Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine

Faculties Faculty of Medicine Departments Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine

Education

Example test
Rules for PRM exam
Literature for PRM exam

Programs

  • Academic standart for “Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine”

    • 1. The Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) was established in 1952 under the leadership of Prof. Svetlana Boykikova, MD, PhD, DSc, a pioneer in the field of PRM in Bulgaria. Over the decades, it has been enriched by the contributions of numerous distinguished PRM physicians who have helped shape its academic and clinical identity. Notable figures in the department’s history include Dr. V. Karaivanov, Dr. A. Popova, Dr. V. Baykusheva, Dr. M. Vasileva, Dr. St. Kemerov, MD, PhD, Dr. E. Dobrolitska, and Dr. M. Goranova.

    Prof. Dr. Jannis Papathanasiou, MD, PhD, currently serving as Head of Department, holds several prominent national and international roles in the field of healthcare policy and PRM. He is the Chair of the State Examination Commission for Specialty Certification in the Healthcare System (since 2020) and leads the working group at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bulgaria for the implementation of Investment C12I7 “Development of Ambulatory Care”—part of Component No. 12 “Healthcare” of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (2024). At the European level, Prof. Papathanasiou is a member of the EU subgroup responsible for developing a common framework for the training of physiotherapists (2024).

    Prof. Papathanasiou also serves as a member of the Expert Council on PRM at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bulgaria (since 2021) and acts as an external PRM expert for the National Health Insurance Fund (since 2021). His contributions extend to higher education and policy development as an expert for the National Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation (since 2019) and as a member of the Permanent Interdepartmental Commission on Health Tourism at the Bulgarian Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Tourism (since 2019). Furthermore, he has served as a member of the expert group on PRM at the Ministry of Health of the Hellenic Republic (2017).

    Educational Activities of the PRM Department
    The PRM Department at the Medical University of Plovdiv is actively engaged in comprehensive multidisciplinary education. Since 2012, the PRM Dseepartment has been delivering structured academic training to medical students, including instruction in English for international cohorts. In addition to undergraduate education, the department provides specialized training for physicians pursuing board certification in PRM and General Medicine. Furthermore, tailored educational modules are offered for allied health professionals, including physiotherapists, nurses, midwives, and medical cosmetologists, ensuring a holistic and integrated approach to rehabilitation training.

    Postgraduate Training in PRM
    Postgraduate education in PRM at the Medical University of Plovdiv encompasses a comprehensive range of qualification courses tailored to both PRM residents and board-certified PRM specialists. Additionally, individualized training is available for healthcare professionals seeking expertise in highly specialized areas of rehabilitation practice. Postgraduate PRM curricula are routinely updated to reflect evolving European standards and are in full compliance with the academic regulations of the Medical University of Plovdiv. The curricula have been officially endorsed by the Academic Council (Protocol No. 9/26.11.2015), ensuring alignment with national accreditation requirements and international best practices in PRM training.
    Student knowledge is assessed through a combination of semester-based evaluations, including written tests and oral examinations. The final examination comprises a comprehensive test administered under controlled conditions, with content encompassing the full breadth of the PRM curriculum.

    Academic Staff

    The Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine was established in 1952 by Prof. Svetlana Boikikeva, MD. Over the years in the Department have been working Dr. V. Karaivanov, Dr. A. Popova, Dr. V. Baikusheva, Ch. M. Vasileva, Ph.D. Kemerov, MD, Dr. E. Dobrolitska, Prof. Dr. Papatanasiou as teachers

    Head of the Department and the Section over the years have been:
    • prof. Dr. Svetlana Boikikeva, MD, Ph.D.
    • prof. Dr. Stoyan Yonkov, MD, PhD
    • Assoc. Dr. Ivaylo Pashev, MD
    • Assoc. Dr. Marinkev, DM
    • prof. Dr. Elena Ilieva, MD (since 2006)

    The current academic staff is as follows:

    Prof. Dr. Ioannis Papathanasiou, MD, PhD, – Head of the Department

    Phone: 032/602784
    e-mail: [email protected]

    Dr. Anna Angelova,MD Chief Assistant Professor – Responsible for research activities

    Phone: 032 / 602 784
    e-mail: [email protected]

    Dr. Petar Nikolov, Assistant Professor – Responsible for quality control, Web page management

    Phone: 032 / 602 784
    e-mail: [email protected]

    Dr. Boris Dzhurdzhev, Assistant Professor – Responsible for HSLC and Postgraduate education

    Phone: 032 / 602 784
    e-mail: [email protected]

    Dr. Fani Kolacheva – Responsible for teaching activities

    Phone: 032 / 602 784
    e-mail: [email protected]

    Dr. Gabriela Angelova-Dimitrova

    Phone: 032 / 602 784
    e-mail: [email protected]

    Dr. Stoyu Marinski

    Phone: 032 / 602 784
    e-mail: [email protected]

    Dr. Nina Dimitrova

    Phone: 032 / 602 784
    e-mail: [email protected]

    Dr. Polina Zaykova

    Phone: 032 / 602 784
    e-mail: [email protected]

    Dr. Daniela Alexandrova

    Phone: 032 / 602 784
    e-mail: [email protected]

    Prof. Jannis Papathanasiou serves as a member of the Expert Council on PRM at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bulgaria (since 2021) and acts as an external PRM expert for the National Health Insurance Fund (since 2021). His contributions extend to higher education and policy development as an expert for the National Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation (since 2019) and as a member of the Permanent Interdepartmental Commission on Health Tourism at the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Tourism (since 2019). Furthermore, he has served as a member of the expert group on PRM at the Ministry of Health of the Hellenic Republic (2017).

    In 2024, Prof. Jannis Papathanasiou, MD, PhD, was appointed Chair of the national working group responsible for implementing Investment C12I7, titled “Development of Ambulatory Care,” under Component No. 12 “Healthcare” of Bulgaria’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Ministry of Health, Order No. RD-02-263/29.11.2024). At the European level, Prof. Papathanasiou was nominated as a member of the EU subgroup tasked with developing a unified framework for the training of physiotherapists, by Order No. RD-19-26/28 issued on 28 March 2024 by the Bulgarian Ministry of Health. Furthermore, since 2020, he has served as the Chair of the State Examination Commission for Specialty Certification in the Healthcare System, with appointments formalized through Orders No. RD-19-3/03.04.2020 and No. RD-19-6/17.10.2024. These roles underscore Prof. Papathanasiou’s significant contributions to health policy development, medical education, and rehabilitation system reform at both national and European levels.

    Prof. Jannis Papathanasiou, MD, PhD, serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Journal of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine. He also contributes as a Section Editor for several peer-reviewed and impact-indexed journals, including the European Journal of Translational Myology, Muscles, Ligaments and Tendons Journal, Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, Folia Medica, and the Journal of Frailty, Sarcopenia and Falls.

    Research

    The research activity of the Department is focused on several main areas:

    • Investigating the effectiveness of various balneological modalities and mineral waters in lumbar degenerative diseases;
    • Investigating the effectiveness of various rehabilitation interventions in cancer survivors;
    • Application of rehabilitation interventions in adolescents with peripheral facial nerve injuries;
    • Comparative study of kinesitherapeutic programs and rehabilitation interventions in patients with scoliosis;
    • Validation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Roland Morris Questionnaire in Bulgaria;
    • Validation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the EORTC QLQ-C30 Questionnaire in Bulgaria;
    • Integrating Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence into Rehabilitation Settings and Practice.

    Textbooks

    Textbook Contributions

    The PRM Department actively contributes to the development of educational resources in the field through authorship and collaboration in national and international textbooks. Notable contributions include:

    • Papathanasiou J., Panayotov K. (2023). Essentials of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine for Undergraduate Medical Students (2nd ed.). Avangard. ISBN: 978-954-337-463-2.
    • Cassarino S.A., Faraci S., Papathanasiou J.V. (2022). Disabilità respiratoria e sport. La Medicina Fisica e Riabilitativa per il Corso di Laurea in Scienze Motorie (1st ed.). Universitalia. ISBN: 978-88-3293-600-1.
    • Troev T., Papathanasiou J. (2016). Essentials of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine for Undergraduate Medical Students (1st ed.). Lax Book. ISBN: 978-619-189-041-5.
    • These textbooks serve as foundational references for undergraduate medical education and for the training of rehabilitation professionals across Europe.

    Publications

    The academic staff of the PRM Department has demonstrated consistent engagement in scholarly activity at both national and international levels. Between 2008 and 2023, the department produced a total of 112 scientific articles published in Bulgarian and peer-reviewed international journals. Of these, 42 were published in high-impact factor journals indexed in international databases. Collectively, the PRM department’s scholarly output has received over 1,100 citations, predominantly in indexed and peer-reviewed journals, reflecting the scientific relevance and visibility of its research. In addition to scientific articles published, the academic staff have delivered more than 40 scientific presentations at national and international conferences. The PRM Department is currently involved in four active research projects and has contributed to the academic literature through the publication of two scientific monographs.

    Monographs

    Prof. Jannis Papathanasiou, MD, PhD has actively contributed to international and national academic literature in the field of rehabilitation medicine. His scholarly work includes authorship and co-authorship in the following monographs:

    • Masiero S., Carraro U., Papathanasiou J. (2017). Rehabilitation Medicine for Elderly Patients. 1st ed. Springer. ISBN: 978-3-319-57405-9 (Print), 978-3-319-57406-6 (Online).
    • Papathanasiou J. (2013). Cardiac Rehabilitation in Chronic Heart Failure. Sofia: Avangard Prima. ISBN: 978-954-9549-96-6.

    Dissertations

    Doctoral Research and Academic Advancement
    Over the past decade, the Department of PRM has fostered the successful defense of seven doctoral dissertations, significantly contributing to the academic and professional advancement of the field. Notably, several of these works have led to habilitation and the promotion of new faculty members in medical universities across Bulgaria:

    • Dr. Jannis Papathanasiou defended the dissertation titled “Comparative Study of the Effects of a Group-Based High-Intensity Interval Training Model and a Moderate-Intensity Continuous Model on the Functional Capacity and Quality of Life of Patients with Chronic Heart Failure.” He was subsequently habilitated as Associate Professor at the Medical University of Sofia in 2013 and at the Medical University of Plovdiv in 2015.
    • Dr. Maya Krastanova completed a doctoral thesis entitled “Study on the Effect of a Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program in Patients after Total Hip Arthroplasty,” and she was habilitated as an Associate Professor at the Medical University of Pleven in 2016.
    • Dr. Emil Milushev defended the dissertation “Monitoring Changes in Range of Motion in Patients with Back Pain Using Ultrasound Cranio-Corpography,” and achieved habilitation as Associate Professor at the Medical University of Sofia in 2024.
    • Dr. Anna Stefanova Angelova authored a dissertation on “Therapeutic Efficacy of High-Intensity Laser Irradiation in Osteoarthritis of the Knee Joint,” contributing novel insights into laser therapy applications in musculoskeletal rehabilitation.