This spring, Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine (VU FM) voted for the best lecturer(s) in each study programme. The students of the faculty’s Bachelor’s, Integrated, Master’s and the English taught programmes, were invited to take part in a survey to nominate which lecturer they felt should be chosen as the best.
We are delighted with the results of this year’s Best Lecturer(s) competition and invite you to get to know the nominated lecturers and professors a little better. This time, we interviewed the lecturers of the Integrated study programmes, asking them to share their impressions of the award, to reveal what for them, makes a good lecturer, and to answer the question, what makes a good student?
Assoc. Prof. Asta Mažeikienė / MF archive
Assoc. Prof. Asta Mažeikienė (voted the Best Lecturer in the Pharmacy Study Programme)
“Academic work is very diverse. For me, teaching is the most enjoyable part of the job. I am sincerely grateful to my students for their appreciation,” said Dr Mažeikienė. She explained that what was unexpected, and therefore particularly touching, was a warm letter from a successful graduate, now a practising doctor, thanking her for her encouragement and inspiration and for not to giving up on them during a difficult period of their studies. “My ambition, is to be able to notice every student”, she said. She went on to highlight that, the Faculty of Medicine has many excellent lecturers, outstanding personalities and professionals in their field. “This is what inspired me to choose the academic path. I would like to single out Professor Emerita Zita Aušrelė Kučinskienė. She is a lecturer of extraordinary talent, wisdom and energy, who by her example, encouraged a responsible approach to work, share her considerable knowledge with me, and always supported me. I would also like to thank Professor Arvydas Kaminskas, whose ability to make me interested in the subject he was teaching was the biggest incentive to connect my future with the science of biochemistry”. We asked Dr Mažeikienė what makes a good student, and she replied: “We know very well that the best graduates choose to study medicine. So it is an honour and a privilege for us, as lecturers at the Faculty of Medicine, to work with the such highly motivated young people”.
Prof. Dr Renata Šimkūnaitė-Rizgelienė / MF archive
Prof. Dr Renata Šimkūnaitė-Rizgelienė (voted by students as the Best Lecturer in the Medical Studies Programme)
“I was delighted to accept the nomination for Best Lecturer as an appreciation of my experience, knowledge and efforts. At the same time, it is an obligation not to lower the bar — to keep on improving. A positive evaluation means that I am in my right place and on the right track. And it’s not always easy, but certainly very interesting!”. Professor Šimkūnaitė-Rizgelienė, who teaches histology in the Medical Studies Programme, shared some reflections. She recalled that when she first started teaching at the university, she would have described herself as a true maximalist. “Now I want my students to understand the basic, most important things, to “get” the essence, so I always try to explain a complicated subject simply. Perhaps, this is what this years’ students found to be so great?”, the professor suggested. According to her, a good lecturer is also someone who respects their students, treats them in a collegial manner, doesn’t waste time, shares their experience, learns from the student, sees not only their students’ mistakes but also their own, and generally has a close relationship with their students. Such was the relationship she was lucky enough to have had with her own supervisor during her studies, Assistant Professor of Histology, Dr Laimutė Irena. “Her lectures were always well prepared, structured, clear and simple. After my PhD studies, I got to know Dr Slavėnienė more in depth, and I learnt from her not only about the subject matter, but also about life. Apparently, a semester or two is not always enough, but sometimes it takes a longer period of time and a common goal to be able to call your teacher the best”, she reflected. When asked what for her, makes a good student, she replied: “First and foremost, it is a motivated student who is determined to become a member of one of the toughest professions — that of Medicine. Equally important qualities, are attentiveness to others, sincerity, diligence and curiosity. I like students who are not afraid to ask questions. I often tell them that there are no stupid questions. It’s great when they not only study successfully, but also find time for their family, friends, hobbies and social activities. I am glad that we have such a lot of interesting students who are involved in music, sports, science, volunteering and other activities”, said the professor. According to her, good students are the biggest inspiration for teachers, preventing lecturers from “standing still”.
Dr Lina Džiaugytė-Eyeberdiyev / MF archive
Dr Lina Džiaugytė-Eyeberdiyev (voted by students as the Best Lecturer in the Dentistry Study Programme)
When asked about her reflections on being nominated as a Best Lecturer, Dr Džiaugytė-Eyeberdiyev explained: “This is a very important nomination and I am honoured to receive it. A lecturer is like a mentor, guiding a student along the broad path of education. I have had many good teachers myself, all of them very different, wonderful professionals in their field, and all with unique personalities. They inspired me to strive for excellence, to love my work, to remain human within it. I think these are the most important qualities of a good teacher, and I try to follow them in my work. I am happy that today, many of my previous lectures are among my excellent colleagues”. According to her, it is still unusual in our culture to receive compliments, to be positively evaluated in public — the drive for perfectionism, which is common not only among lecturers, but also among students, often does not allow one to relax and enjoy achievements. She continued: “This time, however, I was genuinely happy with every student’s feedback and very proud of the nomination. Thank you to all my students, current and past, for their sincerity, curiosity and motivation. As you grow, so do your teachers”. Meanwhile, a good student, she said, is first and foremost an inquisitive student with a purpose, who actively seeks the answers to questions. “It’s great to work with students who want more, are full of ideas and have the motivation to make those ideas come true. It is always a great pleasure when former students stay in touch and contact us with new ideas or questions”.