SESAM 2024 Conference: Participant Feedback

From June 19 to 21, the 29th annual SESAM conference on simulation-based learning, organized by the Society in Europe for Simulation Applied to Medicine (SESAM), took place in Prague. Over a thousand participants gathered from all over the world. The event’s program included lectures by leading experts in the field of simulation and medical education, workshops, discussions, and a multitude of exhibits showcasing simulation equipment.

Our Project supported participants from Ukraine, whose abstracts were selected by the SESAM organizers and included in the program. Among them were representatives from Bukovinian State Medical University and the National Medical University named after O.O. Bogomolets. Supporting medical educators in simulation-based learning is crucial for the development of our pilot medical education institutions. Participation in the conference, as well as membership in the SESAM community, is free for Ukrainian participants.

The participants from the pilot institutions supported by the project presented their abstracts and shared their experiences with colleagues from around the world.

Upon returning, the participants shared their impressions:

“SESAM 2024 was the most outstanding congress of 2024, and perhaps of my entire career. Over three intensive days, we learned about and tried many of the latest technologies in medical education: VR simulations, new mannequins, artificial intelligence, etc.; we were inspired by expert lectures; actively participated in many workshops and presentations, established collaborations, exchanged experiences, and designed research with colleagues from around the world.”

Kateryna Bielka, associate professor, candidate of medical sciences, department of surgery, anesthesiology, and intensive care, National Medical University named after O.O. Bogomolets.

“This was my first time attending an event of such scale in simulation medicine. I was pleasantly impressed by the support for Ukrainian participants expressed by the organizers during the opening of the event. The exhibition of modern educational technologies was a great complement to the presentations, as we could immediately try and experience the benefits of their application, especially virtual reality tools, modern simulators, mannequins, and models.”

Ruslan Knut, associate professor of the department of general surgery, urology, and neurosurgery, candidate of medical sciences, Bukovinian State Medical University.

“The most memorable experience for me was the workshop ‘Walking in the shoes of our patients…’. Unlike traditional simulations, which form our future professional identity, the ‘illness point of view simulation’ creates a learning environment to experience being a patient. I remember being given headphones with noise and voices of people, glasses through which I could hardly see anything, and work gloves — both left hands. Then I was tasked with dressing in a shirt, buttoning it, flipping through and reading a magazine, and solving a puzzle… all in the described setup. The feeling of helplessness in performing tasks that seemed elementary created anger… It instantly gave me an understanding of what a person with dementia might feel… Quickly and memorably, without expensive high-tech mannequins that can cry. ‘Illness Point of View simulation’ is my number one to implement in medical education.”

Oksana Petrynych, associate professor of the department of family medicine at Bukovinian State Medical University and Project consultant.