Simolympic 2022 - simulation in training, safety in action

Simulation in training, safety in action is the slogan of the university simulation Olympiad SimOlympic 2022, held at the University Center for Simulation in Medical Training (UCSMT) of Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy on May 13. The competition was attended by four teams made up exclusively of fifth-year medical students, trained in the management of certain simulated critical situations. Each team consisted of four members, each with a name to represent them: After garda, Med SAMA, The Heroes from the Shadow, and When ICU Again.

The rector of the University, Professor Emil Ceban, present at the opening of the event, stressed that it has already become a tradition for SimOlympic to be part of the series of events organized within the framework of MedEspera International Congress for students and young doctors. "I am proud of our students and young doctors who demonstrate organizational skills, the spirit of creativity and want to leave beautiful memories behind. The quality of the medical act depends on many factors, one of which is teamwork. A single person cannot achieve outstanding results, but as a team, strength increases. To perform surgery, the doctor needs a strong team, where each member knows well his tasks. Today's experience will put you in a position to analyze what you have done well or not so well. That’s the only way to succeed as the outcome depends on the entire team,” specified the rector.

After the order of the teams' performance was decided by drawing lots, the medical students lived unforgettable moments when they entered the high-fidelity simulation room. The first two teams provided medical care to a 57-year-old patient, weighing 104 kg, who complained of a general malaise, accompanied by nausea, vomiting - similar symptoms in the case of acute myocardial infarction. Teams 3 and 4 faced a situation in which a 65-year-old patient weighing 95 kg had pain from retrosternal burns with irradiation in his left arm. Both patients had type 2 diabetes.

The two best teams to make it to the finals - After garda and When ICU Again – competed for the winner title. They received the task to provide medical assistance to a 20-year-old man brought to the Emergency Department with severe alcoholic intoxication. Following a brawl, he was stabbed in the right hypochondrium. In addition, the patient was aggressive and showed signs of respiratory failure and significant blood loss. At the same time, the young man fainted and regained consciousness as soon as he was positioned horizontally.

The actions and decisions of the students were appreciated by a competent jury of four members: Virginia Șalaru, associate professor, Department of Family Medicine, Deputy Head, Department of Teaching and Academic Management, Iurie Saratila, Deputy Head of UCSMT, Dmitri Savca, resident physician, Cardiology specialty, former participant and winner of this contest, and Dinu Ceban, sixth year student at Faculty of Medicine no. 1. The jurors assessed the communication skills, teamwork, case management and the correctness of the practical skills demonstrated by the participants.

According to Andrei Romancenco, head of UCSMT, the medical knowledge gained during the five years of study, the scientific evidence, teamwork and practical skills are the ingredients that develop the Olympic spirit. "What we are doing at the Olympics in simulation, already at its fourth edition, and more to come hopefully, is a good practice for future doctors," concluded Andrei Romancenco.

The winning teams were kept in suspense until the next day, May 14, the results being announced at the closing ceremony of MedEspera 2022 International Congress for students and young doctors.

Thus, the Olympic heroes who demonstrated knowledge and skills to manage critical situations at the highest level were represented by the team When ICU again, consisting of students: Rodion Cujba, Marin Foteniuc, Valentina Eremia and Artemie Teleschi. The After garda team ranked second - Cezar Roșca, Andreea Rotaru, Mădălina Ciubuc and Adriana Ciuhrii, and the third place was occupied by Med SAMA team - Maxim Popov, Adriana Rotaru, Sebastian Bersan and Ainura Abdulraghimov, who entered the semifinals.

SimOlympic University Simulation Olympics provided participants with the opportunity to identify themselves with a doctor, a paramedic or a nurse. Future doctors worked under pressure and understood what skills came from reflex and which of them needed to be further developed.