Vilnius Surgical Symposium for Medical Students / Personal archive photo
On 4 May, medical students interested in surgery gathered in Vilnius to attend the Vilnius Surgical Symposium for Medical Students, organised for the second year in a row. It is the only surgical conference for medical students in the Baltic countries. Last year, over 150 attended the conference, and this year there was over 200. Participants from Lithuania and other European countries – Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Ukraine, Germany, France, Czech Republic, and Italy – took part in the symposium.
“Three friends and I arrived from Italy the day before the conference. We had a chance to see a bit of Vilnius and were very surprised to find such a beautiful city. We loved the fact that the presentations at the conference were made by students, and we were also impressed by the practical sessions,” a fifth-year medical student from the University of Rome noted.
The first conference last year was initiated by three medical students from Vilnius University (Kristina Marcinkevičiūtė, Gabija Pikturnaitė, and Austėja Račytė), and this year the organising team had increased four-fold.
“The idea of the conference came about when participating in other surgical conferences and realising that this was a great medium to acquire new theoretical and practical knowledge, to make useful contacts, and share research or clinical cases. As enthusiastic medical students interested in surgery, we thought that we might not be the only ones to be interested in a surgical conference intended for students. Since no international surgical student conference of this scale had ever been organised in Lithuania before, we were a bit hesitant at first. However, we were encouraged by our mentors and decided to give it a try. The first iteration was a success, so this year we have brought together a larger and wonderful organizing team of enthusiastic students and managed to attract even more students from Lithuania and abroad interested in surgery,” the initiators of the first conference explained.
Several renowned doctors also joined the symposium: Prof. Tomas Poškus, abdominal surgeon, Director of the Institute of Clinical Medicine, and head of the Centre for Abdominal Surgery and Surgical Oncology at Santaros Klinikos, as well as vascular surgeons – Dr. Tomas Baltrūnas, the founder of the Sentante Robotic System, and the President of the Lithuanian Society of Vascular Surgery, Artūras Mackevičius.
Vilnius Surgical Symposium for Medical Students / Personal archive photo
During the event, students had the opportunity to present their surgical research and hear presentations from their peers. In total, over 60 papers were presented, and evaluated by experienced and renowned Lithuanian physicians – Audrius Dulskas, Jonas Jurgaitis, Rokas Račkauskas, Žana Bumbulienė, Rūta Vilija Dagilytė, Rūta Mačiulytė, Domantas Stundys, Giedrius Petryla, and Artūras Mackevičius, and also by resident physicians.
“I really enjoy interacting with young researchers. I was in their shoes once and I know how difficult it is to speak in front of the jury and other conference participants. I think that many of them will become great doctors and scientists. I wish them the best of luck in their chosen career paths,” enthused Audrius Dulskas, general surgeon and proctologist.
“I’m pleased to see how well young students are integrated in practical, clinical and scientific activities – this is an important basis for their future work,” noted Rokas Račkauskas, an abdominal surgeon.
“I’ve come to the conference from Klaipėda and this is my first year. I really didn’t expect so many attendees and I am very surprised. I am pleased that the conference brings together students from Vilnius University and the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. We are looking forward to welcoming enthusiastic young medics at Klaipėda University Hospital,” Jonas Jurgaitis, President of the Lithuanian Society of Minimally Invasive Surgery, observed.
Prizes were awarded to the winners of different sessions, and the Best Paper Award went to Alicija Šavareikaitė for her presentation, in which the fourth-year medical student from Vilnius University presented the surgical, Nuss procedure for a sunken chest (Latin: pectus excavatum), in paediatric surgery. Patients diagnosed with chest wall deformity mostly complain about a cosmetic defect, and in some patients a reduced exercise tolerance is also indicated. Studies show that adolescents with these deformities are often overly self-critical, negative, and lacking in self-confidence. The Nuss procedure was designed to reduce the deformity and reshape the chest contour. This procedure is becoming increasingly popular due to it being minimally invasive. The main advantage of the Nuss procedure is that, unlike more invasive surgeries, it does not involve the removal of ribs and sternum joints. This results in an easier and faster recovery period. The winning paper will be published in the journal, Lithuanian Surgery.
Vilnius Surgical Symposium for Medical Students / Personal archive photo
Participants also had the opportunity to test their abilities at various scientific, practical workshops. The company, Medtronic, presented their thrombectomy simulator. Performing a thrombectomy is a safe and effective method for removing blood clots. The simulator, which provides realistic images of blood vessels, gave young surgeons the opportunity to improve their skills, which they can then apply in clinical practice.
The surgical suture workshop organised by Johnson & Johnson also attracted great interest. During the workshop, students learned about the different sutures used in surgery, their specifics, and applications. Representatives of the School of Surgical Fundamentals from the Student Scientific Society at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, taught correct wound care and how to insert a drain, an integral part of most surgeons’ daily routines.
The company, ArborLT, organised ultrasound training using a state-of-the-art simulator that replicates various clinical situations. Students were able to try out this examination method frequently used in clinical practice and interpret the simulated pathology by evaluating the images. The training was supervised by Tadas Kaminskas, an abdominal surgeon and experienced sonographer.
A large number of supporters contributed to the event. During the breaks, the students had the opportunity to try out various instruments used in daily practice in the operating room, and laparoscopic simulators useful for basic laparoscopic surgery skills. The students were equally impressed by the surgical microscope brought from Germany, the important aspects of colostomy care, and many other techniques/procedures, indispensable in clinical practice. All of this was available for the students to try out and learn about here in Vilnius, Lithuania.
“We are delighted to bring together students interested in surgery not only from Lithuania but also from across Europe. We are grateful to the doctors and sponsors who contributed to the professional training of these young medics. We hope to create an atmosphere where future surgeons can improve their skills, share their knowledge, and be motivated to continue their studies and work in Lithuania,” Milda Kančytė, one of the organisers, concluded.