training Groups for Sports and Mass Affairs, the 4^th year students, group 15, took premier place and were awarded with a pennant.

In 1990, the Centre of the People’s Movement of Ukraine was established at the Institute, as well as the institute organization of the T.H. Shevchenko Ukrainian Language Society chaired by prof. O.M. Holiachenko.

Starting from 1991, traditionally, the academic year at the university began with a lecture “My Ukraine is an Independent State”. This new page of history is closely related to the peculiarities of social and political life of the country and the emergence of Ukraine as a self-governing independent state in the world. Patriotic education of students was aimed at reviving Ukrainian culture and using the best traditions of ancestral cultural heritage.

The significant events of the 90s were the meetings with delegates of the National Congress of Intelligentsia, with Doctor of Theology O.I. Muzychko; presentation of the paintings of famous artists Ya. Burda, I. Mamchur “Christ has Risen – Ukraine is Truly Risen”; performance of Borshchiv Wind Band and Chamber Choir “Elegy”, of a pop singer A. Mykolaichuk; organization of evenings honouring Lesya Ukrainka, T. Shevchenko birthdays, anniversary of independence of Ukraine, Mother’s Day, St. Nicholas Day, anniversary of ZUNR establishment, Day of the Ukrainian Army; as well as frequent meetings with World War II veterans, and a rally requiem for the dead during the famine of 1933.

Associate Professor L. Zoria and Professor S.I. Klymniuk contributed a lot to the work with students while preparing and holding the official part of the 40^th university anniversary celebration. Assistant Professor of the Department of General Surgery I.I. Chonka united the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd year students and re-established the ensemble of folk instruments at the Academy.

Various amateur-talent groups has been constantly facilitating realization of creativeness of young people; they count in 27 amateur-talent groups, 21 sports classes, 70 clubs of interests. Culture and art events are held every year, some of them have become traditional: matriculation ceremony, celebration of International Student’s Day, Valentine’s Day, St. Andrew’s Evening “Kalyta”, “Miss University”. Traditionally, the events honouring the writings of Lesia Ukrainka, T.H. Shevchenko and other writers are held as well.

Since the 2000s, training and research conferences, forums, round tables, discussions, as well as meetings of the staff of the departments and physicians of the oncology clinic, who participated in Chornobyl disaster management, with the students of the department academic groups have been initiated at the Department of Oncology, Radiodiagnosis, Radiotherapy and Radiation Medicine every year

The academic group mentors arranged the excursions for the students to Ternopil History and Memorial Museum of Political Prisoners, Ternopil Regional Museum of Local Lore and the National Pirogov’s Estate Museum.

Since 2004, Horbachevsky readings and excursions in observance of I.Ya. Horbachevsky birthday, assisted by the University Professor Ya.I. Honskyi, are held every year in the village of Zarubyntsi.

To discover talented young people and get them involved into the university amateur-talent groups, the amateur-talent competition for freshmen “Looking for talents” is held at the beginning of each academic year.

The participation of our students in the National Festival-Contest “Hippocrates’ Lyra” is really worth mentioning. In 2007, the Assistant Professor of the Department of Surgery No. 1 Yu. Futuima won the contest Grand Prix; in 2010, the show ballet “Fiesta” (directed by O. Tsybik). The students O. Shuklinova, A. Ovchinnikova, I. Verbitskyi, I. Lukashchyk, Yu. Fitza, the pop dance studio “Rhythm” (headed by O. Maliuta), the Club of Humour “Michurin’s Tears” are the 1^st and 2^nd awards holders. In 2008, P. Sorba and V. Lipov won the A. Sova National Contest of Humorous Readers. In 2011, the students B. Kulikovskyi and R. Avdeeva received the 1^st and 2^nd laureates awards at the VII Festival-Contest in Kyiv. The same year, O. Kravets received the 3^rd prize in the nomination Literary Theater, and B. Kulikovskyi won in the nomination Best Literary Image of the XI National Festival of Student Creativity “Vesniana Khvylia (Spring Wave)”.

The international cultural exchange evenings 2009-2010 were unforgettable. Representatives of different countries presented their talents in traditional dancing and singing. These concerts were combined with a charity event: raising funds for orphans.

In 2011, the student of the Faculty of Medicine B. Kulikovskyi initiated the annual sports and arts competitions “Day of Cossack Glory” in order to cultivate respect and love for the native land and Ukrainian traditions.

Since 2011, culture, arts and entertaining concerts have been initiated and held by the student self-government and the participants of the project “Creative team of TNMU”: “Ha-ha Show”, “Cossack Fun”, “Who overcomes?”, “We can do it!”, “Medical Quarter”, “Anatomy of Love”, annual beauty contests “TNMU StudMis”, the project “TNMU Identity”, which were supported by the University rector L. Kovalchuk.

Since 2011, on the occasion of Diabetes Day, more than 50 volunteer students organize the campaign “Let’s unite in fighting against diabetes” annually. On the World Tuberculosis Day, the University teachers and students are involved into a number of outreach activities. A national campaign to fight HIV/AIDS is held every year.

In 2011, more than 1 200 books were collected during the campaign “Present a Book to a Child”; the university received an official message of thanks from the regional administration for that.

In recent years, the university student teams have won the following competitions: Student’s Day, Best Student of Ukraine, Student Republic, Intellectual Battle of Universities, and Inter-University Championship “What? Where? When?”. The teams “Anesthesia”, “V aktyvnomu Poshuku (In Active Search)”, and “Bez Problem (No Problem)” took part in the festival of the student league of the Club of Humour “Otdykhaem vmeste (Resting together!)”, festivals of the Galician Humour Club League, student leagues in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Khmelnitsky, Lutsk. The Primavera rock band took the first prize at the national festival “Pisnia bude pomizh nas (The song will be among us)”.

In 2016, M. Dumnych won the contest “Best Student of Ukraine”.

In recent years, a Christmas crib has been presented on the occasion of the Christmas holidays, which involved the students of the Drama Group “Art Drama” and a choir of the University teachers and students.

In 2014, a creative report of amateur-talent groups was held on the occasion of the 200^th anniversary of T.H. Shevchenko birth. It comprised a concert “Nam treba tvoho holosu, Tarase! (We need your voice, Taras!)” and involved the teachers and students of the Secondary School - Medical Lyceum No.15. The Department of Education and Science of Ternopil Regional State Administration awarded the best presenters O. Zhukovska, O. Kravets, T. Ivanitska and Prima Vera rock band with diplomas.

On Easter, a masterclass in Easter eggs painting was arranged for the University students as well as those transferred from Luhansk and Donetsk medical schools.

Charity is also a successful education method. A university volunteer movement is headed by I. Z. Kernychna. In involves the teachers and over a thousand students, including the international ones. The participants of the university volunteer movement hold more than 500 events annually, the main purpose of which is to help the ATO soldiers, socially disadvantaged groups, disabled children, orphans; they hold instructional courses on premedical care and educational outreach on disease prevention.

In 2014, the students of the Faculty of Medicine B. Kulikovskyi, O. Shevchuk, T. Yatsunskyi initiated a charity event “Photo of the Patriot”. For the money raised they purchased the car MAZ and the necessary possessions for the OUN battalion. The event “Ukrainian Book of Donbass” was held as well. On the occasion of the International Day of Disabled Persons, volunteer students took part in the event “Believe in Yourself”.

In recent years, the university student teams have won the following competitions: Student’s Day, Best Student of Ukraine, Student Republic, Intellectual Battle of Universities, and Inter-University Championship “What? Where? When?”. The teams “Anesthesia”, “V aktyvnomu Poshuku (In Active Search)”, and “Bez Problem (No Problem)” took part in the festival of the student league of the Club of Humour “Otdykhaem vmeste (Resting together!)”, festivals of the Galician Humour Club League, student leagues in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Khmelnitsky, Lutsk. The Primavera rock band took the first prize at the national festival “Pisnia bude pomizh nas (The song will be among us)”.

In 2016, M. Dumnych won the contest “Best Student of Ukraine”.

In recent years, a Christmas crib has been presented on the occasion of the Christmas holidays, which involved the students of the Drama Group “Art Drama” and a choir of the University teachers and students.

In 2014, a creative report of amateur-talent groups was held on the occasion of the 200^th anniversary of T.H. Shevchenko birth. It comprised a concert “Nam treba tvoho holosu, Tarase! (We need your voice, Taras!)” and involved the teachers and students of the Secondary School - Medical Lyceum No.15. The Department of Education and Science of Ternopil Regional State Administration awarded the best presenters O. Zhukovska, O. Kravets, T. Ivanitska and Prima Vera rock band with diplomas.

On Easter, a masterclass in Easter eggs painting was arranged for the University students as well as those transferred from Luhansk and Donetsk medical schools.

Charity is also a successful education method. A university volunteer movement is headed by I. Z. Kernychna. In involves the teachers and over a thousand students, including the international ones. The participants of the university volunteer movement hold more than 500 events annually, the main purpose of which is to help the ATO soldiers, socially disadvantaged groups, disabled children, orphans; they hold instructional courses on premedical care and educational outreach on disease prevention.

In 2014, the students of the Faculty of Medicine B. Kulikovskyi, O. Shevchuk, T. Yatsunskyi initiated a charity event “Photo of the Patriot”. For the money raised they purchased the car MAZ and the necessary possessions for the OUN battalion. The event “Ukrainian Book of Donbass” was held as well. On the occasion of the International Day of Disabled Persons, volunteer students took part in the event “Believe in Yourself”.

Patriotic education is topical at present. Every year, students who have passed military training under the reserve officers program at the Department of Disaster and Military Medicine swear allegiance to the people of Ukraine. The University teachers and students join in the events honouring Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, UPA soldiers, the murdered in World War II, Heavenly Hundred and ATO Heroes. Meetings with ATO soldiers are held regularly. The exhibition “History of the Fighting for Independence. Donbass” was presented.

In 2014-2016, the University specialists worked in military hospitals, where performed complex surgeries for the wounded: Assistant Professor of the Department of Oncology, Radiodiagnosis, Radiotherapy and Radiation Medicine M. Dombrovych, Assistant Professor of the Department of Traumatology, Orthopedics and Military Surgery I. Kulianda, Resident Physician of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive-Care Medicine T. Potupalova, Assistant Professor of the Department of Microbiology, Virology and Immunology M. Vynnychuk. Some university employees defended our country as well: engineer A. Halavan, operator I. Forysiuk, driver V. Markhovskyi.

In 2015, on the Day of a Defender of Ukraine, Ternopil Regional State Administration and the Regional Council awarded diplomas, thanks and honours to the doctors, who volunteered during the Revolution of Dignity, rescued ATO soldiers and were mobilized to defend Ukraine: Associate Professor of the Department of Children’s Diseases and Paediatric Surgery T.O. Vorontsova, Assistant Professor of the Department of Children’s Diseases and Paediatric Surgery I.V. Kubei, Senior Laboratory Technician of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy L.R. Falendysh, Assistant Professor of the Department of Functional Diagnostics and Clinical Pathophysiology Ye.A. Loza, resident doctors T. Bashta, Z. Hvozdyk, I. Chobaniuk, S. Konoval, students of the Faculty of Medicine P. Vitiuk, A. Volik, O. Sorokin, T. Rudyk, I. Dmytruk, V. Kozuba, M. Boiko, T. Yatsunskyi, I. Tokarchuk and M. Denysiuk. The resident doctor of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive-Care Medicine T. Potupalova received the Gallantry Order of the 3^rd degree. The student I. Chobaniuk got the award “People's Hero of Ukraine”.

In 2015, a Centre for Educational Work and Cultural Development was established. In order to distinguish the best students, the University rector M.M. Korda initiated the contest “Best TSMU Student” in the nominations: “For active public position”, “For active volunteer activity”, “For excellent academic achievements”, “For significant achievements in research”, “For significant achievements in culture development”, “For significant achievements in sports”. The students of the Faculty of Medicine M. Denysiuk, Ya. Yashchyshyn, Z. Vivchar, V. Mishchanchuk, T. Ivanitska, I. Turska received these prizes.

T.O. Vorontsova initiated an event “Reject Coffee to Warm the ATO Soldier”, during which hand warmers were purchased and more than two minibuses of possessions for the soldiers were collected. The former employees of the University, the representatives of the Ukrainian Diaspora in Canada, B.R. Boichuk and N.O. Arkhipova, also joined in the charity events: they bought and sent humanitarian aid to ATO soldiers over and over again.

Many students and teachers of the university every day after classes come to work helping the ATO soldiers, where they weave camouflage nets, cut warm shoe insoles, sew NATO evacuation slings.

University students and teachers time after time helped shape dumplings and prepare dried borscht for ATO soldiers. They also supported the National campaign of plastic caps collection for prostheses for those injured in hostilities.

In 2015, at the University Educational and Recreational Complex “Chervona Kalyna” the project “East and West Together” was implemented; it involved more than 20 students of Luhansk and Donetsk medical universities.

The same year, the university and city charity fairs of sweets were held; the proceeds were donated to the Logistics Centre for ATO Soldiers Assistance, and the rest was used to purchase everything necessary for the university employees, who were on the battlefield. Parcels with medicines, interesting books, belongings for the wounded and fighters of the Carpathian Sich Battalion were sent. In 2015-2016, the university student volunteers formed food Easter baskets for the ATO soldiers.

For the last six years, the Red Cross Society in the Ternopil region, together with the university students, who are the members of a volunteer unit of the Red Cross Society, have held the campaign “Flower of Kindness and Mercy”.

At the Department of Disaster and Military Medicine, the project “I can save a life” is being implemented by the Youth Centre of the National Council of Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine and the University.

International students of the public association “Medicare and Social Welfare Initiative” together with the university volunteer movement work in the charitable foundation “Caritas” and the Petrykiv nursing home for the elderly.

In 2015, as a part of the project “Happy childhood for kids with cancer”, the campaigns “Courage Box” and “Live Blood Bank” were initiated at the university.

In recent years, the university students actively took part in the charity event “Christmas Tree of Wishes”. On St. Nikolas Day, the students and teachers present a concert and gifts to Petrykiv Regional Municipal Nursing Home, the Centre for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation, Children’s Home “Maliatko”.

In order to promote a healthy lifestyle, a tradition of a Health Day has been initiated by the student government. A bicycle rally was held in 2015, and in 2016, the Health Day launched with the morning exercise in the backyard of the dormitories No. 2, 3 and 4. The students also joined the campaigns “Movement for Health” and “Week of Marriage”.

In 2015, the university student volunteers took part in a charity marathon to raise funds for purchasing of an electroencephalogram to screen children with epilepsy in Ternopil region. A charity event was held on a Day of Fighting against Epilepsy “Purple Day”.

At the Department of Physical Therapy, Ergotherapy and Physical Education sports competitions for University students and employees are held: football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, tennis, swimming, paintball etc.

Each year, university students participate in the Universiade among other Ternopil universities, in the Heavenly Hundred football tournament, UPA General Roman Shukhevych match, mini-football competitions within the Summer Universiade and take prizes every time.

The Medic team took part in the Open Kickboxing Championship of Ukraine among university students in Khmelnitsky in 2015 and won a title of kickboxing champion. Five students of TNMU, within the Ternopil Kickboxing National Team (the coach – Associate Professor P. Levytskyi), took part in the Ukrainian Kickboxing Championships in Dnepropetrovsk.

The student of the Faculty of Dentistry A. Andrusyk and the student of the Faculty of Pharmacy V. Dovhaliuk participated twice (2015, 2016) in the International Medieval Fighting Festival “Fight of Nations” within the national team of Ukraine

The Department of Physical Therapy, Ergotherapy and Physical Education facilitated the University mini-football championships Rector Cup and Champions League, which were held in 2015-2016.

In 2015 and 2016, the staff of the Center for Educational Work and Cultural Development, the director of the library and the staff of the Department of the Ukrainian Language initiated a solemn concert on Mother's Day “We kiss the hands of our mothers”. Seminars, roundtables, charity events regarding welfare and protection of children were held on Children's Day.

In 2016, the University Natural History Project Group “Terpoliany” celebrated its fifth anniversary (the head is Associate Professor L.V. Kravchuk). Since the time of its establishment, five books, written by students, were published. Publication “History of the Generation – History of the Territory" by I. Orenchuk, collections of poems “Jasmine”, “Kalyna (Viburnum)”, “Yavir (Sycamore)” comprised verses of the talented students of our university.

In 2016, a literary and artistic evening was held dedicated to the 202 anniversary of Taras Shevchenko's Birthday "My thoughts, my thoughts ..." Memory evenings "Taras Shevchenko will live while people live on earth", "The image of a woman" in the artistic and poetic work of TG Shevchenko. Students' drawings, wallpapers and expositions were presented during the exhibition "On the eternal path to Taras!". The works of Kobzar and the author's poems were often read by People’s Artist of Ukraine V. Shemak at the Shevchenko Readings, Assoc. VD Didukh.

In 2016, the teachers of the Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology initiated a literary and musical evening “Trychi meni ziavlialasia liubov (Three times I was in love...)” to honour a Ukrainian genius Ivan Franko.

In order to cultivate respect for the heroic past of the Ukrainian people, love for their native land, the students – the members of the Drama Group “Art Drama”, presented their first performance “The truth is for you, power is for you and the holy will!” in the assembly hall in 2016 to the memory of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes.

On the occasion of the 150^th birth day of the Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Andrei Sheptytsky, the teachers and students met with the bishop-assistant of the Ternopil-Zborivsky Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Theodore and visited the Marian Spiritual Centre in Zarvanytsya.

In 2016, within the project “Spiritual meetings” the discussions on “How to combine the principles of spiritual life in medical practice?”, “How to find harmony in life?”, “What is necessary for happiness?” were held.

Every year, more than 1000 events are held at the university aimed at reviving of national culture, development of students’ national consciousness and responsibility, nurturing love for their native land, Ukrainian traditions, raising the prestige of the Ukrainian language, culture, restoration and preservation of historical memory, respect for national shrines, history, and promotion of a healthy lifestyle.

During the whole history of the university, the educational work was coordinated by the Vice-Rectors for Science and Education (till 1995), and later – by the Assistant Vice-Rectors for Administration and Assistant Vice-Rectors for Science, Education and Social Affairs (as a public service):