Dnipro State Medical University

Since its establishment in 1948, the Department of Physical Rehabilitation, Sports Medicine, and Valeology (the Department) has served as a foundational hub for training rehabilitation specialists in the region (https://202.dmu.edu.ua/kafedra/istoria-kafedri). Following Ukraine’s independence in 1992, the Department became the anchor institution of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine for the academic discipline of “Physical Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine” among medical higher education institutions, bearing nationwide responsibility for its organizational and methodological framework. Based at Dnipro State Medical University (DSMU), the Republican Problem Commission on “Medical Aspects of Physical Culture and Sports” was operational, alongside Ukraine’s first Specialized Scientific Council for dissertation defenses in the specialty 14.01.24 – Therapeutic Physical Culture and Sports Medicine, established in 1994. A sports club operates within the university’s sports and rehabilitation facilities, offering free daily sessions across various wellness and recreation sections, including basketball, futsal, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, wrestling, kettlebell lifting, powerlifting, track and field, and chess (https://surl.li/dliwgo). Students and faculty members participate in all-Ukrainian and regional competitions, consistently securing podium finishes (https://surl.li/rmitxj). Every Saturday, a Health Day is hosted for staff and students, accumulating over 1,000 visits per year. For over 60 years, a sports and wellness summer camp with a 250-bed capacity has been in operation, providing higher education students with opportunities for recreation and health improvement (https://surl.li/mfcekh).