How the Third Great Teachers Seminar Went

From June 18 to 23 in the Carpathians, we held the third Great Teachers Seminar. A community of motivated educators from all over Ukraine, master trainers Olha Bershadska and Nataliia Starynska, a meticulously designed program, and, of course, an inspiring location in the heart of the Carpathians—this exact synergy gave birth to this experience.

The seminar format, as before, is built on a simple yet important idea: the best solutions for developing teaching do not come from guest speakers, but from the teachers themselves who work with students every day. There are no traditional lectures or ready-made answers here—instead, there is a space for a live exchange of experience, joint analysis of challenges, and the search for answers through reflection, play, and work in small groups. Participants learn from one another and create new tools for their own practice. This is precisely what allows the seminar to remain a place where professional development goes hand in hand with personal growth.

Here are the thoughts shared by the educators after six days in the Carpathians:

“It was an incredible experience. An absolutely non-standard format that helped me open up and put everything in its place. Before the seminar, I thought I was somehow ‘not right’: I should follow a standard lesson protocol, but I keep inventing things, playing around with those students, and getting a lot of judgment. As it turned out, there are many of us. And it was a thrill to fill up in the atmosphere of people just like you.”

“What impressed me most was the community. I was sincerely captivated by how many incredible teachers there are in Ukraine who change education around them every day. Meeting such people restores faith in the profession, motivates you to move forward, and reminds you why we work.”

“You gave me wings. Confidence in myself and my capabilities has grown, as has the inspiration to keep going. A special desire is to be among such people, like-minded individuals, as often as possible.”

In addition to inspiration, the teachers took a whole suitcase of practical tools back to their universities to help transform classes and engage students even more in active learning.

The Great Teachers Seminar serves as a reminder every time: real changes in medical education begin with communities of people who are ready to share their experiences, support each other, and openly dream of a better future. We hope these transformations will soon come to life in the classrooms.