Research mobility program at „Nicolae Testemitanu" University

During 1-30 November 2022, Luana Ribeiro, fourth-year student, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Minas Gerais, Brazil, and Daniyal Rakhimov, West Kazakhstan M. Ospanov State Medical University, served their research internship at Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Republic of Moldova. The two young people mentioned that they chose this mobility program to benefit from an exchange of experience in the Republic of Moldova, including to discover the country and the local culture.

Luana Ribeiro has specified that this program is beneficial for students in terms of acquiring knowledge and experience, the greatest advantage being the interaction with patients in clinics. "For several weeks, every day we had a busy program: we attended physiology and pharmacology classes in English, and most of the time we were at the Somnology Center of Diomid Gherman Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery (INN), where, in the first part of the day, we analyzed the sleep disorders, and afterwards assisted, together with the doctors, in consulting the patients”. The Brazilian intern was impressed by the fact that Nicolae Testemiеanu University students wear white coats, which is not usual for Brazilian universities.  

​For his part, Daniyal Rakhimov confirmed that the skills and knowledge gained under this mobility program at Nicolae Testemitanu University would help him to complete a research article on the topic "Sleep disorders in athletes", which he started to write in Chisinau and intended to publish in his country. "During the internship, I participated in both theoretical and practical activities. More precisely, I consulted patients suffering from different types of sleep disorders, including sleep apnea syndrome (temporary interruption of breathing that can last from a few seconds to a minute or more). Thus, together with our mentor - university assistant Adrian Lupușor, when necessary, these patients were indicated a special device for determining apnea - cardiorespiratory polygraphy, also the methods and tactics of treatment, diagnostic criteria, etc. were established", added the student from Kazakhstan.

For his part, Daniyal Rakhimov confirmed that the skills and knowledge gained under this mobility program at Nicolae Testemitanu University would help him to complete a research article on the topic "Sleep disorders in athletes", which he started to write in Chisinau and intended to publish in his country. "During the internship, I participated in both theoretical and practical activities. More precisely, I consulted patients suffering from different types of sleep disorders, including sleep apnea syndrome (temporary interruption of breathing that can last from a few seconds to a minute or more). Thus, together with our mentor - university assistant Adrian Lupușor, when necessary, these patients were indicated a special device for determining apnea - cardiorespiratory polygraphy, also the methods and tactics of treatment, diagnostic criteria, etc. were established", added the student from Kazakhstan.

According to Adrian Lupusor, assistant professor at the Department of Human Physiology and Biophysics, neurologist at the Somnology Center within the INN, the exchange of experience is always beneficial for both parties. "As the tutor of these students, I was interested to find out how the teaching process is carried out at their universities, to assess their level of theoretical and practical training, as well as their activity in the field of research. I was pleasantly surprised that Luana, the student from Brazil, (at my request to prepare a synthesis of the studied literature, to be later inserted into a scientific article) already had the given experience and managed to write an interesting article, showing her knowledge of the methodology for developing a review. I managed to notice that Luana, as well as other students who visited us last year, are self-taught young people, they are aware of the fact that at the university they study mostly independently, the teacher being the person who only guides the student in the study process", the assistant professor pointed out.

In parallel with the didactic activities, the students familiarized themselves with the traditions, culture and tourist attractions of our country, due to the cultural program organized by the University. The young people found the traditional Moldovan cuisine delicious, especially the soup with noodles, pies and polenta.

The mobility was organized under the program of the Standing Committee on Research Exchanges (SCORE) - subdivision of the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA).

ASRM - The Association of Medical Students and Residents from Moldova is a member of IFMSA and thanks to this fact students from II-VI years of study have the opportunity to serve practical or research internships in another country and, respectively, students from other countries can come to our university.

SCORE is a program that offers the opportunity to participate for 4 weeks in ongoing research at one of the scientific laboratories of medical universities around the world. It is a unique experience, as it offers the chance to see in real time the progress of a study from concept to scientific publication. The project is a unique tool in the training of a future doctor, because it gives the chance to see what it means to do scientific research, which later contributes to the development of the ability to critically read scientific publications.