On 5 October 2024, the 1st National Conference for Simulated Patients took place, during which we exchanged experiences and learned about the different perspectives of those involved in developing the interpersonal and professional competencies of medical students.
The event was held at the Medical Simulation Centre of the Medical University of Warsaw and is an initiative combining the experiences of four medical universities:
- Medical University of Warsaw,
- Jagiellonian University - Collegium Medicum,
- K. Marcinkowski Medical University in Poznań,
- Medical University of Lublin.
The conference was held under the honorary patronage of the Rector of the Medical University of Warsaw.
The conference was attended by academic teachers from various medical universities who conduct classes using this didactic method, but above all by people who play the role of patients during classes. It was for them that we organised this meeting, which is the first event of its kind in Poland aimed primarily at Simulated Patients (SPs), who help to educate medical students every day with great dedication.
The conference was both academic and practical. The lectures dealt with the methodology of medical training, and the workshops will allow Simulated Patients to develop skills useful in this work, such as body awareness, diction and voice emission, improvisation or giving feedback.
The conference particularly benefited those who are Simulated Patients, but also academic teachers involved in skills training with SPs.
The conference is an excellent opportunity to improve your competencies and integrate those involved in teaching with SP.
We are keen to meet you, to share experiences, good practices, inspiration, and to talk and discuss together.
Conference participants received conference materials. The conference included a coffee break and lunch.
The conference featured workshops that developed the skills needed for simulated patients.
Workshop descriptions:
Body, word and emotion in the classroom. More and less experienced Referees, as well as those who are new to playing the simulated patient, are invited to this workshop. Together, we will look at the process of building emotions and preparing ourselves mentally and physically for the role we are playing. We will use proven techniques to help create a silhouette of a specific patient who brings a bag full of specific symptoms, behaviours and feelings to the doctor's office, while remaining repetitive and true to the script. We will also touch on the subject of ‘shaking off the role’ - both mentally and physically. The workshop will be led by experienced Referees Anna Mackiewicz and Paweł Myszkowski, who have been co-facilitating communication classes with students at Poznan University of Medical Sciences for many years.
Sometimes someone surprises us so much that we don't know what to say. A question comes up that wasn't in the script and then.... you have to improvise. How do you do that to stick to a convention? I would like to invite you to the workshop Improvisation at Home. The programme includes: diction and interpretation, the basics of voice production, etudes (short stage forms), improvisation rules, improvised games, song and, of course, the power of improv!
- Feel invited, Tomasz Bieliński (Simulated Patient at WUM).
The workshop SP and I - how to take care of myself? will be about the patient's perspective, the professional's perspective and the communication between the two, and above all, about how to arrange the SP role within oneself so that it does not drain one's strength. That is, how to take care of your energetic potential. We will practice and take a relaxed look at: * the perspective of the patient * the perspective of the professionals (in our case, students of various disciplines) * the energy that is within us and what to do so that it is enough for the entire work cycle.
- You are cordially invited, Magdalena Nowak (lecturer at SKM WUM).
Feedback in the work of the Simulated Patient. Giving feedback is one of the most essential skills for Simulated Patients. How do we do this in order to open students up to learning through the experience of working with a Referee, without punishing, scoring or hurting? The answer is simple: by improving in this art, not only by exploring theory, but by practising and exchanging experiences with each other. The aim of the meeting will therefore be to improve the feedback workshop.
- Invited by Katarzyna Cieślak, Ph.D., Poznan University of Medical Sciences.
Rest a while - Balint group for simulated patients. In a meeting lasting 1.5 hours, in a friendly and safe atmosphere, participants will be able to share their experiences of classes with students. Working from the personal story of one participant's experience, we will look at the feelings that can arise in both teachers and students during medical simulation classes. A deeper understanding of the emotions and assimilation of the experiences that arise in the role of the simulated patient will improve the comfort level of further work. People who already have experience in the role of a simulated patient are invited to this workshop.
- The workshop was led by certified Balint group leader Paweł Sala, M.D., Ph.D..
Organisers:
- Medical Simulation Centre of the Medical University of Warsaw
- Department of Medical Communication of the Medical University of Warsaw
Co-organisers:
- Centre for Innovative Medical Education Jagiellonian University - Collegium Medicum, https://ciem.cm-uj.krakow.pl/
- K. Marcinkowski Medical University in Poznan, www.csm.ump.edu.pl
- Medical University of Lublin, https://umlub.pl/
Organising Committee:
- Antonina Doroszewska, Ph.D., Department of Medical Communication WUM
- Marcin Kaczor, M.D., Medical Simulation Centre WUM
- Tomasz Bieliński, WUM simulated patient
- Grzegorz Cebula, MD, Prof. UJ, Centre for Innovative Medical Education, Jagiellonian University - Collegium Medicum
- Iwona Drozdowska, M.D., Department of Medical Communication, WUM
- Magdalena Horodeńska, Ph.D., Medical University of Lublin
- Małgorzata Kryńska, M.Sc., Medical Simulation Centre, WUM Medical University
- Łukasz Małecki, M.D., Centre for Innovative Medical Education, Jagiellonian University - Collegium Medicum
- Patrycja Marciniak-Stępak, Ph.D., K. Marcinkowski Medical University in Poznań
- Mariola Piszczatowska-Oleksiewicz, Ph.D., Department of Medical Communication WUM
- Dominika Saad, M.Sc., Department of Medical Communication WUM
- Agata Stalmach-Przygoda, M.D., Centre for Innovative Medical Education, Jagiellonian University - Collegium Medicum
- Kamil Torres, M.D., Prof., Medical University of Lublin