News

« back to home « previous news item | next news item »

The EULAR (European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology) has established the “Best Undergraduate Teaching Concept Award”, which aims to promote the profession of rheumatology among university students through innovative teaching methods. This year, Dr. Kristóf Filipánits, a resident physician at the University of Pécs Clinical Centre Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, received the award for his application on the opportunities of educational support provided by e-learning. He will present the winning concept at the next EULAR congress in Barcelona, between 11-15 June, when the award ceremony will also take place. More than 10,000 rheumatologists from over 100 countries around the world are expected to attend the meeting.

Written by Rita Schweier

“I have always been passionate about university education, having been a demonstrator as an undergraduate student and continuing to teach rheumatology and pathophysiology in all three programmes after graduation. I quickly realised that I had to adapt fast to digital trends. Fortunately, with the support of the leadership of the School, the technical conditions are available. The conditions of the EULAR call for proposals were not difficult to meet, as they are part of our daily teaching, which is why I thought we could present a competitive concept. Fortunately, the director of our department, Dr. Gábor Kumánovics, is also open to innovative initiatives in both education and research. He also helped me in the submission and peer review of the application,” said Dr. Kristóf Filipánits.

The application was open to institutions in active EULAR member countries that promote the profession of rheumatology and the teaching of the subject among medical students. The evaluation was based on several criteria: creativity and innovation, community involvement in the implementation of the educational concept, the effectiveness of the methods in learning outcomes, the integration of technology, and the extent to which student and staff feedback is incorporated into the process were all of paramount importance.

“My application presented the practical implementation of a state-of-the-art evidence-based methodology that has been introduced in recent years and is already in use. It involved blended learning, where students access learning materials through the recently completed and enhanced POTEPedia platform and Microsoft Teams to facilitate interactive learning, dynamic interaction, and communication. The MediSkillsLab unit of the UPMS Medical Skills Education and Innovation Centre provides simulation-based teaching with realistic models for practical experience in the fields of joint puncture and musculoskeletal ultrasound. Teaching in small groups provides the opportunity for more in-depth anamnesis and physical examination, while near-peer teaching allows more experienced senior students to assist younger students, which is particularly popular in the lower grades. In gamification, Kahoot! quizzes can be used to make the knowledge assessment more enjoyable. Online exams and feedback (UniPoll, Microsoft Forms) ensure fast and efficient assessment, while the POTEcho system provides teachers with instant feedback from the students, helping the continuous improvement of teaching. An important aspect was the measurability of the concept’s impact, and in this respect, we were able to present objectifiable data that could be extracted from Neptun, such as teacher evaluation or the improvement of grade averages,” he summarised his application.

He stressed that their concept has been continuously translated into clinical practice and that all the conditions are now available for teachers to incorporate its elements into their classes. He believes that there is a need for continuous improvement and the use of innovative approaches to ensure that students feel that the classes are useful and that they are gaining real, meaningful information that they can apply in the future.

As he said, they are currently developing interactive digital learning materials in the framework of the UP Digital Teaching and Learning Support team’s grant, which is like an electronic textbook, but it provides much more than that. This state-of-the-art digital learning support system combines elements of good practice, is visually modern, and offers opportunities for individual progression. In the future, it could be the basis for the launch of an international e-learning course in rheumatology, available in three languages, even as a university course offering a micro-certification.

“The award is a great professional recognition for me, as it acknowledges the hard work and innovation we have put into the development of teaching rheumatology. It reflects not only my personal achievements but also the joint efforts of the whole department, the Medical School, and the students who have been actively involved in the introduction of new methods. It motivates me to improve further and confirms that modern, student-centred, and interactive teaching methods really make medical education more effective while also giving us the opportunity to show our innovative solutions at the international level as well,” he said.

Photo:

Míra Zsófia Peresztegi