TNMU Representatives Participated in the training within the ERASUM + Project – Simulation in Undergraduate MEDical Education for Improvement of SAFEty and Quality of Patient Care (SAFEMED +)

On April 19-22, 2022, the University of Catania, Italy hosted a training for OSCE examiners within ERASUM + Project – Simulation in Undergraduate MEDical Education for Improvement of SAFEty and Quality of Patient Care (SAFEMED +), which was attended by TNMU Associate Professors Nataliia Haliyash and Nataliia Bilkevych, who are members of the working group on organization and implementation of OSCE in TNMU.

The training for OSCE examiners was organized in order to spread the experience of OSCE organization, introduced in Spain, for graduates of medical institutions, as well as to discuss prospects for improving the development of clinical competencies in students during their studies. It was attended by representatives from other universities which are partners of SAFEMED +, in particular, the Ukrainian delegation also included teachers from Bukovinian State Medical University.

Ukrainian delegation in Catania near Mount Etna

There were also representatives of Georgia, including Ia Avaliani, who is the main coordinator of the project, and teachers from Tbilisi Medical Academy and Tbilisi State Medical University. There were also partners from Armenia, Lithuania and Spain.

SAFEMED + training participants. Catania, April 19-22, 2022

The welcoming speech at the opening was given by the Rector of the University of Catania Prof. Francesco Priolo, who expressed kindest support for the people of Ukraine in their struggle for independence and noted that the University has established a fund to support students from Ukraine who want to study there.

Welcoming speech by the Rector of the University of Catania Prof. Francesco Priolo

Participants are being greeted by the main coordinator of the SAFEMED + project Ia Avaliani

The following seminars were held as part of this training:

The aim and principles of OSCE. Team for organizing and implementing the exam: sharing the responsibilities. (Prof. Victor M. Arche, Professor of Medical Physiology, OSCT Expert, University of Santiago da Compostela)
Organization and logistics of the final OSCE. Types of stations and their organization (Sergio Cinza, PhD, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, University of Santiago da Compostela)
Scenarios for OSCE: testable competencies, selection and writing of a clinical case (Sergio Cinza, PhD, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, University of Santiago da Compostela)
Workshop on writing a clinical case for OSCE and forming checklists. (Sergio Cinza, PhD, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, University of Santiago da Compostela)
Standardized Patient: Training and Communication (Sergio Cinza, PhD, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, University of Santiago da Compostela)
Communication skills in medicine: how to assess? (Lina Zabuliene, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, Vilnius University)
Computer-based case simulation OSCE (CCS-OSCE) (Prof. Victor M. Arche, Professor of Medical Physiology, OSCE Expert, University of Santiago da Compostela)

Sergio Cinza, PhD, Associate Professor of Family Medicine Department, University of Santiago da Compostela, shares his experience of holding OSCE in Spain

Colleagues from Vilnius University demonstrate a case of communication with a patient

In addition, the participants of the training were suggested to take a study tour to the University Clinic of the University of Catania and the simulation centre, during which Prof. Daniela Puzzo, who is in charge of the clinical practice of medical students, told how the clinical line is organized, i.e. the development of clinical competencies of students in practice in Italy.

Daniela Puzzo, responsible for the clinical practice of medical students, introduces the organization of student practical training

All seminars were broadcast live, so SAFEMED + participants who were unlucky enough to attend in person had the opportunity to listen to lectures and ask questions.

During all seminars there was a live broadcast

The received information was transferred to the participants of the working group on the organization of OSCE.

Conclusions:

Currently in I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical university, the level of OSCE organization corresponds with that of modern European standards. Of course, there are areas for improvement, namely: the introduction of paired stations for the final OSCE per patient to reflect the full process of curation; development of blueprints (a tool to objectify exam evaluation when changing stations) to standardize the exam at the national level.
To optimize the use of human resources and qualitative testing of the development of clinical thinking, students have the prospect of replacing part of the OSCE stations with CCS-OSCE. To do this, our university has every opportunity.
It is necessary to develop mechanisms for attracting and training standardized patients for both OSCE and for use in the educational process.

We are deeply grateful to Katia Mangano and Paolo Fagone for their warm welcome and excellent organization of the meeting in Catania. We would also like to express our gratitude to Ia Avaliani, Sergio Cinza, Victor Arche, Daniela Puzzo and all the colleagues who made efforts to make this meeting entertaining and effective. We thank the administration of the University for the opportunity to gain new knowledge, as well as Nataliia Lisnychuk for personal support in preparing for the trip.

Information has been provided by Nataliia Haliyash and Nataliia Bilkevych.

Photographs by the authors and organizers of the SAFEMED + project