1st Simulation Symposium

On the first day of the new academic year, almost a hundred people interested in simulation medicine visited Brno. The event was also held under the auspices of the Czech Society of Anaesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine CzMA and the Society for Simulation in Medicine. At the opening ceremony, the participants were welcomed by the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Prof. Repko, immediate past president of SESAM Marc Lazarovici, director of the SIMU+ project Ing. Blažková, Vice Dean for Dentistry Prof. Izakovičová-Hollá, Director of the Simulation Centre Mgr. Dvořáček, and Vice-Dean for Teaching and Head of the Institute of Simulation Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine Prof. Štourač.

In the first session, Marc Lazarovici first put our simulation medicine in a European context and called for further development of international cooperation. Then, Petr Štourač introduced the possible future shape of simulation medicine in the Czech Republic, emphasising the further development, including a unique PhD programme. This was followed by a presentation of simulation activities not only at the Brno Simulation Centre, but also at the Olomouc, Hradec Králové and Motol centres. The President of the Society for Simulation in Medicine, Michael Stern, a PhD student at the Institute of Simulation Medicine, presented the history of the Dialog Simulation Centre at the Aesculap Academy. He was followed by Katarína Veselá's introduction of simulation-based competitions, especially the Rally Rejvíz.

In the second block, we learned "How to build a dream..." under the guidance of Jitka Blažková. Starting from the vision presented by Petr Štourač, we gradually learned tips and tricks from the most competent person in the project area, Jitka Blažková, and then we turned to construction with Rostislav Sitarčík. The methodology and implementation

of simulation medicine into the curriculum was presented by Tereza Prokopová and Tereza Vafková. The challenges of the operational phase were discussed by the Director of the Simulation Centre, Jan Dvořáček, who was joined by Martin Komenda with a description of the software support for SIMU.

In the last block, individual pieces of the complex mosaic of simulation medicine were presented. The individual pieces consisted of examples of preclinical simulation teaching by Mikuláš Mlček from 1st FM, the use of virtual patient in teaching by Daniel Schwarz, 3D virtual simulation in surgery by Zdeněk Chovanec, gynaecological and obstetric simulation by Matěj Anton, the involvement of actors in teaching psychology by Miroslav Světlák, in situ simulation in the hospital environment of the Martin hospital by Denisa Osinová, the implementation of simulation exercises within the Integrated Rescue System in the presentation of Hana Šperková, simulation and water rescue exercises performed by Lenka Šrahulková, and simulation teaching within the European Resuscitation Council courses by Jana Djakow and Petr Štourač. The latter and the Director of the SIMU+ project closed the symposium, thanked the participants and presenters, and invited the attendees to the closing ceremony of the SIMU+ project. We can only look forward to the second symposium next year.

The symposium took place exactly eighteen days before the end of the project, and so not only the participants of the symposium, but also other important guests moved to the Emergency Department of SIMU, where in the presence of the Rector of Masaryk University, Prof. Bareš, the ceremonial act of ending the SIMU+ project took place. The Rector recalled the beginnings of the project, when in the position of MU Vice-Rector and then Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, he significantly contributed to its successful implementation. The Dean of the MU Faculty of Medicine thanked him for the successful implementation of the project and the launch of a large volume of teaching at SIMU. Ing. Blažková thanked the entire central management team and the teams at individual MU economic centres. Special thanks for the excellent cooperation were directed to the Ministry of Education. Prof. Štourač thanked the whole project team. This was followed by a celebratory toast symbolizing the end of the project under the baton of the Dean and a demonstration of a high-fidelity field birth simulation with treatment of a newborn in the emergency room by SIMU lecturers and technicians.