Closing conference Improved Medical Education in Basic Sciences for Better Medical Practicing (ImproveMEd), Interreg HUHR project, Pecs 9th of October, 2018
New direction in medical education
Medical education across Europe is facing fundamental challenges. New trends clearly show that new educational techniques are needed to reverse current trends and attract more young and well-trained professionals into healthcare. To promote this approach, the Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Pécs, united forces in the frame of a grant close to 220000,00 euros grant support. Supporting stakeholder: Hrvatsko društvo fiziologa; Hrvatski liječnički zbor-podružnica Osijek
The aging of the population generates increased and changed needs for healthcare services, and therefore further training for the continuous renewal of competent and modern medical knowledge is essential to ensure an adequate level of healthcare.
International trends in gradual and postgraduate medical training also show that the introduction of information technology can be one of the solutions. Digital platforms change the traditional medical training system in several areas:
(1) Providing ongoing and always up-to-date information on the development of biomedical sciences as well as advancements in education technologies positively contributes to the enhancement of diagnostic and therapeutic options.
(2) Digital technology not only introduces new educational content, but didactically it is more appropriate to transfer customizable content based on individual needs and skills than traditional teaching techniques.
(3) By focusing on the practice (evidence-based) and problem-solving skills, knowledge can be better integrated into traditional patient training practices than conventional, static education.
As the only institutes of medicinal education in the region, the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek and the University of Pécs recognized that the 21st century medicinal education requires essentially the introduction of new basic scientific research results into modern medicine and medical education.
Results of the project
This funded project is a starting point to develop a long-term education-methodology platform to be used in both gradual and postgraduate medical education. The project’s direct goal is to develop online interactive course curricula for future joint postgraduate specialist doctoral programs in both partner institutions. During the implementation of the project, that ended on October 11, 2018, a total of nine educational modules were developed jointly in Hungarian, Croatian and English, which can be used successfully by both graduate and specialist training participants. The modules cover fields of physiology, immunology and microbiology, anatomy and histology, biostatistics, bioinformatics, biochemistry, biotechnology, pharmacology, experimental epidemiology and system biology. During the implementation of the project, special emphasis was placed that basic and applied research methodologies to be more effectively integrated into clinical practice to promote joint clinical research in the future.
