Medical Scientific Sessions – Romania (FASMR)

Name of the activity: Medical Scientific Sessions

Country/NMO: Romania (FASMR)

Program: Teaching Medical Skills

Contact information: [email protected]

Type of the activity: Education

General description:

The project aims to encourage medical students to write and present case reports. MSS addresses to all of those who want to improve their abilities to present a scientific paper. At the same time, it represents an opportunity to open a debate about different medical topics.

Focus area:

Doctor-Patient communication skills, Soft Skills for medical practitioners

Problem statement:

The absence of academic writing in compulsory curricula, the need to
train students in writing and presenting case reports and practicing
oral communication skills in front of a specialized commission
justifies the implementation of this project within the Faculty of Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest.

Target groups and beneficiaries:

Medical students

Objectives and indicators of success:

S: To create a free activity for students to exercise their presentation and public skills, and, at the same time, to help them prepare and deepen their medical knowledge.

Ind: The pilot edition (2014-2015) had only a couple of themes, such as Infectious Diseases, Cardiology, Gastroenterology and Endocrinology & Diabetes. Since then, we tried to add more specialties in the following editions, so we covered a larger variety of fields: Nephrology, Pulmonology, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics&Gynecology, Neurology, Fundamental Science, Dermatology.

M: Already at their 4th edition, the sessions became more and more popular among students, and also doctors who support us in our action. A strong argument related to this is represented by the existence of 2 books coordinated by one of our respectful doctors with whom we have a really good collaboration. These books include the majority of the presentations from MSS, thus students’ ability to write scientific papers being encouraged.

Ind 1: Having only 4 fields approached in the pilot edition, we succeeded to organise presentations on 8 to 10 fields/year, in the following 3 editions.
Ind 2: The number of active participants (the ones who present their papers) didn’t change too much during the editions (being constantly between 3-6), but the one of passive participants increased from 100 (in the first year) to 400, this year.

A: The good part about this activity is that it is easily to organize it only with a couple of team members. Every 2-3 team members are in charge with one field and with the participants registered for it. They have to talk to the professors, supervise the preparation of the papers and take care of the administrative issues (room for presentations, prizes etc.). The members of the jury grade the presentations based on objective criteria (accuracy of the presentation, medical correctness of the information, presentation skills etc.). The first 3 participants from each field receive an award. (see more details at the Methodology section)

R: The purpose of this project completes very well the curricula, since, most of the times, students work with doctors from their rotations on creating a case presentation. Moreover, this activity is organized in other medical faculties from Romania (though under different names and rules), thus the concern in students’ medical and soft skills being emphasized. The other cities which are also familiar with case presentations sessions are Brașov, Cluj-Napoca, Craiova and Iași.

T: The activities of organizing medical scientific sessions are held between 3rd November 2017 and 14th June 2018.
The Scientific Sessions have the following program:
-15th Nov 2017 – Transmed Scientific Session (N.B.: TransMed is an international exchange program- between Romania and Chișinău, Republic of Moldova, which takes place twice a year, during one week, in which students experience medlife in another center)
-31st Jan 2018 – Scientific Session on Endocrinology
-28th Feb 2018 – Scientific Session on Obstetrics-Gynecology
-7th Mar 2018 – Scientific Session on Pediatrics
-22nd Mar 2018 – Scientific Session on Internal Medicine
-5th Apr 2018 – Scientific Session on Fundamental Sciences
-26th Apr 2018 – Scientific Session on Gastroenterology
-10th May 2018 – Scientific Session on Internal Medicine (English Module Students)
-24th May 2018 – Scientific Session on Cardiology
-14th Jun 2018 – Scientific Session on Dermato-Allergology

Methodology:

Within the framework of the “Medical Scientific Sessions” project, 2017-2018 edition, monthly scientific communications will be organized throughout the academic year. Within them, medical students, as active participants, will present clinical cases. These presentations will be attended by passive participants and the members of jury.
Each session of clinical case presentations will focus on a medical
specialty.
The works of the active participants will be evaluated by a specialized jury. Based on the jury’s scores, the best presentations will be awarded.
The participants in the MSS project are of three types: active-collaborator participants, active- independent participants, passive participants.
Active-collaborator participants are students who will receive a
coordinator of the clinical case presentation from the organizational
team of the project. Active-Independent Participants are students who
wish to submit a written and coordinated clinical case outside this
project.
Each scientific session will be preceded by an organizational period of
35 to 45 days:
• Contacting and setting up scientific coordinators to guide active
collaborators participants. There will be a selection of 3 to 5 medical
staff who will coordinate the presentation of clinical cases.
• Contacting and setting up 3 jury members.
• Selection of active participants who will collaborate with the
organizing team and who will receive guidance in making case
presentations from the selected coordinators.
• Selection of independent active participants who did not collaborate
with the organizing team for the coordination of the work.
• Receiving abstracts from independent active participants and
collaborators.
• Promoting the event through social media and opening entries for
passive participants.
When the event comes, the members of the jury grade the presentations based on objective criteria (accuracy of the presentation, medical correctness of the information, presentation skills etc.). The first 3 participants from each field receive an award (1st prize- free attendance at a workshop organized by LifeSim Medical Simulation Center, 2nd prize- free attendance at a workshop organized by Romanian Student Society of Surgery, 3rd prize- books from ALL Publishing House and “Carol Davila” University Publishing House. Also 1st&2nd prizes receives books from the same publishing house. Moreover, all of the first 3 prizes receive notebooks. Nevertheless, all of the participants receive a certificate of attendance.

Plans for evaluation:

The topics for the future editions are chosen based on participants’s feedback and preferences.