Introduction. Raising the issue of lifelong professional competence development in teachers of modern medical and pharmaceutical universities, the article aims to identify the opportunities provided in a modern medical university educational environment for professional development of university teachers (academic staff), and to specify conditions for teachers’ effective personal and professional development.
Materials and methods. The analysis of national and foreign literature on organising continuing professional development for academic staff has been carried out. The experience of contemporary practice of medical education at Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical University has been reviewed.
Results. The authors identify internal and external factors facilitating and preventing successful realisation of teachers’ professional development. A complex of principles and conditions forming the basis for organising an effective system of professional and personal development of medical university academic staff has been presented.
Conclusions. The authors consider attention to the issue of organising an effective system of professional and personal development of medical university teachers as the main condition for successful innovative development of higher medical education in Russia. Therewith, creating teachers’ lifelong personal-professional development systems which would be adaptable to changes in the educational environment is to be considered as a priority for modern medical and pharmaceutical universities.