Investments in Scientific Teaching Staff – Main Determinant of Quality Medical Education

Science has emerged as a powerful tool to facilitate researchers in conducting trustful summary of achievements in clinical practice. Science has a leading role in modern medicine as it allows prediction of the future development of new scientific ideas, formulating the prospects for future development. The purpose of the article was to make a comparative analysis and evaluation of the allocated funds for scientific and teaching staff hired under second employment contract in the university clinics or accredited teaching hospitals or departments for clinical training of the Medical University – Sofia for the period 2013-2022, and to show the effectiveness of investing in human capital. For the purposes of the research, the following were used: documentary method, analysis and synthesis and comparative method. During the analyzed period, a permanent tendency towards a decrease in the total number of clinical teachers in all clinical training centres was observed. The total amount of funds spent on the wage fund for the ten-year period increased by 35.7% compared to the beginning of the period. The increase in the funds for the salary fund of the clinical teachers stems from the policy that was introduced in 2016 with the Collective Labor Agreement – together with the social partners stimulation (bonus) for theoretical and practical training of medical students both in the Bulgarian language (state order), as well as payment for English language training. With a view to improving the quality of education of future healthcare Professionals, MU – Sofia continuously invests its own funds in its scientific and teaching staff. Proof of the effectiveness of the invested funds are the results of the last 10 years of the Rating System of the higher schools in the Republic of Bulgaria, in which MU – Sofia was ranked first in the five professional areas in which it conducts training.