Workshops

Science is at its best when experienced first-hand. Our Workshops are exceptional, interactive experiences held by enthusiastic medical doctors and researchers. There are some things you need to know, so here is a quick overview. For all the details, be sure to revisit our Terms & Conditions.

Each participant can go to one Workshop by paying the General Access Fee or Presenting Author Fee. All the Workshops will take place on Friday, March 31st and Sunday, April 2nd, 2023.

Scroll down to find out how to book a workshop.

Our workshops

Preclinical & Clinical workshops

PACE: Practical Arrhythmology & Cardiac Electrophysiology

Trainer: Radu Vătășescu MD, PhD

Workshop description: Cardiac pacing has improved the quality of life, morbidity and mortality of patients with symptomatic bradyarrhythmias. By correcting pulse and conduction defects, pacemakers have been closing the gap between the artificial electrical stimulation needed in certain diseased hearts and the heart’s natural, normal electrical function. This workshop gives you the opportunity to delve deeper into (and grasp with your own hands!) the theoretical inner-workings of the cardiac electrical activity and practice fundamental interventional skills. You’ll learn through clinical cases, real devices and even through procedural demonstrations using a simulator.
Please note: this event is an advanced cardiology workshop; therefore, only students in their 4th, 5th or 6th year of medical school can participate.

PSI: Psychiatry Simulated Interview

Trainer: Călin Cavaropol MD

Workshop description: One of the best ways to learn is to ask questions, so at PSI you are in charge of taking history! Use your communication skills in order to deal with psychiatric patients and to find out the most relevant information about their conditions. This workshop gives you the chance to have a practical approach to psychiatric history, helping you to have a more accurate overview of the interaction with patients with a mental health condition. The workshop is structured in 4 scenarios. For each one, there will be a psychiatric patient with a certain disorder and a team made by 2 of you. At the beginning of every scenario, each team is going to receive some information about the patient and then you may start taking history. At the end of every scenario, you are going to receive feedback from the psychiatrist, in order to help you understand which additional questions you could have asked and more about the clinical experience with this type of patients. Keep in mind that it is very important to show empathy towards your patient and to have control over the patient interview!

First PQRSTeps in ECG

Trainer: Alex Tirlea MD

Workshop description: No matter what you do in life, one thing is sure: you will be rhymed by heartbeats: coming from your chest or… be it in your hands. And more than that, it is an electric feeling. Face to face with an ECG for the first time? We’ll make sure it’s love at first sight. You will be introduced to the heart’s ABC, or better yet, PQRST. The basics of the electrocardiogram are going to accompany you everywhere in your career no matter what you will choose as a future specialty, so start here!

FAST: Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma

Trainer: Alexandru Carâp MD, PhD

Workshop description: Life-threatening intra-abdominal injuries don’t always come with obvious warning signs. Imagine you are in front of a trauma patient. You do a quick physical examination – but you still cannot leave out the possibility that he may be massively bleeding into his peritoneum. What should you do next? The answer is FAST – a noninvasive and accurate ultrasound examination, which you’ll learn during our workshop by examining your peers. FAST provides vital information without delay and allows you to rapidly identify free fluid in the peritoneal, pericardial, or pleural spaces.

Please note: this workshop requires a specific body of knowledge; therefore, only students in their 4th, 5th or 6th year of medical school can participate.

Know your joints: Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

Trainer: Delia Cinteză MD, PhD

Workshop description: From professional athletes to laypersons, all patients with musculoskeletal complaints benefit from ultrasound imaging. It is a readily available and noninvasive test that is now part of any rigorous clinical examination. But as with all forms of imaging it needs to be handled with care and integrated into clinical reasoning – and this is exactly where our workshop comes in handy. At one of the most popular workshops last year, you will learn not only the principles behind ultrasound imaging, but also high-precision procedures, such as ultrasound guided intra-articular injections.

ICR: Introduction to Clinical Reasoning

Trainer: Alexandru Carâp MD, PhD

Workshop description: A correct clinical diagnosis is 2% perspiration and 98% experience. At first, it may seem impossible to make up the whole picture containing the entire history and symptoms of the patient. With time, skills and logical thinking your abilities to put the right diagnosis will heighten. The purpose of this workshop is to familiarize the participants with the basics of clinical reasoning practicing on a variety of clinical cases.

Please note: this workshop requires a basic background in taking history from patients; therefore, only students in their 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th year of medical school can participate.

Systematic Eye Examination

Trainer: Grigorios Triantafillydis MD; Irina Lutic MD

Workshop description: Investigating a patient’s eyesight involves a lot of detective work – and deconstructing the line of thought is not easy! During this workshop you will learn how to use an ophthalmologist’s tools in order to accurately identify eye pathology. You will use complex devices to measure visual acuity and intraocular pressure and to examine the corneal topography and the retina. If you’re into gadgets, you’ll love trying all the equipment at AMA Optimex Clinic!

Systematic Eye Examination – Second Edition

Trainer: Grigorios Triantafillydis MD; Irina Lutic MD

Catch the Butterfly: Thyroid Ultrasound

Trainer: Adina Mazilu MD; Natalia Dascalu MD; Ioana Madalina Cristian MD

Workshop description: The butterfly-shaped gland will open its wings for you at our workshop in order to let you find out more about a commonly used procedure in endocrinology. And because practice makes perfect, the workshop is also going to have a hands-on part, in which you will get to play both the role of the doctor and the role of the patient. You will also learn through ultrasound scans about thyroid pathology, thus having the chance to apply the theory you’ve learnt so far or to get a preview in order to be prepared when you will study this gland with so many important roles in our body.

QUBICL: Quick Biochemistry Class

Trainer: Ana-Maria Enciu MD, PhD

Workshop description: Biochemistry is more fun when you practice it on yourself! QUBICL is a beloved original SOMS workshop where you will perform several widely used laboratory tests – key elements of modern medical practice. You will measure your own salivary cortisol levels using ELISA and calculate your protein concentration using a protein assay standard curve. Be aware: LOTS of pipetting involved!

Histopathology Insights: Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Trainer: Tiberiu Georgescu MD, PhD

Workshop description: Histopathology is the key step in diagnosing breast cancer. Thus, the biopsy establishes the type, the histological grade and the immunohistochemical expression of the receptors for estrogen, progesterone and the oncogene HER2. Why are we interested in looking for the presence of these factors? Because this is the way the treatment is then chosen. If none of the receptors for estrogen and progesterone or the HER2 gene are expressed, then the cancer is called triple-negative. That means it will respond neither to anti-hormonal treatment nor to HER2-targeted therapies, so the only option left is chemotherapy. Step into the histo-path lab to gain an insight into the specific diagnostic and prognostic particularities of this type of cancer!

Totally Cellular: Molecular Diagnostic Techniques

Trainer: Dragoș Florea MD, PhD

Workshop description:Are you a lab lover? Then this should sound interesting to you. Molecular diagnostics represents a collection of techniques used to analyze biological markers in the genome and proteome, and how the cells express their genes and proteins just as a signature that can be recognised as characteristic for a certain disease. This workshop gives you the chance to zoom in on the cells and to get an insight into the molecular diagnostic techniques used in microbiology.

PILL: Pharmaceuticals in the Limelight

Trainer: Erand Mati Pharm. D, PhD

Workshop description: A doctor’s purpose, no matter the specialty, is to treat the patient. Most frequently this is done using drugs. Ever wondered how these are made? PILL is an original SOMS workshop that aims to introduce medical students into the pharmaceutical world, so this workshop takes place at a pharmaceutical factory. You will start with a guided tour which will introduce you to the various steps involved in making a drug – from the active ingredient to the finished product – including many stages of quality, safety and efficacy control.

Afterwards you will have the opportunity to work on equipment used for drug research & development, similar to that used for large-scale production. You will be making two different types of pharmaceutical products and the end product will be yours to take home. We bet your hands started to get rougher from all the hand sanitizer – so why not create your very own hand cream?

Virtual Reality: Maze Navigation

Trainer: Alexandru Pâslaru MD

Workshop description: This workshop will have the participants immersed in virtual reality while a wireless headset of electrodes will record their brainwaves (EEG). Your brains will be put to the test while solving different tasks like navigating virtual mazes. All the experiments are non-invasive and completely safe and fun!

Virtual Reality: Maze Navigation – Second Edition

Trainer: Alexandru Pâslaru MD

Emergency Coronary Angiography in Acute Coronary Syndrome

Trainer: Mihai Cosmin MD

Workshop description: During emergencies, cardiac catheterization may serve as the first-choice procedure that can both diagnose and treat heart and blood vessel conditions. At this workshop you will be welcome to assist the doctors in performing real life coronary angiography procedures and genuine patient care, as well as discuss the management of patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Emergency Coronary Angiography in Acute Coronary Syndrome – Second Edition

Trainer: Mihai Cosmin MD

Endovascular Management of Neurovascular Pathology

Trainer: Ștefăniță Dima MD, PhD

Workshop description: Interventional technology is advancing with ever-increasing speed. As a result, the importance of neurointerventionalists as members of the interdisciplinary neuro-team has increased enormously. During this workshop you will get a basic understanding of this complex medical subject and learn about the minimally-invasive procedures that can be done for cerebral aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, hemangiomas, cerebral and spinal tumors.

Fetal Ultrasound: In Utero Sneak Peek

Trainer: Anca Maria Panaitescu MD, PhD

Workshop description: Every start needs a follow-up, especially when it comes to the beginning and development of life.

A fetal ultrasound offers an exciting early glimpse of a baby, but it isn’t done for parental thrill. Doctors must measure specific parameters to make sure everything is going well. During this workshop, Dr. Anca Panaitescu, who trained directly under Prof. Kypros Nicolaides, will teach you what to look for when evaluating a baby’s growth and the general progress of a pregnancy. Equally important is how you communicate your results – you’ll learn how to neatly transpose your measurements into sound clinical advice that expecting parents will truly understand. Are you ready to take your first steps?

Dermoscopy: Zooming in on the Skin

Trainer: Cristina Soare MD

Workshop description: In the daily examination of skin lesions and discrimination between benign and malignant lesions, dermoscopy is a highly important tool for dermatologists, but it may also be used by general practitioners or internal medicine specialists. By the end of the workshop, participants will learn the basic principles of dermoscopy and how to use a dermatoscope in order to diagnose common skin lesions (seborrhoeic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, vascular lesions, dermatofibromas), benign melanocytic naevi, and suspicious pigmented lesions (melanomas).

Emergencies in the Delivery Room: Neonatal Resuscitation

Trainer: Cătălin Cîrstoveanu MD, PhD

Workshop description: About a quarter of all neonatal deaths globally are caused by birth asphyxia. Depending on how quickly and successfully the infant is resuscitated, hypoxic damage can be prevented. Learn how to handle this extreme situation at our workshop, which starts with a theoretical overview, followed by practice sessions on CPR training mannequins, under the close guidance of Assoc. Prof. Cătălin Cîrstoveanu, an important name in the Paediatric Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care field in Romania.

MEDICS x CieH – FOCUS: Figuring Out the Cardiac Ultrasound

Trainer: Ioana Petre MD

Workshop description: Have you ever asked yourself how your heart does that “lub-dub” dance? Or which medical conditions can be diagnosed using echocardiography? Whether you are a novice cardiology aficionado, a 4th year medical student looking to better understand your cardiology rotation, or a 5th or 6th year student wanting to brush up on some notions while preparing for the Residency Exam, this workshop is the perfect place for you! You will learn the theoretical aspects of the cardiac ultrasound: sound waves, basic echocardiography skills, different views, and the meaning of the long and short axis. Afterwards, you will have the opportunity to practice what you learned hands-on.

MEDICS x CieH – Abdominal Ultrasound Insights

Trainer: Marian Maftei MD

Workshop description: If you’ve always dreamed of having the superpower of seeing through people, then medical imaging is perfect for you! However, abdominal ultrasound skills are essential skills required in a wide range of specialties. Its importance lies in the fact that it is a noninvasive procedure, it is inexpensive, can be performed in an outpatient setting and allows for a quick visualization of a large number of abdominal organs and structures from outside the body, in real-time. We know it can be daunting at first, which is why this workshop aims to take you on a step-by-step journey through ultrasound imaging using a hands-on approach.

MEDICS x CieH – ObGyn 101: Basic Skills in Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Trainer: Romina Sima MD, PhD

Workshop description: Gynaecologists specialize in women’s health care and there is a specific skill-set needed in order to understand the unique needs of the female reproductive system. During this workshop you will learn how to perform a clinical gynaecological and obstetrical exam, as well as practical skills such as inspection using valves and a vaginal speculum, how to perform a pap smear and other vaginal secretion tests and how to perform urethro-vesical catheterization and a digital vaginal exam.

MEDICS x CieH – First Steps in First Aid: Pediatric Basic Life Support

Trainer: Florin Semciuc MD, Stefan Vlad Malos MD, Mihai Toma MD, PhD

Workshop description: Basic life support training skills save lives as they take care of critical medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest and airway obstruction. When it comes to children, there are specific characteristics that make BLS different and more challenging. Even if you’ve taken a BLS course before, it is always a good idea to brush up on your skills and gain confidence in your resuscitation abilities. At the end of this workshop, you will be able to: assess a child who is not reacting, start resuscitation of a child, adequately perform chest compressions and rescue breaths, safely operate an automated external defibrillator (AED), use a bag valve mask, support a choking child, place a child in recovery position and even start resuscitation of an adult. During the practical part of this workshop, you will be working alongside our trainers on highly realistic mannequins and simulators designed specifically to aid you while you take your first steps in first aid.

MEDICS x CieH – No Air: Airway Management in Anaesthesiology & Intensive Care

Trainer: Sebastian Isac MD, PhD

Workshop description: Think fast, act faster! Airway management includes a set of maneuvers and medical procedures performed to prevent and relieve airway obstruction. Advanced techniques require specialized medical training and equipment, including surgical techniques. They are an essential part of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, as well as Emergency Medicine. During this workshop, you will become familiar with performing cricothyroidotomy and orotracheal intubation of patients in critical care settings.

This workshop is brought to you in collaboration with the Romanian Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care.

Dandy: Neurology 101

Trainer: Walter E. Dandy Neurosurgical Club Romania

Workshop description: The neurological clinical examination can reveal a lot of useful information about the origin of the problem and can guide the course of action just to the right destination: the right diagnostic. It is essential in emergency situations when a couple of signs briefly assessed can make you take action, having the power to save lives. Here you’ve got the ABC of neurological maneuvers that will help you understand the disorders behind an impaired walk, equilibrium, muscular force and tonus, reflexes, motor coordination, sensibility, altered vigilence and cognitive function, and the the specific signs of the cranial nerves.

Dizzy Workshop: Investigating the Vestibular System

Trainer: Cristina Goanta MD

Workshop description: Get your head spinning with our Dizzy workshop – or better yet, learn how to stop it from spinning!

Dizziness is a common symptom in patients. The diagnosis and management of such patients can be challenging, but can also be achieved with appropriate clinical skills. This workshop will equip you to effectively diagnose and manage dizziness across a range of clinical settings, including emergency medicine, general and internal medicine and neurology. The workshop will cover the anatomical basis of dizziness and then teach you more about diagnosing and treating this condition through a series of hands-on maneuvers and investigations. These include investigating the vestibular apparatus, a test that analizes gravitational sense and perception of cardinal points, in normal conditions and after the subject has spinned and become lightheaded and even video nystagmography. As nystagmus (a condition in which the eyes make repetitive, uncontrolled movements) is frequently associated with dizziness and vertigo, video nystagmography aids diagnosis by measuring eye movement while the patient is wearing infrared video goggles and eye-tracking software.

If you want to become a better future doctor and play with gadgets, then let Dizzy take you for a spin!

Surgical workshops

Da Vinci: Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery

Trainer: Blajut Cristian-Florin MD

Workshop description: Minimally invasive procedures are changing the surgical experience of doctors and patients around the world. Adding robotic assistance only makes things better. The DaVinci System is controlled by a surgeon and facilitates complex operations using just a few small incisions. During this workshop you will see for yourself what it feels like to perform basic maneuvers with the help of a medical robot.

Management of Cataract: Microsurgical Maneuvers

Trainer: Ștefan Oprea MD, PhD

Workshop description: Commonly associated with ageing, cataract often leads to blindness, unless it is corrected by surgery – the only approach for treatment. The human eye is an extremely delicate organ, and so performing ophthalmic surgery requires the ability to control even the finest movements while monitoring the progress on a micro-level. At this workshop, you will learn the theoretical basis of managing a patient with cataract and you will practice different microsurgical techniques used for cataract surgery under an ophthalmic operating microscope.

Birthing Simulator & Obstetrics Maneuvers

Trainer: Radu Botezatu MD, PhD

Workshop description: Birthing is both an exciting and a delicate moment. Practice opportunities in real clinical settings can be limited – and this is why a birthing simulator is such a valuable training method. Our workshop will provide participants with an excellent example of a normal delivery experience, as well as demonstrations of several obstetric procedures.

Eso-Gastric Surgical Procedures

Trainer: Rodica Daniela Bîrlă, MD, PhD

Workshop description: This workshop will focus on basic procedures performed on the upper digestive tract, such as esophageal myotomies and anti-reflux surgical procedures. You will also learn about the pathology of the region and the surgery of the upper gastric pole. During the practical part you will perform various types of esophageal myotomies and fundoplication techniques used in the treatment of gastric reflux, such as the Nissen fundoplication, on specially prepared suine biological material.

Black Belt Academy of Basic Surgical Skills

Trainer: Vlad Morozan MD, David O’Regan MD

Workshop description: We all know practice makes perfect, but it is essential to understand how we need to practice in order to correctly achieve a certain skill. Each movement has an explanation, this is why you need to be aware of each and every gesture. This workshop, held by one of the Black Belt Academy Sensei, is a work-out for your fine motor skills so that you will gain insight into the discipline you need to conquer the basic surgical skills. Get ready for a hands-on experience that will teach you how your wrist can smoothly conduct your needle and how your body position influences your hand movement.

Basic Training in Laparoscopy

Trainer: Iordache Mihai MD

Workshop description: With increased safety and faster recovery times, minimally invasive procedures are now indispensable for most surgical trainees. You can improve your skills at our workshop where you will practice a diverse array of maneuvers on a laparoscopic simulator. Come and train your dexterity and patience, it’s time to bring out your inner surgeon!

MEDICS x CieH – Keyhole Surgery: Basic Skills in Laparoscopy

Trainer: Valentin Popescu MD

Workshop description: The future of surgery is minimally-invasive surgery, and nowadays laparoscopic surgery is performed worldwide in a variety of surgical specialties and pathologies. Using a few small incisions and a camera, it minimizes complications for both the patient and the surgeon. The learning curve isn’t the easiest, which is why this workshop simplifies things and guides you through a step-by-step approach to laparoscopy, equipping you to be the best future surgeon you can be. You will be training on a number of simulators specifically designed to teach you the basics of laparoscopic surgery, so you can get a head start in your surgical career!