Together Toward Change: An Open Dialogue on the Challenges of Medical Education

On 6-7 February, Lviv hosted the discussion platform “Common Vectors,” bringing together medical educators, students, and practicing doctors. The primary goal of the event was to create a space for dialogue where all parties could openly discuss challenges and seek common solutions.

We aimed to ensure a constructive discussion environment, as fostering mutual understanding among all stakeholders is crucial. Special attention was given to students, who often feel excluded from decision-making processes in their educational institutions. We take pride in the fact that representatives from various communities could openly share their thoughts, including pressing concerns.

The discussion platform was moderated by Matviy Khrenov, co-founder of the Ukrainian Healthcare Center (UHC), and Anastasiia Pylypak, head of communications at the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.”

On the first day, participants were divided into three groups: medical educators, administrators, and managers; practicing doctors; students and interns. Each group analyzed the challenges and needs of the others, discussing their values, concerns, and fears.

The day concluded with a World Café session, where participants explored four key questions, including: what should medical education provide? What aspects of medical education are positive and worth celebrating? What is missing in medical education? What are the key problems in medical education?

The second day was dedicated to a deeper analysis of challenges, with discussions focusing on:

• The root causes of these challenges
• The consequences of inaction
• Potential solutions and existing barriers
• Envisioning a successful outcome
• Identifying possible negative consequences

A special focus of the event was leadership in medical education.
On the first day, Andrii Rozhdestvenskyi, executive director of the Ukrainian Catholic University Leadership Center and lecturer at the UCU Business School, spoke about the virtues of true leadership. Participants had the opportunity to reflect on their own leadership qualities.

The second day began with a presentation on distributed leadership, education, and key skills in healthcare by Oleh Petrenko, former head of the National Health Service of Ukraine (2018–2019).

At the end of the event, participants shared their impressions:

• “Now I have a better understanding of educators’ perspectives and realize the diversity of medical education in Ukraine. This was a valuable experience!”
• “I enjoyed engaging with students outside of lecture halls— they have many fresh ideas, and it’s great to see their motivation!”
• “Events like this are essential. Often, the main issue in relationships is simple: people don’t hear each other. What seems obvious within a community might be completely new information outside of it. These discussions help bridge that gap.”
• “This is just the beginning. While the impact may not be immediate, seeds of healthier relationships and new opportunities have been planted in the minds of educators, practitioners, and students. These individuals will become thought leaders in their respective fields, spreading the platform’s insights within the medical community.”

Such meetings foster mutual understanding, enable joint problem-solving, and help pave the way for meaningful changes in medical education. We move forward together toward a better future for medical education in Ukraine!