Faculty Development

2024-06-17

To improve the quality of teaching  and assessment at the clinical stage, in the period of April-June, trainings were held for the teachers of clinical courses on the topic – teaching/learning activities   and assessment in clinical  courses.

In order to maximize the support of lecturers involved in clinical courses and to bring them closer to the learning environment, trainings were held in clinics.

The meetings were chaired by the head of the Center of Innovation in Medical Education, Professor Jossete Denekens, and the head of the educational program in the direction of clinical training - Nino Kekenadze.

Within the framework of the meeting, the clinicians got acquainted with the innovations already introduced in the educational program of the TMA, the concept of clinical reasoning, the principles of effective feedback, modern methods of assessment in clinical courses, some of which are already implemented as a pilot in the educational program of the TMA.

2024-06-07

Another training was held for the new stream of students involved in the tutor training program at TMA. The two-day training was organized by the faculty development department of TMA and the developers of the peer tutoring program. The program was developed based on international experience.

International student coordinator Saif Rustum spoke to the students participating in the training about the importance of the tutor training program, and Maka Maglakelidze, the head of the Institutional Culture Development Department, presented the TMA mission to the participants in an interactive format and gave them the opportunity to express their opinions.

With the help of TMA faculty members - Tsisana Lomashvili, Ia Khakhutaishvili, Natalia Kotchlashvili, and Saba Iordanishvili, the tutors learned about the TMA educational program, active teaching methods, principles of academic integrity, how to effectively communicate with students, which techniques they can use to create a comfortable learning environment, how to give effective feedback, etc.

2024-06-04

TMA’s Scientific Research and Doctorate Department and Faculty Development Department organized trainings for academic and invited lecturers. The training entitled " Research Skills Development" was led by Michelle Burbage, Head of Global Health at the University of Cincinnati (USA).

Seven days of training were held within the framework of the Fulbright Specialist program. During this week, TMA academics and invited staff were given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the principles of data collection, research methodology, literature review, ethics, and research paper presentation.

2024-04-23

TMA hosted Mathilde Lescat, associate professor of Université Sorbonne Paris Nord

The guest held working meetings with TMA faculty members and students. She introduced the peculiarities of teaching microbiology to the Georgian audience on the example of France and talked about the importance of educational games.

Mathilde Lescat shared her research experience with faculty members, with a particular focus on the study of factors that regulate Escherichia coli colonization at the level of the digestive tract.

Within the framework of the visit, a meeting was held with the head of the scientific-research and doctoral department, where the parties discussed the possibilities of further research cooperation.

In addition, Matilda Lescat conducted the educational game Bacteria Game for the students of the Academy.

The collaboration between TMA and Mathilde Lescat was launched at the AMEE-2022 conference in Lyon. Based on the experience gained within the cooperation, the abstract - Effect of "Bacteria Game" on Consolidation of Knowledge in Medical Bacteriology and antibiotic therapy from the Perspective of medical students" was presented at the AMEE 2023 conference in Glasgow (Great Britain).

2024-04-03

Orientation meetings were held for new lecturers of TMA. Training was held for the participants of the meeting on the topic: Basic Principles of Medical Education Methodology. In an interactive format, the lecturers got acquainted with the essence of Competency-Based Medical Education, student-oriented learning, and active learning methods. Also, they took part in the exercises, the purpose of which was to get acquainted with the rights and duties of the teacher involved in modern medical education.

Within the framework of the meeting, in order to familiarize the new lecturers with the mission, the head of the Institutional Culture Development Department of TMA, Maka Maglakelidze, conducted the meeting interactively, allowing the participants to express their opinions freely.

The participants of the meeting got acquainted with the directions of the strategic development of the Academy, the educational program, library resources, and the electronic management system. They also had the opportunity to visit the educational infrastructure of TMA, the clinical skills center, the anatomage, and the teaching-research laboratory.

After the meetings, participants were tasked with creating a self-reflection of the training.

2024-03-22

Another working meeting was held with the portfolio mentors organized by the faculty development department of the TMA.

During the meeting, the mentors discussed the challenges in the portfolio and shared their experiences in this direction. The mentors participated in an Objective Structured Teaching Exercise (OSTE) aimed at developing portfolio mentors' skills in providing effective feedback to students.

The mentors had the opportunity to observe the simulated individual meeting of the standardized student and the mentor within the mentioned exercise and express an opinion (debriefing) about the feedback given by the mentor within the mentioned simulation scenario. During the brainstorming/debriefing, the mentors used the effective feedback evaluation sheet developed by the Faculty Development Department.

A similar Objective Structured Teaching Exercise (OSTE) was also used in the training of clinical course providers by CIMED leaders, where trainees observed a simulated standardized student-clinician encounter and then provided feedback to a colleague via a pre-designed evaluation sheet. In order to be more similar to the work environment, the aforementioned OSTE was held in the clinical-skills center of the academy, where during the debriefing, the participants of the meeting also had the opportunity to watch the video recording of the simulation meeting to concentrate more on the details.

2024-03-18

In TMA, trainings were held for students involved in the peer to peer tutoring program education program. The two-day training was organized by TMA's Faculty Development Department and the developers of the peer tutoring program. The program was developed based on international experience.

International student coordinator Saif Rustum spoke to the students participating in the training about the importance of the peer education program, and Maka Maglakelidze, the head of the Institutional Culture Development Department, presented the TMA mission to the participants in an interactive format and gave them the opportunity to express their opinions.

During the training, the tutors got acquainted with the educational program of TMA, active teaching methods, techniques of working in small groups, and principles of academic integrity.

2023-12-27

TMA hosted the heads of the Curriculum Innovations in Medical Education Department (CIMED) Professor Jossete Denekens and Professor Herman Van Rossum (Antwerp / Belgium). Within the framework of the working visit, the professors met with the representatives of the administration, and the heads of the program, received information about the innovations already introduced in the educational program, and outlined plans. CIMED leaders attended the Case-Based Clinical Reasoning (CBCR) session and gave feedback to the students and lecturers.

During the visit, training sessions were held for the tutors of the clinical reasoning session, where the cases to be presented to the students were discussed. Also, they discussed assessment methods. The training was also held for new teachers - "Basic Principles of Medical Education Methodology", where after the mini-lecture, the lecturers were divided into groups and jointly wrote out the learning outcomes - teaching method and assessment method according to the task received from the trainers. After the role-play "Student-Patient" (anamnesis gathering) the participants had the opportunity to give feedback to the "Student" and then listen to the opinion of the trainers.

The working visit week also included training for portfolio mentors, where after a mini-lecture by Josette Denekens - "Why reflection is important", the mentors divided into groups discussed the (anonymous) self-analysis of one of the students provided by the trainers and discussed what kind of feedback would be most effective in this case.

The last meeting of the week was devoted to the training "Entrusted Professional Activity" (EPA), where CIMED leaders introduced the theoretical aspects of EPA to the participants, examples of world experience, and then, together with the head of the program, Nino Kekenadze, presented the plan for the implementation of EPA in pilot mode to the participants. After the role-play "Student-Patient" (anamnesis collection) was conducted as part of the training, the participants had the opportunity to give feedback to the "Student" through a pre-designed evaluation sheet.

2026-08-01

TMA Faculty Development Department organized a working meeting with academic and invited faculty members.

The purpose of the meeting was to reflect on and share experiences gained during the first year of implementing the lecture-free curriculum and to discuss its achievements, challenges, and future opportunities.

During the meeting, faculty members had the opportunity to openly reflect on their own experiences, share successful practices, discuss existing challenges, and collaboratively explore ways to further improve the program. The exchange of experiences among colleagues facilitated the sharing of new ideas, effective teaching strategies, and practical solutions.

During the meeting, the Quality Assurance Office presented an analysis of the lecture-free curriculum based on student feedback and the results of focus groups conducted with course leaders.

The reflective meeting was attended by the head of programmes and the Dean, who actively participated in the discussions, listened to the experiences and perspectives of the academic staff, and provided valuable feedback.

The program directors emphasized that such meetings and reflective practice are essential for strengthening collaboration among faculty members, successfully implementing educational innovations, and continuously improving the quality of teaching.

2026-07-14

Tbilisi Medical Academy hosted The Research Day, an academic event dedicated to showcasing the institution's ongoing research activities, recent scientific achievements, and the outcomes of international collaborative projects.

The event aimed to promote research excellence, strengthen academic collaboration, and foster a vibrant research culture within the Academy. It provided academic staff with an opportunity to learn about one another's current research projects, exchange ideas, discuss future collaborations, and explore opportunities for developing joint research initiatives.

The Research Day program featured presentations on the following topics:

• The application of artificial intelligence in laboratory diagnostics
• Liposomal encapsulation and delivery of bacteriophages
• Cancer biomarker research
• Artificial intelligence-supported teaching in preclinical medical education
• Current Erasmus+ projects at Tbilisi Medical Academy

Through its research projects TMA encourages knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the continued advancement of its scientific and research capacity.

2026-07-14

We are delighted to announce that another cohort of TMA staff members has successfully completed the Essential Skills in Medical Education (ESME) certification program, offered by the International Association for Health Professions Education (AMEE).

After successfully completing four AMEE training courses, the following TMA representatives were awarded the internationally recognized Medical Educator status:

• Ia Avaliani - Vice Rector In International Affairs
• Kakha Bregvadze - Co-Head of the One-Step Educational Programme
• Bidzina Chachkhiani - Deputy Head of the Quality Assurance Office
• Ana Mamiseishvili -Coordinator of the Rector's Current Affairs
• Ina Leshkasheli - Study Process Management Coordinator

Tbilisi Medical Academy remains committed to supporting the continuous professional development of its academic and administrative staff in the field of medical education. The ESME (Essential Skills in Medical Education) programme, developed by AMEE, represents an important milestone in strengthening educational expertise and promoting excellence in teaching.

Participation in this internationally recognized programme also plays a significant role in advancing TMA's integration into the European Higher Education Area by aligning educational practices with internationally accepted standards.

The training courses were organized by the Georgian Regional Office of AMEE.

2026-05-05

Within the framework of this initiative, Associate Professor Maka Zarnadze, Head of the Faculty Development Department, and Dea Goderdzishvili, Medical Education and Research Specialist, represented Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) in the peer group and collaborated with European universities. 

The report summarizes the results of intensive cooperation carried out by TMA over the course of one year. In particular, it highlights best practices in the teaching and learning model that TMA implements for staff development. The report aims to bring together universities from across Europe, create a platform for sharing experiences, and foster the development of joint visions to enhance the quality of education.

This cooperation is particularly valuable as it generates mutual benefits. On the one hand, the Academy actively participates in the European University Association's activities and shares its experience. On the other hand, it adopts the best international practices and further strengthens its integration into the European Higher Education Area.

The recommendations and practical framework developed as a result of this year-long collaboration contribute to strengthening transnational cooperation and supporting the effective implementation of staff professional development across European higher education institutions.

The thematic peer group includes the University of Huelva (Spain), the University of Côte d’Azur (France), the University of Warwick (United Kingdom), among others. The group was led by Linköping University (Sweden). The coordinator of the working group is Jonas Leschke, Head of Unit for Strategic Teaching Projects, Ruhr University Bochum (Germany).

2026-04-01

Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) hosted a working visit by the Heads of the Curriculum Innovations in Medical Education Department (CIMED), Professors Joke Denekens and Herman Van Rossum (Antwerp, Belgium).

During the visit, the Belgian experts met with TMA’s administrative, academic, and invited personnel. Together, they reviewed key challenges in both basic and clinical courses education and discussed practical solutions. The experts emphasized the need to strengthen curriculum integration. They recommended improving horizontal integration by incorporating psychosocial and behavioral sciences into clinical reasoning sessions. They also highlighted the importance of vertical integration to ensure the continuous development of professional competencies from basic sciences through clinical training. In addition, participants discussed ways to improve the quality and effectiveness of clinical rotation overall.

The experts met with semester coordinators and shared international best practices for efficient academic process coordination.

They also attended clinical training seminars and provided professional feedback to clinicians.

In addition, Professors Denekens and Van Rossum delivered a training session for clinicians titled “Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Clinical Courses.” They also attended a workshop on Workplace-Based Assessment (WPBA) led by the program’s Clinical Co-Director, Kakha Bregvadze.

The sessions were held in an interactive format, encouraging active participation from clinicians. This approach enabled in-depth discussion of key challenges in clinical education and supported the exchange of effective teaching and assessment strategies.

2026-03-04

https://youtu.be/8nIm6THNy1U?si=dTwKnF6_hS-JCBFu

Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) is proud to serve as a partner and host of the official Kick-Off Meeting (KoM) of the Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange Project VITAL – Virtual Innovation and Training for Advancing Faculty Leaders, Digital Competencies, and Research Excellence.

VITAL aims to strengthen the professional development of early-career faculty in Georgia and Ukraine by focusing on 4 main objectives:

• Supporting career development through soft skills and academic leadership training;
• Improving digital competencies through innovative and AI-supported teaching methods;
• Strengthening research capacity through peer mentorship, methodology workshops, and co-authorship opportunities;
• Promoting European values through inclusive leadership and improved institutional policies.

The four-day meeting, held at TMA marked the official launch of this three-year project, lays the foundation for a coordinated start of the project, and supports its successful implementation.

VITAL is implemented by an international consortium bringing together partner universities from Spain (University of Santiago de Compostela), Italy (INFOR Elea Smart Business Academy), Ukraine (Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine - IFBG, Ternopil National Medical University, Ukraine - TNMU), and Georgia (Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy - TMA, Business and Technology University - BTU).

Within the project, TMA participates as a partner organization, and its implementation and coordination on behalf of the Academy are facilitated by the Faculty Development Department and the Research and PhD Department, ensuring strong institutional engagement.

2026-02-23

Within frames of Erasmus+ Staff Mobility Programme, TMA hosted the Head of the Centre for Medical Education of Lodz Medical University (Poland), Prof. Janusz Janczukowicz alongside his colleagues, in order to share their expertise and knowledge with the students and staff of TMA.

Throughout the visit, the guests presented impressive insights in defining and teaching Medical Professionalism, innovative methods in immunology and trauma informed care/education. Alongside interactive lectures, workshops were implemented around the topics of leadership and doctor-patient communication. The visit also included productive meetings with the administrative and academic staff of TMA, where best practices and current experiences were shared around planning and implementing medical professionalism in the curricula. The parties also discussed potential areas of prospective cooperation and established grounds for joint activities.

Alongside these topics, part of the visit was directed to the one-health approach and topics of planetary health. 

It was an honor and pleasure to host the colleagues from Poland and TMA looks forward to further cooperation opportunities that will involve joint scientific, research and transdisciplinary activities.

2026-02-16

The annual forum of the European University Association (EUA) was hosted this year by Lisbon, Portugal. The main theme of the forum was to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in European universities through staff development.

Within the framework of the meeting, Tbilisi Medical Academy was represented by Associate Professor Maka Zarnadze, Head of the Faculty Development Department, and Ana Mamiseishvili, Coordinator of the Rector’s Current Affairs. Together with European partner universities, the Academy’s representatives presented to the forum participants the results of a one-year work of the European University Association’s thematic working group. In particular, they facilitated a workshop dedicated to transnational cooperation in the field of staff development.