Introduction: Pre-graduate training is one of the compulsory forms of study at the Medical University-Pleven, which has proved its importance for the Public Health programs. Students training in the Healthcare Management program acquire two opportunities for realization - Healthcare Manager and Lecturer in Practice. This requires the acquisition of specific practical skills - organizational, communicative etc., which are the basis of pre-graduate practice.
Aim: The aim of this paper is to study students` satisfaction in the Healthcare Management program regarding their pre-graduate practice and to improve its effectiveness.
Materials and Methods: Data was collected using self-administered questionnaire consisting of closed-ended questions. They were distributed among 47 students in Bachelor`s and Master`s degree Healthcare Management programs studied in the Faculty of Public Health at MU-Pleven during the 2016-2017 academic year. The questionnaire was designed specifically for the purpose of the study and consists of 20 questions relevant to the purpose.
Results and Discussion: More than half of the respondents (71%) are satisfied with their pre-graduate internship and indicated `Very good" and "Excellent". The relative share of trainees is also high, according to them the acquired skills will be useful in practice - 72% responded positively to managerial skills and 81% to teaching skills. There was a statistically significant relationship between the answers of the respondents and the length of their professional experience (p<0.05, p=0.001). The highest grade was that of Bachelors degree graduates with work experience in the specialty more than 15 years (52%). They rated the internship as excellent and very well trained.
Conclusion: The pre-graduate internship of the students in the Management of Health Care program is the final level of their education. According to a large number of respondents (38%), a preliminary workshop for a representative from the University with the mentors will increase the satisfaction of the pre-graduate experience.
