PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND PROFILE OF A SPECIALIST IN THE FIELD OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY (LITERATURE REVIEW)

The article discusses the profile and professional skills of a specialist in the field of medical microbiology. The recent trend towards the centralization of microbiological laboratories in order to increase the level of funding, equipment, increase the range of studies performed and to standardize all stages of laboratory diagnostics (preanalytical, analytical and postanalytical) requires a revision of the qualification requirements for medical personnel. The authors raise the issue of a professional standard in the field of medical microbiology and analyze changes in the professional tasks of a medical microbiologist from the period of approval of the first curriculum in medical microbiology to the current stage in the development of laboratory diagnostics of infectious diseases. The basic competencies, obligatory knowledge and skills of a specialist in the field of medical microbiology are discussed, these are necessary for the implementation of job functions in the field of high-technological research methods using the genome of pathogens and microbial communities. The profile of a specialist is considered in terms of interaction with doctors of other specialties for the effective decision of medical problems in antimicrobial therapy and the prevention of infectious diseases. The search for literature sources was carried out using the Scopus, Web of Science, MedLine, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, GlobalHealth, CyberLeninka, and RSCI databases. The study showed that the professional skills of a medical microbiologist should be evaluated together with the specialist's personal characteristics, which become necessary for graduates' successful certification in higher medical educational institutions.