The Department of Internal Medicine and Occupational Diseases was established in 1977, on the basis of the clinical unit of the Kharkiv Research Institute of Occupational Hygiene and Occupational Diseases, on the initiative of the then Rector of Kharkiv Medical Institute, Professor Volodymyr D. Chernenko.
The founder and first Head of the Department was Professor Inna F. Kostiuk, MD, DSc, who led the Department in 1977–2009. Under her leadership, the Department developed the methodological foundations for teaching occupational pathology, initiated research in industrial cardiology, and formed a strong academic school; during this period, one doctoral and ten PhD theses were defended under her supervision.
In 2009–2021, the Department was headed by Professor Valerii A. Kapustnyk, MD, DSc, an Honoured Education Worker of Ukraine and a graduate of Kharkiv Medical Institute. During his tenure, the Department further advanced its educational and research activity in internal medicine and occupational pathology and strengthened academic training. Under his supervision, one doctoral and eight PhD theses were defended. Prof. Kapustnyk later served as First Vice-Rector and Rector of Kharkiv National Medical University (2019–2024).
Since 2021, the Department has been headed by Professor Borys O. Shelest, MD, DSc, a clinician and researcher with international experience. He has presented the Department’s scientific work at major international meetings, including Germany (EAS 2023, Mannheim), Spain (EHRA 2023, Barcelona), and Japan (ISH 2022, Kyoto), as well as at numerous national medical conferences in Ukraine. Under his leadership, the Department has expanded international cooperation, participates in grant initiatives (including support from the Foundation for the Development of Internal Medicine in Europe (FDIME), and strengthens its presence in the international scientific community.
In 2023, 2024 and 2025, Prof. Shelest was appointed Chair of the Medical Examination Committee during the implementation of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) at KhNMU and coordinated students’ final certification in line with current national requirements and modern educational standards. Prof. Shelest also serves as Head of the Kharkiv Association of Internal Medicine Physicians, and is a member of the ESC Council on Hypertension.
The course of Internal Medicine has been taught to medical students since 1977, to dental students since 1981, and to the sanitary-hygienic (preventive medicine) track since 1984. Occupational diseases are taught to students of medical faculties in programmes including General Medicine, Paediatrics, and Preventive Medicine.
In 1991, the Department was designated as a national reference unit (Department) for teaching occupational diseases in medical higher education institutions of Ukraine. The Department’s staff developed and implemented standard curricula and training programmes approved by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine for students, interns and Master’s trainees (1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2007, 2012).
The Department also contributed to the publication of core textbooks and teaching resources endorsed by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, including “Occupational Diseases” (1998, 2003, 2011, 2015, 2017), “Professional Diseases” (2012, in Russian) for international students, “Occupational diseases” (2005, 2016, in English) for international students, as well as “Internal Medicine” for dental students (2002, 2015), along with multiple manuals and methodological guidelines.
Teaching is delivered in Ukrainian and English. The Department provides training in Internal Medicine, Occupational Diseases, Military Field Therapy, and a range of elective educational components. Modern information technologies are actively used across departmental activities (electronic documentation and records, statistical analysis, teaching technologies, and web resources).
Since its establishment, the Department’s research has focused on key areas of internal medicine and occupational pathology, including cardiology and pulmonology, with attention to industrial and occupational aspects.
