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.

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.

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.

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.

The academic staff of TMA participated in the conference organized by the International Association for Medical Education in Europe - AMEE 2023. In order to share the experience gained in the conference, a working meeting was held at TMA.

The head of the MD program Tsisana Lomashvili, the Head of the Quality Assurance Department Nino Sikharulidze, the deputy head of the Quality Assurance Department Bidzina Chachkhiani, Head of the Faculty Development Department Maka Zarnadze, and the lecturer of immunology Kakha Bregvadze, shared the experience gained at the scientific conferences with their colleagues and talked about the importance of TMA in international events of this type. 

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Academy's administration, academics, and invited staff. Within the framework of the workshops, the participants had the opportunity to discuss and share news, experiences, challenges, and opportunities in terms of the development of medical education, the promotion of the professional development of teachers, and the development of further international relations.

Tbilisi Medical Academy hosted orientation meetings for new lecturers. The training was held on the topic: introduction to the methodology of medical education, and basic principles of presentation organization.

Within the framework of the meeting, the new lecturers got acquainted with the history, mission, directions of strategic development, educational program, library resources, and electronic management system of the Academy. They also had the opportunity to visit the educational infrastructure of the TMA, the Clinical Skills Center, the Anatomage Table, and the Teaching-Research Laboratory.

At the end of the meeting, the Dean of the School of Medicine Lali Mekokishvili, and the heads of the program answered all the questions of the new lecturers.

AMEE 2023 conference was hosted by Glasgow (Scotland). The 7th International Conference on Faculty Development in the Health Professions also took place in conjunction with AMEE 2023.

Tbilisi Medical Academy was a part of both conferences. Representatives of the Academy were at the conferences - Tsisana Lomashvili (Head of the MD program), Nino Sikharulidze (Head of the Quality Assurance Department) Bidzina Chachkhiani (Deputy Head of the Quality Assurance Department), Maka Zarnadze (Head of Faculty Development Department), Kakha Bregvadze (Programme Development Department).

Academy representatives had oral presentations and e-posters. Nino Sikharulidze and Maka Zarnadze had oral presentations. Kakha Bregvadze had e-poster.

Maka Zarnadze

Effect of "Bacteria Game" on consolidation of knowledge in medical bacteriology and antibiotic therapy from the perspective of medical students

Mathilde Lescat - Université Sorbonne Paris Nord (Paris, France);

Manana Loladze, Saif Rustum, Tsisana Lomashvili, Dea Goderdzishvili, Magda Tvildiani -

Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy (Tbilisi, Georgia).

Nino Sikharulidze

Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown-related mental health issues on learning performance in medical education

Bidzina Chachkhiani, Salome khubulava - Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy (Tbilisi, Georgia);

N. Katrien Hargreivs - Tbilisi State Medical University (Tbilisi, Georgia).

Kakha Bregvadze

The Faculty Mentors’ Perceptions Towards Portfolio in Undergraduate Medical Curriculum at Tbilisi Medical Academy in Georgia - Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy (Tbilisi, Georgia).

The biggest event on the calendar of Medical Educators of the world each year is AMEE annual conference. Professionals and educators from around the world and from all healthcare sectors come together to hear and see new developments and techniques firsthand, discuss ideas - network and collaborate, get involved in hands-on workshops, and gain resources to help achieve excellence in their working environment.

Each year AMEE annual conference brings together professionals, educators, students, institutions, and organizations from a broad variety of healthcare sectors, to share, collaborate, and network. Addressing and showcasing the latest developments and practices in healthcare professions education and beyond, the annual AMEE conference is a chance to make connections, learn new approaches, and get involved in the development of our sector.

How do we increase students' motivation for independent learning? Tbilisi Medical Academy hosted an interactive meeting to share the innovations in the methodology of medical education. TMA lecturers gathered at an educational event to share their own experiences. 

At the meeting, TMA lecturers - Manana Loladze, Ia Khakhutaishvili, Nanuka Tsiklauri, and Ia Khurtsilava reviewed the guidelines of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) and the latest research published in the journal “Medical Teacher” in the direction of increasing student motivation and developing independent learning skills. 

Speakers discussed the following topics: Motivation in Medical Education (AMEE Guide N115), Concept mapping: An aid to teaching and learning (journal “Medical Teacher”), Twelve tips for teaching neuroanatomy from the medical student's perspective (Journal “Medical Teacher”), Independent Learning and Study Skills (Practical Guide for Medical Teachers).

 Along with sharing their international experience, attendees talked about how they try to increase students' motivation for independent learning within their teaching courses. The topic of the meeting was based on the results of the satisfaction survey of the staff involved in the implementation of the program and the student survey.

Within the framework of Erasmus+ Staff Mobility, Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) hosted a delegation from Antwerp University. Workshops and trainings were held for TMA academic and visiting staff on the following topics: Assessment in Medical Education, Workplace  Based Assessment (WPBA), peer teaching, and training of trainers.

The meetings were chaired by Nelle Michel - Professor of the University of Antwerp, President of European Academy of Teachers in General Practice (EURACT), Board Member of the Educational Council at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Antwerp, Christine van den Bogerd, Communication Skills Trainer, and an Education Coordinator at the University of Antwerp, and Christoph Schotters - Coordinator of the Clinical Skills Center.

Within the framework of the training, the guests introduced the experience both from the University of Antwerp and from the international of teaching in the clinical environment, assessment methods, and feedback mechanisms to the TMA lecturers through presentations, group assignments, and role-plays. Also, in the framework of the meetings were discussed the importance of peer teaching, ways to train trainers, and the need to create a learning environment.

The working meetings held in TMA were preceded by the visit of representatives of the Academy Ia Avaliani, Nino Kekenadze, and Tamar Shotadze to Antwerp, during which the representatives of the Academy had the opportunity to observe the progress of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), the work of Belgian colleagues in the Clinical Skills Center and also at the clinical stage teaching.

TMA representatives also had meetings with the International Department of the University of Antwerp, where they discussed the possibilities of further cooperation between the universities.

Within the framework of the Erasmus+ Staff Mobility program, Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) hosted a delegation from Medical University of Lodz (Poland). Representatives of Medical University of Lodz, Center of Medical Education Łukasz Adamus Karolina Jeziorek, Michał Bartczak the head of Department of Rehabilitation, of the Faculty of Medicine Maria Staniszewska were on a working visit to TMA. 

The purpose of the visit was to exchange teaching practices and content regarding teaching medical and academic professionalism and communication skills to medical students. Also, getting to know the peculiarities of the stage of clinical training, especially rehabilitation training, and gaining experience of clinical work in an international environment. In addition, the workshops were focused on deepening cooperation between the universities. 

Within the framework of the visit, the Polish guests met with the representatives of the TMA administration, talked about the activities promoting the development of the faculty at the University of Lodz and the TMA and the possibilities of further cooperation. In addition, the invited guests together with TMA lecturer Natalia Kotchlashvili conducted seminars for first and second year students on the topic “What is Medical Professionalism?”. 

Workshops were also held with the lecturers implementing the rehabilitation training course, Teona Shavshishvili and Davit Gurgenidze. Within the framework of the workshop, the parties reviewed the features of clinical training, including rehabilitation, in Georgia and Poland. 

Maria Staniszewska also attended seminars in rehabilitation, participated in patient counseling and gave a lecture to students on " Nonpharmacological methods of pain reduction”.

Online training was conducted for lecturers regarding the use of ClinicalKey Student. The meeting was led by Tornike Metreveli, the representative of the scientific research department of TMA. 

The purpose of the training was to present the main aspects of the ClinicalKey Student resource created by Elsevier and its practical use to academic and invited staff. 

Within the framework of the meeting, the participants had the opportunity to test the possibility of the electronic resource in accordance with their study course. 

After the meeting, participants were sent instructions for using the ClinicalKey Student platform.

Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) continues to support the continuous professional development of staff in the direction of medical education methodology. Three more representatives of TMA, the head of the Quality Assurance Department Nino Sikharulidze, a member of the Curriculum Committee, Assistant Professor of the Department of Anatomy and Histology Salome Khubulava, and a member of the Faculty Development Department Dea Goderdzishvili successfully completed four training courses organized by the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) and obtained the status of a medical education specialist. 

The ESME - "Essential Skills in Medical Education" training courses offered by AMEE are a step forward in this direction. And for TMA, it is important for integration in the European educational space. 

"The training courses were organized by AMEE's regional representative office in Georgia.

Within frames of Erasmus+ Staff Mobility Programme, members of TMA staff, Natalia Kotchlashvili (International Affairs Department) and Salome Khubulava (Department of Histology, Cytology and Embryology) visited Lodz Medical University, in order to enhance current cooperation. TMA staff members had an opportunities to visit and actively participate in the activities of Medical Simulations Centre and Department for Histology, Cytology and Embryology. 

Throughout the visit, meetings were organised with the managers of International Department, Centre for Medical Education, Scientific-Research Department and Doctorate School, where parties discussed potential areas of prospective cooperation and established grounds for joint activities. 

In result, parties agreed to organising student mobility programmes in the nearest future in terms of both study and clinical internship opportunities. Further cooperation opportunities will involve joint scientific, research and transdisciplinary activities.

Within the Erasmus+ Staff Mobility program, TMA hosted Jakub Nowicki, a pediatrician of the Faculty of Medicine and the Department of Neonatal Pathology and Pathology of the Bone and Joint System from Lodz Medical University (Poland). 

The purpose of the working visit was to get acquainted with the peculiarities of clinical teaching, especially the pediatric stage, and to gain experience in clinical work in an international environment. 

Jakub Nowicki met with the representatives of the TMA administration and the lecturers implementing the pediatric training course. Within the framework of the workshop, the parties reviewed the features of clinical education (especially pediatrics) in Georgia and Poland. 

The guest also attended seminars in pediatrics, participated in the consultation of a pediatric patient, and learned about the peculiarities of pediatric practice in Georgia.

Since 2021, Tbilisi Medical Academy cooperates with the company CyberPatient in the field of simulation learning. Within the framework of this partnership, in May 2023, Tbilisi Medical Academy hosted Dr. Karim Qayumi, the founder of the simulation platform CyberPatient. Professor of Surgery of British Columbia University and an expert of medical education, Professor Qayumi shared his knowledge and experience on simulation learning to TMA faculty and students. During an interactive meeting Professor Karim Qayumi shared insights on "The importance of simulation learning for competency based education". 

The simulation platform CyberPatient is an effective possibility for mastering of diagnostical, clinical and treatment skills. By review of more than 100 simulation cases of difference medical fields students can practically apply their theoretical knowledge.

TMA Faculty Development Department organized a week of training for teachers which was held at the Academy. The representative of the Scientific Research Department, Saba Iordanishvili, shared with the audience the methodical recommendation of TSA on academic integrity. The presentation also covered such an important issue as adherence to the principles of academic integrity by students in their portfolios. Within the framework of the training, Student Relations Coordinator Saif Rustum made a presentation about the opportunities of the Turnitin program. 

As part of the training week, TMA Vice Rector in research, Ekaterine Kldiashvili spoke to the audience about the methodology of scientific communication. Reviewed the basic principles of organizing and evaluating student scientific work (presentation, essay, report, project). Maka Zarnadze, the head of the Faculty Development Department, introduced the audience to the basic principles of assessment in medical education. Meanwhile, the head of the examination center, Vakho Deisadze, presented international recommendations on the creation of the MCQ standard test. 

The goal of teacher training is to promote the professionalization of academic and invited staff in the direction of teaching-learning, assessment methods, and development of scientific-research skills. Also, promoting the formation of a qualified and experienced team of academic and visiting staff, who share the vision of the Academy in the direction of teaching and research, the institutional culture of the Academy, and accordingly, take care of improving the quality of teaching.

TMA hosted the heads of the Center of Innovation in Medical Education (CIMED) Professor Jossete Denekens and Professor Herman Van Rossum (Antwerp / Belgium). Within the framework of the visit, working meetings were held for three weeks with the participation of administrative, academic staff, and guest personnel. The results of innovative projects implemented in pilot mode and the ways of their further implementation in the program were discussed at the meetings. A map of innovations was created to reflect the implemented changes, as well as for teachers and students to get to know each other better. 

The heads of the center met with students and heard their opinion about innovations and the educational process in general. 

Workshops were held for the mentors of the portfolio, where the mentors shared their experiences and the heads of the center, talked about existing challenges, divided into small work groups, discussed several interesting cases accumulated within the portfolio, listened to a lecture prepared by the heads of the center about the importance of self-reflection in medical practice. 

The heads of the center met with the teachers implementing the clinical training courses, heard from them information about the existing challenges, and together they identified ways to improve the teaching process at the clinical stage. 

Trainings were held for the academic and guest staff of the TMA - on teaching and assessment methods in the working environment (WPBA (Workplace-based assessment), Mini-CEX (Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise) - evaluation of a mini-clinical exercise, TBL (Team-Based Learning) - based on teamwork Teaching and developing a line of clinical reasoning in the program. 

 

An innovative educational game Bacteria Game was held as a pilot at TMA. Students of the third, fourth, and fifth semesters and professors of the academy participated in the game.

Bacteria Game is an innovative educational game developed at the Sorbonne University in Paris with the support of the French Association of Microbiologists. 

The principle of the game is simple - the players must connect funny pictures of clinically important bacteria with their corresponding characteristics (morphological features, virulence, source of infection, target organs, appropriate antibiotic, natural and acquired resistance to antibiotics) and at the same time, by the same principle, identify the opponent's bacteria. French colleagues believe that such an educational game will allow students to consolidate/organize knowledge about bacteria and appropriate antibiotic therapy to prevent the irrational use of antibiotics in the future, which is one of the main reasons for the increase in the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, one of the global health problems.

TMA students and teachers participating in the game also find the game fun and help organize knowledge, discover individual educational needs, and receive feedback.

Extensive articles on the educational game are available at the following links:

• https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/jmbe.00119-21
• https://fems-microbiology.org/opportunities/bacteriagame-card-game-to-learn-clinical-microbiology-in-a-fun-way/

TMA hosted training for academic and invited staff of TMA. The topic of the training was the organization of clinical cases for Objective Structured Cinical Examination (OSCE). 

The training was prepared based on the international experience gained within the Erasmus + SAFEMED (Simulation in Undergraduate Medical Education for Improvement of Safety and Quality of Patient Care) project and was led by representatives of the TMA academic staff involved in the project, Manana Kutkhashvili and Tsisana Lomashvili. 

Within the framework of the training, the participants learned the basic principles of clinical case organization for an Objective Structured Clinical Examination. During the process, the participants were divided into groups and created bot

h clinical case scenarios for standardized patients and student evaluation forms in working groups. In addition, the training series covered how to create a standard MCQ (Multiple Choice Question). The training was conducted by the head of the TMA examination center Vakhtang Deisadze and the participants of the meeting were introduced to the recommendations developed based on international experience for creating a standard questionnaire and the importance of a unified vision in the TMA about the standard MCQ test.

With the initiation and support of the Center of Innovation in Medical Education (CIMED), a Structured Oral Examination (SOE) was administered to first-semester students at TMA. Before the exams, trainings and workshops were held for teachers and examiners. The purpose of the exam was to assess the student's ability to verbalize the knowledge acquired within the anatomy, physiology, and histology training courses and team-based learning (TBL) sessions.

The Structured Oral Exam included three stations:

• At each station, the student met by an examiner from one of the courses (anatomy, histology, physiology);

• The student's delay at each station was 15 minutes;

• Students' assessment was based on previously developed criteria.

TMA hosted the working meetings to share the experience gained in international conferences and summer schools. 

Head of Educational Program Tsisana Lomashvili, Vice-Rector in Research Ekaterine Kldiashvili, Manager of Continues Professional Development Maka Zarnadze, Head of Quality Assurance Department Nino Sikharulidze, Specialist in Medical Education and Research Dea Goderdzishvili and Head of Institutional Culture Department Maka Maglakelidze presented to colleagues from the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) and The experience gained at scientific conferences organized by the Association of Medical Schools in Europe (AMSE) was shared. 

International projects coordinator Khatuna Khatiashvili, curator of students' scientific activities Saba Iordanishvili, and exam center coordinator Vakho Deisadze spoke about the experience gained at the summer school in the Netherlands at Radboud University. 

Natalia Kotchlashvili, the coordinator of current projects, shared with the audience the history of cooperation with Radboud University within the framework of Erasmus project, staff mobility program, and plans. 

Representatives of the Academy's administration, academic, and invited staff participated in the meeting. Within the framework of the meetings, the participants had the opportunity to discuss and share news, experiences, challenges, and opportunities in terms of the development of medical education, the promotion of the professional development of teachers, and the development of further international relations.

Georgia hosted the annual conference of the Association of Medical Schools in Europe (AMSE). The event was attended by European and international institutions important for the development of the field, including World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), European University Association - Council for Doctoral Education (EUA-CDE), the Organization for Ph.D. Education in Biomedicine and Health Sciences in the European System (ORPHEUS) and International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA).  Tbilisi Medical Academy was represented among the participants at the conference. TMA faculty members presented three topics:

• Arts as an effective learning tool of medical education– Maka Zarnadze, Associate Professor, Manager of Continues Professional Development;
• Using a clinical reasoning exercise as the start of a course in the research line improves motivation in research of last year students- Ekaterine Kldiashvili, Vice-Rector in Research;
• Implementation of PSI Curriculum at preclinical level in Integrated modules – Tsisana Lomashvili, Head of One-step Educational Program.

Among the speakers were internationally recognized experts and leaders in the field of medical education: David Gordon - President of the World Federation of Medical Education, the University of Manchester Emeritus Professor, (Great Britain); Harm Peters - President of the Association of European Medical Schools, Charité - Professor of Universitätsmedizin, (Germany), Alexander Hasgall - Head of Doctoral Education Council of the European University Association (EUA), Robin Stevenson - Editor-in-Chief of European CME Journal and Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Glasgow, (UK), Janusz Janczhukovic - Professor of University of Lodz (Poland), Nebojsa Lalic - Professor of University of Belgrade, (Serbia), Cris Scotter - Human Resources for Health expert for the World Health Organization.

Speakers from Ukraine, Hungary, Lithuania and representatives of more than ten institutions from Georgia also participated in the conference.

The conference was hosted by David Tvildiani Medical University.

Tbilisi Medical Academy, within the framework of Erasmus staff mobility program, hosted Belgian colleagues. TMA was visited by Nele Michels - the president of THE European Academy of Teachers in General Practice/Family Medicine (EURACT), Professor at the Centre for General Practice & at the Skills Lab, Director of the staff group of General Practitioners trainers (University of Antwerp), as well as Kristin Van den Bogerd - psychologist & co-coordinator communication skills lab at the University of Antwerp, and Katrien Bombeke - Professor, GP & coordinator of communication skills lab at UA. As part of the work visit, clinical and basic subject educators received training on the following topics: How to teach and assess communication skills, how to teach consultation skills, and how to train Simulated Patient (SP).

"Such training will help to improve communication skills among students during teaching, such as delivering bad news to a patient, motivational interview, and communication with patients with psychiatric problems. At the workshops, they discussed specific communication techniques in detail. An important part was also devoted to the methods of assessment of the above-mentioned skills. In addition, the part of selection, training, teaching methods and expected results of simulation patients, recognition of various didactic aspects of simulation patient training and work with them should be mentioned separately" - Khatuna Khatiashvili, International Projects Coordinator, TMA affiliate, associate professor in the direction of behavioral sciences.

In addition, TMA academics and visiting teachers shared their experience in teaching communication skills, assessment, and examples of involvement in a simulation patient education program with their Belgian colleagues. Georgian and Belgian colleagues discussed the results and statistical characteristics of the Objectively Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) held in the summer in TMA.

The guests also had working meetings with the representatives of the Academy's administration to continue the further collaboration within the framework of Erasmus and to strengthen the cooperation of family doctors (GP network).

 

TMA had the pleasure to host the heads of the Center of Innovation in Medical Education (CIMED) Professor Joke Denekens and Professor Herman Van Rossum (Antwerp / Belgium). 

Within the five-day working visit, meetings were held with the administration of TMA, academic and invited teachers. The teachers presented integrated cases and related integrated assignments, discussed examples of student-centered learning within their courses, organized feedback and team-based learning (TBL), and opportunities for further portfolio development. 

During the working visit, training was also held for teachers on the topics - "Implementation of a patient centered, student-oriented, integrated program", " TBL (Team-Based Learning) Line development in the program", "The role of a mentor in the portfolio", "Teaching and assessment methods in the first-semester curriculum", "Maximizing the capabilities of the Anatomage Table, use within the framework of various training courses" and etc.

Lyon (France) hosted the Annual Conference of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE), where TMA proudly appeared with two presentations. 

TMA Vice Rector in Research - Dr. Ekaterine Kldiashvili and medical education expert Dea Goderdzishvili delivered an oral presentation "Virtual Patient Simulators as a Pilot of eHealth Introduction in Medical Curricula”, while the Manager of Continuous Professional Development and a member of the Curriculum Committee, Maka Zarnadze presented an e-Poster around the topic - "The impact of the Self-Reflection on the Identification Learning needs of the Medical Students during preclinical years" 

Within the framework of the conference, attending members of TMA staff - Head of the Educational Program - Tsisana Lomashvili and the Head of the Quality Assurance Department Nino Sikharulidze, participated within various thematic workshops and meetings. In addition, members of TMA had opportunities to get acquainted with the most up-to-date opinions from the field experts and engage in discussions with colleagues from around the globe. 

The AMEE conference serves as the most significant annual event for everyone, involved in medical education. This year, more than 90 medical schools from all over the world participated in the conference.

TMA continues to support the continued professional development of its staff. In the field of medical education, the training courses offered by The Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) are an important step in this direction. 

TMA Faculty Members Tsisana Lomashvili (Head of Educational Program), Ia Khakhutaishvili (Curriculum Committee Member), and Maka Zarnadze (Curriculum Committee Member) completed four training courses "Essential Skills in Medical Education'' organized by AMEE and gained the status of a Specialist in Medical Education. This is important for TMA to integrate into the European Educational Space. 

“The training courses were organized by the AMEE regional representation in Georgia and were led by AMEE President Trevor Gibbs. These courses allowed us to get acquainted with the innovations of medical education methodology in the format of active and quite busy workshops. In addition to the mandatory training activity, the trainees were asked to complete a post-training assignment (training reflection) to describe what knowledge we had acquired during the training and how to apply it in practice. In the course of the training, we also conducted two studies on medical education methodology - “The impact of the preclinical online Flipped Classroom (FC) on the critical thinking, a group working and independent learning abilities from student’s perspective” and “The impact of the Self-Reflection on the identification learning needs of the Medical Students during preclinical years”. One study was presented at the AMEE 2021 Glasgow Conference as an oral presentation and the other at the AMEE 2022 Lyon Conference. The involvement of the academy in this training is important because at this time we learn about the innovations in medical education methodology. We share the acquired knowledge and experience with colleagues and jointly try to introduce modern standards of teaching, learning, and assessment in TMA”- Maka Zarnadze”. 

To gain the status of a medical education specialist, six more TMA staff are currently involved in AMEE training courses.

The Team-Based Learning (TBL) session was held for students at the final stage of the integration week. The session aimed to develop students' skills of independent work, teamwork, communication, and critical thinking, and to teach the principles of evidence-based medicine.

"TBLS is one of the ways to show the TMA students the importance of teamwork. Medicine is without frontiers/borders, inexhaustible, and rapidly evolving., so it is necessary not only to have various specialists at the same medical establishments but also to enable them to work closely together to achieve the best possible results for the patient, including the best results" - Salome Buliskeria, lecturer at TMA.

One week before the session, the lectures introduced the students to the purpose of the TBL session, and the learning outcomes, divided them into groups, and provided literature. During the session, students worked in groups on a patient's case and a relevant assignment. The assignment required the integration of knowledge gained by the students within the module (anatomy, histology, physiology) and the solution of a clinical problem.

"TBL accustoms us to teamwork, students work together on integrated assignments, which in the future will help us provide effective and complete service to the patient. Right now we are going through the endocrine system, studying various diseases including diabetes. Direct communication with the real patient helped us to better understand the topic. We have discussed a diabetes case and presented posters around this topic "- Iako Barabadze, a 2nd-year medical student.

Mentors assessed both the students' integrated homework as well as their interpersonal skills.

As part of the integration week, TMA students had a meeting with real patients. This encounter served to put students in touch with real patients already at the preclinical stage of teaching and enabled them to use the knowledge and skills acquired during the various training courses to better understand patients’ problems. 

"This kind of events are interesting for us as future doctors, because proper communication between doctor and patient is one of the important aspects. Today we have seen a good example of how to have a dialogue with the patient. We are now studying diabetes and the endocrine system, and direct communication with the patient helped us a lot in deepening our theoretical knowledge." - Sandro Sagliani, a medical student of the 2nd year 

Students had the opportunity to observe the interaction between the patients with diabetes and their doctor, to ask them questions, and to discuss this topic. 

"I love relationships with young people, and communication with the future doctors was very important to me. They listened carefully and asked interesting questions. I tried to give them thorough answers. I think this practical experience will help students to deepen their professional knowledge, so I will gladly take part in similar activities at other times as well. It has a positive effect on me when the questions are varied, you look at yourself from the side, and this is an interesting and useful process "- Patient Asmat Guliashvili, 67 years old. 

At the end of the meeting, the students were divided into groups and were given one week to work on the cases of the diabetic patients provided by the teachers and were asked to present the posters afterwards. 

The final stage of the integration week is the Team-Based Learning (TBL) session, where students are required to work on an integrated assignment.

Medical Education Innovation Center of TMA organized online training on the topic of creative integrated cases and assignments. 
The meeting was held by Prof. Joke Denekens and Prof. Herman Van Rosem (Antwerp, Belgium). The training aimed to harmonize the learning process within the integrated modules. The trainers made presentations in the following areas - student and patient-centered program, and how to create an integrated assignment. 
The online meeting was attended by academic staff who are implementing integrated modules and invited teachers who had the opportunity to work as a team on integrated assignments and receive feedback from Belgian colleagues.

Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) held a portfolio mentor's three-day online training. The training was held by the heads of the Medical Education Innovation Center of TMA, Joke Denekens (Prof. In Medical Education) and Herman Van Rosem (Prof. In Medical Education) (Antwerp, Belgium). 

Within the frames of the training, through mini-lectures, workshops, and discussions the participants got introduced to the portfolio concept, developed at the academy, the structure of student assignments within the portfolio, assessment, principles of effective feedback, and the portfolio mentor rights and responsibilities. 

The portfolio is an innovative method of teaching and assessment in the educational programs of the Academy. The self-reflection learning activities and personal development plan (PDP) implemented within the portfolio enable students to engage in an active learning process for both professional and personal development and to achieve the competencies defined by the educational program that is directly related to professionalism (Including lifelong learning). 

Students are assisted by mentors in completing assignments provided through the portfolio system. 
TMA School of Medicine took the first steps towards the introduction of the portfolio method during the 2020-2021 academic year, and four mentors were involved in the process. Fifteen potential mentors are currently being trained.

On August 27-30, 2021, Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) participated in a virtual conference organized by the International Association for Medical Education (AMEE). TMA presentation was made by Tsisana Lomashvili, Head of MD Programs. She presented on the topic of “Impact of Preclinical Flipped Classroom on Critical Thinking, Group working and Independent Learning Abilities from Students’ Perspective”. Co-authors: Tsisana Lomashvili, MD, Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA), Ia Khakhutaishvili, MD, PhD, (TMA); Tinatin Chikovani, MD, PhD, Tbilisi State Medical University (TSMU), Leila Akhvlediani, MD, PhD, BAU International University Batumi (BAU), Levan Metreveli, MD, PhD, (BAU). 

The research shared by Tsisana Lomashvili was conducted within the scope of the RESME course training at the AMEE International Networking Center (Tbilisi), led by Professor David Tailor. Three Georgian institutions collaborated in the study: Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA), Tbilisi State Medical University (TSMU) and International University Batumi (BAU). 

TMA joined the AMEE International Conference in 2016 with the status of an attendee, whereas in 2017 it already presented a poster-presentation on the introduction of an Objective Structured Practical Exam (OSPE) in the curriculum. 

The Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) is a worldwide organization with members in 90 countries on five continents. 

The AMEE conference is the leading annual event for all stakeholders in medical and healthcare education. The 2021 AMEE Conference was attended by experts in the field of medical education and healthcare, who shared their experiences through plenary sessions, symposia, seminars and workshops.

On March 2 and 5, was held an online training/workshop for the academic and visiting teaching staff of TMA, around the topic - 'How to create a standardized MCQ test'. 

During the training members of the teaching staff were introduced to the different types of MCQ questions and recommendations for designing standardized MCQ tests, based on the most up-to-date international experience. 

Attendees carried out practical exercises to create various types of standardized MCQ questions. 

Throughout the training were discussed the conditions for determining the validity and reliability of quiz assignments and final examination questions.

The TURNITIN program is an important and integral component for developing academic honesty; this tool is also an effective method for expanding skills like critical thinking and reasoning. 

The partnership between Tbilisi Medical Academy and TURNITIN has started in 2020. In the scope of mentioned partnership, an online training will be conducted regarding the use of the program on 22nd of January at 17:30 Tbilisi Time. 

The training will be conducted using the Zoom platform. In order to attend the training, please follow the link 

Training around the concept of ''Flipped Classroom'' was held for the academic and invited teaching staff of TMA. During the training, participants were introduced to the importance of collaborative and interactive teaching methods and the ways of Flipped Classroom implementation within basic subjects.

The training on practical usage of the Turnitin software has been organized for the Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy staff members. This software is an important component of the development of the academic honesty culture at the institutional level. Furthermore, it is an effective tool for critical thinking and reasoning skills development. 

Training has been performed by Pamela Atzori, Ph.D., the Professional and Educational Services Consultant of the company Turnitin.

From February 3rd to 7th, Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy held lectures and working meetings for its academic and administrative staff on the planning of the educational program and learning outcomes, as well as appropriate assessment methods, program integration, feedback, and interprofessional education. Above mentioned meetings were held by Josette Denekens – Emeritus professor in General Practice, Head of the Department of General Practice, former Vice Rector at the University of Antwerp, Belgium.

On November 13-15 and 20-22, Training: “Modern Methods of Teaching and Assessment, Essential Principles of Student Oriented Teaching and Student Motivation” was held at Tbilisi Medical Academy. The training was intended for for invited and academic lecturers.
During the training trainees were informed about the challenges to current medical education and got acquainted with modern method of teaching, that will be implemented in TMA’s study process.

Professor Nele Michels, Head of Clinical Skills Center at Antwerp University, visited Tbilisi Medical Academy. During her working visit Prof. Nele Michels held meetings with academic and administrative staff. She visited TMA’s renewed Clinical Skills and Objectively Structured Exam Center and got acquainted with innovations in Medical Education program and Doctoral program “Medical Science”. Additionally, important issues, such as the Erasmus+ cooperation for staff and student mobility between the TMA and Antwerp University were discussed during the visit.

October 21-25, representatives of Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy attended the training of AMEE (The Association for Medical Education in Europe) “ESMEA – Essential Skills in Medical Education Assessment”. The training was conducted by President of AMEE, WFME (World Federation for Medical Education consultant in field of Medical Education), Professor, Trevor Gibbs.

On 17-20 September, TMA academic staff conducted training: “TMA new staff adaptation and provision of continuing professional development”. Training participants were new lecturers, who will be teaching in 2019/2020 academic year. 

Training aims and objectives were as follows: 
 

• Raising awareness Strategic Priorities of Academy and getting acquainted with study process regulations;
• Getting acquainted with the existing innovations in medical education methodology;
• Coordinating mutual cooperation between disciplines and departments.

Every meeting of the training was aimed not only at informing and adapting of new staff, but also assisted them in analyzing and implementation of the exiting new methodologies of medical education in the study process. 
 

Natalie Khotchlashvili, coordinator of Erasmus+ programs at Tbilisi Medical Academy, on May 6-10 in Spain, took a part in an international training on personal development „– Ahora – Share your skills“. AtDuring the training, participants discussed a number of issues, and also shared their experience in the field of student and staff mobility, as well as of cooperation and development of institutions. The training also made a significant contribution to the establishment of partnership between TMA and European Universities.

On 12-14 March head of clinical skill center in Antwerp University, Professor Nele Michels visited TMA and conducted curriculum development meetings and trainings about assessment methodology in medical education.