Basic principles of creating the elective course at theoretical departments of a medical university

to formulate the basic principles of the development of elective courses at theoretical departments in medical universities and to present results of students' education using elective course "Histophysiology of visceral systems". Methods of research: analysis of the practice of creating elective courses at the Department of Histology, Cytology and Embryology, Donetsk National Medical University of Maxim Gorky (DonNMU). Results: The main principles of the creating of elective courses are: implementation of the paradigm "fundamental knowledge - the orienting basis of the doctor"; interdisciplinary integration of fundamental knowledge, contextual (motivational) approach to the content of educational information and the organization of the learning processwhich provides an understanding of knowledge based on the professional competencies of the doctor. During the creating of elective component of the educational program on the discipline "Histology, Cytology and Embryology" and the elective course "Histophysiology of Visceral Systems" the teaching experience of basic clinical disciplines (cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, neurology, endocrinology, nephrology) was reviewed as well as educational content at theoretical departments (human physiology and biochemistry, pharmacology, pathophysiology and pathological anatomy)for clarifying the relevance of cytology, molecular biology and histology knowledge; Prepared actual material that provides the formation of required knowledge to decide typical clinical situations; The level of theoretical preparation of students of 1-2 and 5-6 courses is revealed and their study readiness for variable component is determined.