European School for TRaining in Ortopaedics Erasmus Project

Project Title

European School for TRaining in Ortopaedics

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy) ; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Background:
In Europe, thousands of orthopaedic and traumatology residents complete their training in hundreds of different organizations and institutions: the school’s heterogeneity, differences in language, culture and medical training, make the very varied and different orthopedic training in European countries and this has generated concerns about the standard of knowledge and professional competence of surgeons who have qualified in one country and move to practice in another. For this reason, at the International Summit of the FORTE (Federation of Orthopaedics Trainees in Europe) association held in Rolle Switzerland in February 2015, the representatives of 14 different European countries young orthopaedics and traumatology associations expressed the need to homogenize the orthopedic training at European level through specific intensive programmes, core-curriculum programmes, courses, appropriate teaching materials, and workshops.
Objectives:
The objectives of this project was therefore to contribute to the enhancement of the quality and outcomes of education and training in Orthopaedics and Traumatology in Europe by setting up a common EU framework of reference in terms of methodology and contents for the Orthopaedic and Traumatology training and designing a mobility scheme for trainees and young assistants in orthopaedics and traumatology to move between different EU institutions/departments for the purposes of placement, in order to enhance the quality and quantity of content coverage across the orthopaedic and traumatology spectrum.
Number and profile of participating organizations:
There were five worldwide known university partners such as: Hacettepe University (Turkey), Bologna University (Italy), Krems University (Austria), Lyon University (France) and Yıldırım Beyazıt University (Turkey) attended to the ESTRO project. In addition, FORTE (Federation of Orthopaedics Trainees in Europe) and EFORT (The European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology) were two international not-for-profit organizations supported the project.
Description of undertaken main activities;
Following the ESTRO Project “Kick-off” meeting in Turkey in September 2016, the project began with a global analysis of the current situation of orthopaedic training all across Europe, to provide a general view of the state-of-the-art in this field. In this phase we evaluated the state of the training programs of graduate schools at national and international level. Also, we identified the training needs (in terms of both contents and methodology) of both the trainees and of the directors of the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Specialisation Schools and other national training authorities which offer the existing training progammes. After collecting the data from this survey, the project proceed with phase 2. It consisted in the design of the European Intensive Course in Orthopaedics and Traumatology. This EU Intensive Course was delivered in a “blended” modality, partly in presence (Winter and Summer courses) and partly at distance vie e-learning tools. The Intensive Courses were articuled in a course lasting 5 days (including travel) that has covered full immersion each topic required by board exam. The courses started in June 2017and developed every 4/5 months in the various partner countries, according to the characteristics and specificities of the partner Universities. The course methodology were mainly articulated in a) interactive lectures, b) live surgery c) hands-on session. In addition, an e-learning platform was created. The Platform provided tools for learning and for comparing different experiences regarding different fields of orthopedic and traumatology surgery. By the mobility for placement gave trainees and young assistants the opportunity to take part in the clinical practice and to be involved in the different EU institutions and hospitals.
Results:
The project had an overall impact on European orthopaedic residents, participating organization and various universities co-operating into the realization of the project. Firstly, the project provided us with important information about the current situation of orthopaedics education in Europe. Secondly, it provided to the residents an adequate training Core-curriculum programme, knowledge and use of both digital and paper-based learning tools that will help them to pass the Board exam. Moreover, the resident, once qualified had proper training and standardized preparation not only at national but also international level. In this way, the project also led to an improvement in the quality of health care system in that national country.In addition, the project developed a European identity by exchanging transnational experiences, international meeting and training as well as developed links with other European universities.
Longer-term benefits:
Outputs of the project will be used as a guide to imrpove and standardize the education

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 154212 Eur

Project Coordinator

HACETTEPE UNIVERSITESI & Country: TR

Project Partners

• ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA
• UNIVERSITAT FUR WEITERBILDUNG KREMS
• ANKARA YILDIRIM BEYAZIT UNIVERSITESI
• UNIVERSITE LYON 1 CLAUDE BERNARD