My motivation is to learn from the best specialists in order to develop Ukrainian medicine — Olga Kostenchak-Svystak
Olga Kostenchak-Svystak is a hematologist. She works in the Mukachevo St. Martin’s Hospital the department of oncology, specializing in providing care to patients with various blood disorders, including lymphomas, leukemias, and myelodysplastic syndrome.
In addition to her clinical work, Olga Kostenchak-Svystak teaches pathophysiology to medical students at Uzhhorod National University. For her, this is an opportunity to pass on her own experience and knowledge and to contribute to the formation of the next generation of physicians.
While teaching students, Dr. Kostenchak-Svystak does not neglect her own professional development either. For this particular reason, she applied and was subsequently chosen to undergo a one-month internship at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, USA, which was organized by the GMKA team with the support of the Union for International Cancer Control.
Dr. Kostenchak-Svystak shared her initial impressions of the internship and explained how the American experience helps her improve the quality of medical services in Zakarpattia, Ukraine.
When asked about whether the American healthcare system lived up to her expectations and her impressions of her time in Boston, she began by stating: “Learning from the best and being exposed to one of the leading medical organizations in one of the world’s best health care systems, with the ability to bring and implement this knowledge back to Ukraine”.
Please tell us, did the American healthcare system fulfill your expectations? What are your impressions of what you have seen in Boston?
— I was expecting to gain new knowledge in organizing the process of bone marrow transplantation and patient management, but was able to gain even more than I was expecting, such as meeting wonderful people, doctors, who we still stay in touch with and who share their experiences in bone marrow transplants. These are people who sincerely want to help Ukrainian patients.
Organization of bone marrow transplants is one of the procedures you wanted to familiarize yourself with. Were you able to achieve this goal while on your internship?
— Yes, I had the opportunity to observe the organization of the bone marrow transplantation process, beginning from the laboratory where blood products are stored and processed to patient care in the post-transplantation period. In addition, I also witnessed how American colleagues respond in difficult cases and make decisions when complications arise. My main goal was to see the process itself, which aspects are needed to allow the execution of such quality work in Ukraine, how to build a high quality team of medical professionals.
In your opinion, why are international internships important for Ukrainian doctors and how can they impact the development of healthcare in Ukraine?
— Internships are crucial for acquiring new experiences, improving the healthcare system in Ukraine, addressing deficiencies, learning from mistakes, and having the ability to discuss these issues with world experts. Learning from the best with the goal of building quality healthcare in Ukraine is my motivation. I truly believe that, step after step, with the support of our colleagues, we will continue progressing in the right direction
Dr. Olga Kostenak-Svystak has already completed her internship in Boston, returned to her hometown of Mukachevo, and is starting to implement changes in her department and hospital. She has also joined the GMKA team as an author of articles for patients.
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