Abstract. The article is dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Internal Diseases No. 2, and Deputy Dean for Residency at the Marat Ospanov West Kazakhstan Medical University, Gulnara Lukpanovna Kurmanalina. The material traces the key stages of her professional career: after graduating with honors from the Aktobe State Medical Institute in 1988, her first steps in practical healthcare, heading a therapeutic department, and then more than thirty years of teaching and scientific activity at her alma mater. Special attention is given to her Candidate’s dissertation on unstable angina, which became an important contribution to the development of national cardiology. Gulnara Lukpanovna is not only a researcher and educator but also a mentor who has trained several generations of young specialists. Her more than 120 publications, textbooks, and monographs, serve as a solid foundation for doctors and students. Under her leadership, the Department of Internal Diseases No. 2 has become a true school of professionalism, responsibility, and humanity.
An important part of her professional activity has been her participation in international expert committees and accreditation councils, which helped raise medical training to a new level. Gulnara Lukpanovna took part in the international multicenter studies EUROASPIRE VI and ICaReMe, contributing to the advancement of clinical cardiology and the epidemiology of non-communicable diseases. Thanks to her energy and authority, the university has strengthened its standing within the international medical community. Her attentiveness to colleagues and students, openness to dialogue, and commitment to fostering professional growth make Professor Kurmanalina not only a scientist and teacher but also a respected mentor. For her significant contribution to the development of healthcare in the Republic of Kazakhstan, she was awarded the honorary badge “Excellence in Healthcare”. This article pays tribute to her professionalism, integrity, and lifelong dedication to medicine and education.
Keywords: Marat Ospanov West Kazakhstan Medical University, Department of Internal Medicine No. 2, Kurmanalina, medical education in Kazakhstan, cardiology, mentorship