Every six months Athens welcomes students from European Medical Schools for the “ESMSC – Marathon Course“, one of the most advanced undergraduate surgical masterclasses. The ESMSC-Marathon Course runs in the Experimental Research Centre ELPEN, which supports this innovative initiative via actively being involved in the design of the course, providing the best environment for advanced high-fidelity simulation-based learning as well as all the equipment needed to reach the highest standards of an international course.

The 7th International Combined Undergraduate Surgical Masterclass “Essential Skills in the Management of Surgical Cases – Marathon Course” took place in Athens between the 20th and 22nd of November 2017. Around 300 applications were sent from the UK, Greece, Cyprus, and other European countries for 40 places. The whole effort was supported by Academics, Consultants and trainees primarily from the UK (Imperial College, KCL, University of Leeds etc), US (Harvard Medical School) as well as several countries of the EU including Germany, Denmark, Eastern Europe, Cyprus etc and all the Hellenic Institutions. The Scientific Society of Hellenic Medical Students (S.S.H.M.S.) co-organized this innovative project with the Experimental – Research Center of ELPEN Co. Inc.

ESMSC is an International Combined Masterclass whose foundation dates back in 2013, based on the idea of the course designers Dr Apostolos E. Papalois (Director of the Experimental Research Center ELPEN,Visiting Professor, University of Harvard) and Dr Michail Ch Sideris (NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow, London Deanery,The Bart’s Medical School,Queen Mary’s University London ). This Masterclass, which first ran in November 2014, was designed based on all basic surgical specialties.

Medical students seem to appreciate and seek any Basic Surgical Training (BST) opportunity in their undergraduate training years, and this is reflected in the ESMSC feedback report from both younger as well as more senior students. What is more, students across different European Countries, appear to have similar views on needs for training and development needs.

Surgery is a rapidly evolving field of Medicine, hence involvement of students into Basic Surgical Training (BST) is essential. Undergraduate Surgical Education is becoming an essential element in the training of the future generation of safe and efficient surgeons. Currently, evolving technology and increasing demand for excellence in patient care, have led towards the reconsideration of surgical curriculum, and various Medical Schools are introducing BST skills at an earlier stage.

See also: University of Athens Online Courses on Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine; University of Athens Online Courses on Mediterranean Diet; http://en.uoa.gr/studies/all-master-programs/school-of-health-sciences.html;http://crisis.med.uoa.gr/index_en.php

S.G.