Azov Camp of Family Medicine 2024

In early June 2024, the Azov Camp of Family Medicine took place in the picturesque Carpathian Mountains. This intensive educational event was designed for interns, senior medical students, and early-career family doctors. Our project organized the camp for the second time. This year, for the first time, we held it in collaboration with the Ukrainian Healthcare Center (UHC) and with the support of the Temerty Ukraine-Toronto Education and Collaboration Initiative.

This year, the camp took place from June 3 to 12 and was divided into two thematic parts. The first part, from 3 to 7 June, focused on exploring the Ukrainian healthcare system and developing leadership and management skills. The training was delivered in an interactive format, including games and discussions, and was guided by trainers and experts from the Ukrainian Healthcare Center (UHC), Pavlo Kovtonyuk and Matvii Khrenov. Additionally, lecturers from the University of Toronto’s Department of Surgery, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, held a remote lecture series on quality management.

In the second part, from 8 to 12 June, participants concentrated on mastering soft skills, enhancing clinical competencies, and acquiring new professional knowledge.

Сore skills and competencies acquired by participants during the training

During the intensive 10-day educational program, participants of the Azov Camp of Family Medicine:

• Studied the healthcare system with Pavlo Kovtonyuk.
• Explored leadership and strategic management under the guidance of Matvii Khrenov.
• Attended a lecture series by Anna J. Dare from the Department of Surgery, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, covering topics such as healthcare quality, basic approaches to quality improvement and change management, law, ethics, and risk management for quality enhancement, and “What gets measured gets managed: Integrating values and equity in cancer care.”
• Completed an otoscopy training led by Bohdan Mykhailevskyi, an ICPC-2 trainer, head of the Friendly Doctors private medical practice, and a member of the Academy of Family Medicine of Ukrainian.
• Strengthened ECG interpretation skills with Oksana Petrynych, a family doctor and lecturer at Bukovinian State Medical University (BSMU).
• Learned airway management techniques from Ruslan Knut, Oleksii Hodovanets, and Anton Ivanytskyi, instructors from BSMU.
• Reviewed pre-medical emergency care algorithms, including bleeding control methods, with Anzhelika Shpachuk and Mykola Krasovskyi, instructors from the Academy Dobrobut training and educational center.
• Attended a workshop on breastfeeding conducted by Anastasiia Hibescul, a family doctor and peer group facilitator from Kryvyi Rih.
• Discussed psychosomatics with Ruslan Buyanovskyi, a therapist and gastroenterologist at Dobrobut medical network and a consultant in cognitive behavioral therapy.
• Examined facts and myths about vaccination and learned how to counteract anti-vaccine movements in the level of patient and community communication with Fedor Lapii, associate professor at the Department of Pediatrics, Immunology, Infectious, and Rare Diseases at the International European University.
• Developed communication skills and learned patient-centered consultation techniques with Oksana Petrynych.
• Explored the use of social media in medical practice with Serhii Horishchak, director of Odesa City Children’s Polyclinic No. 6.
• Studied pain mechanisms, including its molecular basis, with Nana Voitenko, Doctor of Sciences, Professor, and Rector of the Academy Dobrobut.
• Discussed evidence-based medicine with Ivan Chernenko, an anesthesiologist at multidisciplinary hospital at Rozdilna town, Odesa region and author of the book “Laughter at the End of the Tunnel: Notes of a Ukrainian Anesthesiologist.”

The camp atmosphere

Beyond intensive learning, the camp provided a platform for networking and team building. Each morning, moderators and participants started the day with exercise and running sessions. Evenings were filled with engaging activities such as a film club, the intellectual game “What? Where? When?”, a Clinical Skills Alphabet quest, and a medical stand-up night, where attendees shared humorous stories from their practice. One of the highlights of the camp was a group hike to the peak of Mount Khomiak!

According to participants, the Azov Camp of Family Medicine was a truly valuable experience—not only deepening their medical knowledge but also helping young professionals integrate into the professional community.

“This year, I returned to the camp as a doctor, and it was even more amazing. Understanding the medical system from a historical perspective was especially valuable.”

“It felt like stepping into a different world, where everyone is motivated and driven toward development. I hope projects like this continue in the future.”

“You are a universe that is building the planet of a modern medical community.”

We sincerely thank everyone involved in making this event a success: the Academy of Family Medicine of Ukrainian, Academy Dobrobut, the Ukrainian Healthcare Center (UHC), Temerty Ukraine-Toronto Education and Collaboration Initiative, and the peer group facilitators’ community for their collaboration and support in organizing this event!

See you at the Azov Camp of Family Medicine 2025!