Students of the Paramedic Science degree programme at the Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, have achieved an exceptional success in the SimUniversity competition. The team composed of Michal Bělka, Pavel Krejčí, Šimon Zeljenka and Josef Růžička not only won the local round but also confirmed their excellence in the national finals, where they took first place among teams from all medical faculties in the Czech Republic.
They now face an online international qualifying round, which will determine whether they advance to the world finals in Lyon, France.
The 2025 edition of the SimUniversity competition brought a record number of participants and exceptionally balanced performances. The local round, held on 3 October 2025 at the Simulation Centre of the Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University (SIMU), attracted eight teams, including three composed of students of Paramedic Science. It was one of these teams — Michal Bělka, Pavel Krejčí, Šimon Zeljenka and Josef Růžička — that ultimately won and secured a place in the national round, which once again took place at SIMU on 20 November.
The national round hosted teams from all eight medical faculties in the Czech Republic and was evaluated by an international panel of judges. “In the national round, representatives of all eight medical faculties in the Czech Republic faced each other once again,” says Daniel Diabelko, who served as lecturer and evaluator. “There were three assessed simulations, with 50% of participants eliminated after each... This year, we had an international team of judges. The teams’ performances were once again at a very high and professional level, and only a few points decided who would advance.” Despite the demanding competition, our students succeeded and took first place. Diabelko adds: “In the local round, the team of paramedic students advanced... They defended their success in the national round and will now represent the Czech Republic in the virtual stage of the competition.”
“This experience gave us a great deal, especially in communication, such as closing the communication loop, and in being able to rely on each other. And of course, lots and lots of new knowledge for practice,” says Josef Růžička. He also noted that the team originally didn’t expect to advance beyond the local round: “This was our first experience with the competition, and at the beginning we didn’t really think we would get further than the local round.”
His words highlight that the competition helps students develop not only professional knowledge but also key skills such as communication. “The term closing the communication loop refers to a reliable form of communication. You always receive feedback confirming that your message has been understood and hasn’t just floated away into thin air,” Růžička explains.
Michal Pospíšil, Coordinator of the Paramedic Science programme at the Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, appreciates that the team’s success is rooted above all in the students’ own commitment, but also in the dedication of their instructors:
“What is most valuable about our students’ success in both the local and national rounds of the SimUniversity competition is that it stems from their own initiative, and the time and energy they invested in preparation. In demanding simulated scenarios, they demonstrated not only strong professional knowledge, but also the ability to work as a team, communicate effectively and stay calm under pressure. Great thanks also go to the instructors of the Paramedic Science programme, who accompany the students, guide them patiently and systematically, and motivate them for their future profession. Thanks to the organisers of SIMUNIVERSITY, our students have the opportunity to develop their skills beyond standard coursework and, at the same time, raise awareness of the demanding — and, I dare say, high-quality — education at the Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, MU.”
The team also appreciates the support they received before the competition: “Our success definitely belongs to both our instructors at SIMU and to the lecturers at the Department of Health Sciences. On behalf of the entire team, I’d like to thank them for giving up their free time to help us train,” says Růžička.
Petr Stourač, Vice-Dean for Development and Clinical Programmes in General Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, MU, and Head of the Institute of Simulation Medicine, sees broader significance in this year’s success: “It has become clear that students of all medical faculties are very well prepared; the differences between the teams were minimal. Naturally, we are delighted that our students won — and that, unlike last year, when it was medical students, this time the winners are students of the Bachelor's study programme Paramedicine at the FM MU. That is all the more remarkable given such strong competition.” He also believes the team has a good chance to advance further: “From what I have seen, I believe they have a real chance of progressing to Lyon. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for them.”
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The seventeenth annual Akutně Conference attracted more than twelve hundred participants.
