TNMU Paramedic Students Win Third Place at International First Aid Competition in Lithuania
On 23 October 2026, paramedic students from I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University won an honourable third place at the International Students’ First Aid Competition with International Participation 2026, held in Kaunas, Lithuania.
This year’s competition brought together 29 teams from Lithuanian educational institutions and the TNMU team from Ukraine. The Ukrainian students demonstrated a high level of professional training, practical skills and teamwork, earning a place among the winners.
The TNMU team comprised Yuliia Mysyk, a third-year student, Mykola Smoliak, a second-year student, and Daria Kalashnykova, a second-year student. The team was accompanied by Mariana Varvaruk, Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Emergency and Simulation Medicine.
The competition took place at the Karaliaus Mindaugo Vocational Training Centre and involved five practical scenarios designed to closely simulate real-life first aid situations.
Participants demonstrated their skills in performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), managing airway obstruction in an infant, controlling life-threatening bleeding, and recognising life-threatening conditions and injuries. Particular emphasis was placed on the correct application of first aid protocols, rapid decision-making, effective teamwork and the ability to act under stress.
Participation in the competition provided the students with an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills while gaining valuable experience in international professional communication, exchanging practical expertise and learning about approaches to training future emergency medical care professionals in Lithuania.
Following their return to Ukraine, the winning team and their mentors met with Petro Lykhatskyi, Rector of TNMU, on 26 October 2026 and gave a detailed account of their participation in the competition.
The students expressed their sincere gratitude to the TNMU administration for its support and for facilitating their participation in the international competition. They also thanked the Department of Emergency and Simulation Medicine and the TESSIMED Simulation Training Centre for providing high-quality professional training and helping the team refine its practical skills in preparation for the event.
The participants extended special thanks to the organisers — the Lithuanian Association of Paramedics, the IRTA First Aid Training Centre, and the Karaliaus Mindaugo Vocational Training Centre — for the excellent organisation, engaging and realistic competition scenarios, and warm hospitality.
Particular appreciation was expressed to Rytis Malašauskas, President of the Lithuanian Association of Paramedics, for personally inviting the Ukrainian team, supporting and accompanying its members, and maintaining a long-standing and strong partnership with the university.
This achievement provides further evidence that TNMU students can proudly represent Ukrainian medical education on the international stage, demonstrating professionalism, perseverance and a commitment to applying their knowledge to save lives..