SimUniversity 2023 National Roun
The National round of SimUniversity took place under the auspices of the chairman of the Association of Deans of Medical Faculties, Prof. MUDr. Martin Repko Ph.D., and under the patronage of the European Society for Simulation in Medicine (SESAM), represented by Vice President MUDr. Tamara Skříšovská, at SIMU on November 27th.
A team of experts from all Czech medical faculties faced the difficult task of selecting, among six student teams, the one that will represent the Czech Republic in the international competition in this simulation challenge.
Simulation medicine is a dynamically evolving field, and it's a privilege to observe that it engages students in medical disciplines. Simulation medicine typically aims to provide a safe environment for participants to apply their knowledge and skills without endangering real patients. However, SimUniversity is a competition, and student teams were closely observed by evaluators during simulations. Throughout the event, efforts were made to maximize the objectivity – evaluators never assessed a team from their own faculty, and criteria were set and used in all scenarios.
The emphasis was not only on the correct medical approach, which was expected to align with current up-to-date evidence-based medicine but also on non-technical skills. These included how well the team collaborated, communicated, and responded during debriefing after the simulation scenario. The scenarios presented to students might be challanging even for experienced clinics – managing meningococcal sepsis in a child, cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a drowning patient, and a traumatic patient after a severe car accident represent advanced topics.
Student teams demonstrated quick and correct clinical judgment, systematic examination, and therapy, and provided high-quality care to our simulated patients. There were a total of 3 elimination rounds, and the results were very much alike, with only a few points deciding the outcome on an 80-point scale. However, only one team could emerge victorious. In the end, the team from the 3rd Faculty of Medicine triumphed, and we extend our sincere congratulations to them, as the performances of all the teams were outstanding.
We believe that this was the first year of SimUniversity in the Czech Republic, and as the organizing team, we hope that this simulation competition will become a link between simulation centers at medical faculties nationwide, providing an annual opportunity for enthusiasts of simulation medicine to come together.
