REGIONAL IDENTITY AS A CONSTITUENT ELEMENT OF UPBRINGING AT MEDICAL SCHOOLS

The growing interest in the phenomenon of "regionalism" in higher education is associated with two different dynamics . the changes that higher education is undergoing in the context of globalization and digital revolution. The article presents a theoretical overview of modern approaches to the issue of personality identification in the framework of narrow categories, such as a region. The authors propose their own methodology for the study of regional identification, which consists of such components as belonging to the region (primary and secondary), awareness (professional and cultural-historical), as well as engagement (internal and external) of respondents in university life. The study involved 186 students of medical specialties of Medical Academy named after S. I. Georgievsky, V. I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University (Simferopol, Russia). A small number of respondents demonstrate a high level of regional identification by means of in-depth knowledge of the history and cultural heritage of the region, along with knowledge in the field of professional regional uniqueness. The authors believe that the formation of a regional identity within the educational process will contribute to the upbringing of the intellectual elite capable of ensuring moral, economic and political development of the region. To make regional identity a part of educational process, the authors propose to create the image of a "Crimean doctor", inspired by outstanding healthcare professionals whose names will forever remain within the walls of Medical Academy as a historical value, as an example of spiritual and moral purity and as the cultural heritage of our region. (C) 2020 Published by European Publisher.