TNMU Representatives Took Part in the Working Group Meeting on SAFEMED+ Project Implementation

On February 22-24, 2023, another meeting of the consortium for implementation of the SAFEMED+ project within Erasmus+ KA2 CBHE program “Simulation training at the undergraduate stage of medical education for improving the safety and quality of patient care” was held. 9 universities from 6 countries of the world participate in the project.

Participants of the working group meeting of the SAFEMED+ project in the hall of the Yerevan State Medical University named after Mkhitar Heratsi.

The next (fourth) meeting of the consortium was held in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. The delegates were hospitably welcomed by Mkhitar Heratsi Yerevan State Medical University and Yerevan “Haybusak” University, which were the hosts of the meeting.

TNMU delegation before the meeting.

Yervand Sahakyan, vice-rector for international activity and external relations of YSMU, Lana Karlova, head of the national office of the Erasmus+ program in Armenia, and Iya Avaliani, vice-rector for international relations of Tbilisi Medical Academy, project coordinator, gave a welcome speech to the participants of the meeting.

The participants of the project are welcomed by Lana Karlova, head of the national office of the Erasmus+ program in Armenia, and Iya Avaliani, the project coordinator.

I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University was represented by members of the working group on the organization and implementation of OSCE at TNMU, Nadiia Pasiaka, Nataliia Petrenko, and Nataliia Bilkevych.

The goal of the SAFEMED+ program is to improve the quality of medical education, optimize and standardize the process of students’ acquisition of clinical competencies and their verification using the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) through the implementation of the standards of the World Federation of Medical Education and the World Health Organization in the field of education simulation training. Thanks to SAFEMED+, the capacities and equipment of the stimulation centres of the universities participating in the project have significantly increased, and the acquired experience and knowledge are actively implemented in the educational process.

The first day of the meeting of the working group was held at Mkhitar Heratsi Yerevan State Medical University.

The agenda of the project was quite intense, there were fruitful discussions and an exchange of opinions, which made it possible to find common solutions. The work was carried out in the following areas:

• Training on the methodology of conducting computer-based case simulation OSCE (CCS-OSCE), conducted by Victor M. Arche, professor of medical physiology, expert on the organization of OSCE, and Sergio Chinza, PhD, associate professor of the Department of Family Medicine, University Santiago da Compostela (Spain);
• Discussion of clinical scenarios and a manual on the methodology of preparing and conducting OSCE for the unification of approaches to the organization of the exam in higher education institutions of different countries based on international standards;
• Further strategy for the dissemination of the results of the SAFEMED+ project in the activities of universities participating in the project;
• Visiting the simulation centres of Yerevan State Medical University and Yerevan “Haybusak” University.

The second day of the meeting. Round table discussion at Yerevan “Haybusak” University.

The main activity of the working group for three days was related to the writing of the collection of papers. A certain part of the book was allocated to each higher education institution participating in the project, including the TNMU delegation, and such practical work contributed to a deeper understanding of the logic and methodology of creating OSCE scenarios.

Getting acquainted with the equipment of the stimulation centre of Mkhitar Heratsi Yerevan State Medical University along with the discussions and exchange of experiences between members of the project’s working group.

At a practical session for medical students in the simulation centre of Yerevan “Haybusak” University.

The members of the working group on the organization of OSCE at TNMU express their deepest appreciation to the university administration for the opportunity to work in the project, and to the organizers of SAFEMED+ and the host party for the hospitable reception, comprehensive support, knowledge and valuable experience gained.

Information was prepared by Nataliia Bilkevych, Nataliia Petrenko, and Nadiia Pasiaka.