The academic treasury of professor Constantin Ețco: commemoration of the 80-Year Anniversary of „Nicolae Testemitanu” University of Medicine &Pharmacy

Abstract

Based on the commemoration of “80 years of vision, identity and European excellence” of ”Nicolae Testemitanu” University of Medicine &Pharmacy, this paper aims to highlight how the academic and managerial vision of Constantin Ețco has led to structural and conceptual transformations in medical education and in the institutional organization of the university. The study is a qualitative, historical-institutional analysis based on documentary research. The following sources were used: biographical and institutional records of Professor Constantin Ețco; his published scientific and pedagogical works; institutional documents on the establishment of departments and reforms; normative acts and materials related to national health policies; as well as commemorative texts and official statements. Methods include document analysis, content analysis and historical synthesis, with data triangulation to ensure consistency and validation of findings. Constantin Ețco’s managerial vision facilitated the modernization of the university by establishing master’s and residency programmes, consolidating University as a European‑style higher medical education institution. A multidisciplinary academic department - “Economics, Management and Psychopedagogy in Medicine” - was created, integrating fields such as health economics, health management, psychology, social medicine, and medical legislation. Moreover, continuing‑education initiatives - implemented as a 60‑credit psychopedagogy module - have provided medical staff with systematic pedagogical training, aligning the preparation of teaching personnel with contemporary standards. His legacy transcends didactics, aiming at system‑level management development and the implementation of health‑care reforms, the most notable being the introduction and realization of insured medicine in the Republic of Moldova. The commemoration of his work on the occasion of the 80‑year anniversary of ”Nicolae Testemitanu” University of Medicine &Pharmacy confirms him as a key architect of the institution’s strategic development and modernization. The academic and managerial work of Constantin Ețco constitutes an “academic treasury”. Through the legal and conceptual foundations he laid, his vision decisively contributed to the strategic orientation of University toward European standards in education and health. The implemented transformations demonstrate the relevance of integrating education, management, and psychopedagogy in training a modern medical faculty body, capable of responding to the current challenges of the health system.