The 72nd General Meeting of the European Dental Students' Association (EDSA) took place last week from 18th to 25th August and was attended by a Czech delegation consisting of two dental students and one graduate from MED MUNI and two students from the Pilsen Medical Faculty of Charles University. This assembly took place in Liverpool and brought together over 140 students from 26 different countries across Europe. At the same time, the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE), the association of dental educators with which EDSA cooperates, held a meeting at the same venue.
The first two days were in the spirit of volunteering and in a group of fifteen students we visited a leisure centre for children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and taught them the basics of good dental hygiene. Apart from brushing our teeth, we also played various games and the whole event was positively evaluated not only by us but also by the children and the staff of the KIND centre.
Over the next five days we discussed the direction of EDSA's next steps, elected new representatives to the executive board and also attended several interesting lectures, workshops and a panel discussion led by professors from Norway, Denmark, Italy and Croatia. In addition to the official programme, various social events were held each evening, ranging from a welcome party at the Irish Bar on Mathew Street to a lavish Gala Dinner to end the week.
Personally, I perceive participation in EDSA events as very important and beneficial, not only for my personal development, but also for the development of dentistry as such, thanks to the fact that EDSA represents the voice of students from all over Europe and allows us to influence the direction of our field and its teaching from the position of students. The opportunity to inspire each other and build a network of connections in the field at a transnational level is also interesting.
During the autumn, EDSA is still organising three exchange weeks and the next General Meeting will take place in the spring in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, where I am already looking forward to.
Eliška Jandová, Dentistry student, 4th year
Dr. Jana Djakow and Associate Professor Martina Kosinová from the Department of Simulation Medicine at Masaryk University Faculty of Medicine were the first women in the Czech Republic to receive degrees from international professional societies in the field of resuscitation and anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine, respectively.
At the beginning of November, six graduates of the Faculty of Medicine received the Masaryk University Vice-Rector's Award for Excellence in Doctoral Studies.
