The role of professional communities in continuing professional education using the example of the Russian Society of Psychiatrists

Professional communities bring together people who work in a particular field and are a platform for cooperation, solving current professional issues, discussions, exchanging information, and expanding competencies. Professional communities form their structures and functions depending on their assigned tasks. As a rule, they are not static but can change due to changing environmental conditions or new challenges. Professional communities have their own tasks and functions, which are not limited to specialist areas but can also be social in nature. The most typical examples of such communities are social, educational, psychological, and medical communities. Among the medical specialties, psychiatry occupies a special position, as it has its own methods as well as integrates a wide range of approaches from other specialties such as philosophy, anthropology, psychology, pedagogy, social and many natural sciences, and, of course, approaches from somatic medicine and neurology. We have looked at the role of the Russian Society of Psychiatrists in the continuing professional education of specialists, which is constantly taking place in Russia. This enables doctors to confirm and improve their skills throughout their careers to succeed in their professional activities.