Background:
Celiac disease (CD) affects approximately 1% of the global population, and lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) remains its only effective treatment. Although GFD promotes intestinal healing, its nutritional imbalance may contribute to excessive weight gain, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and increased cardiovascular risk. These metabolic consequences highlight the need for personalized nutritional strategies beyond gluten avoidance.

Methods:

The ARCTIC trial is a prospective, randomized controlled study evaluating the impact of an individualized Mediterranean diet-based dietary education program in adults with CD. Following standardized baseline dietary counselling, participants are randomized (1:1) to either a structured, one-year personalized nutritional intervention or standard dietary care. Individual cardiovascular risk profiles are assessed using comprehensive body composition analysis, metabolic biomarker assessment, liver steatosis evaluation, and detailed dietary assessment. Participants in the intervention arm receive structured dietary education that promotes the principles of the Mediterranean diet within a gluten-free diet. A total of 190 participants (95 per group) are planned to be enrolled to provide 90% statistical power to detect a clinically relevant difference in the primary body composition endpoint (body fat percentage).

Expected Results:

This study introduces a personalized medicine approach to long-term management of CD by integrating individualized nutritional counselling with detailed metabolic assessment. We hypothesize that personalized Mediterranean diet-based education will improve the quality of the gluten-free diet, reduce cardiometabolic risk factors, and support healthier body composition compared with standard care.

Conclusions:

The ARCTIC trial may provide evidence for incorporating precision nutrition into routine follow-up of patients with CD, extending disease management beyond mucosal healing toward personalized prevention of long-term metabolic complications.

Background and Aim

Medication prescribing remains one of the leading causes of preventable patient harm among newly qualified doctors. Although the UK Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) has strengthened undergraduate prescribing education, many final-year medical students continue to report low confidence when prescribing high-risk medications encountered during the transition to Foundation training. This quality improvement project aimed to improve prescribing confidence and preparedness through a structured, multidisciplinary transition-to-practice educational programme.

Materials and Methods

Twenty-five final-year medical students undertaking clinical placements at Eastbourne District General Hospital participated in a six-session prescribing programme. Teaching focused on patient safety, anticoagulation, insulin and intravenous fluids, antibiotics, opioids, and a practical prescribing workshop using SmartDrug within PebblePad. Sessions incorporated case-based discussions, PSA-style prescribing exercises, simulation, and small-group interactive learning. Nineteen students completed retrospective pre- and post-intervention confidence questionnaires together with qualitative feedback.

Results

Mean self-reported prescribing confidence increased from 5.37/10 before the programme to 8.47/10 following completion, representing an average improvement of 3.10 points. All respondents (19/19) rated the programme as helpful or very helpful. Qualitative feedback consistently highlighted the practical relevance of the curriculum, multidisciplinary teaching, interactive learning and improved preparedness for Foundation practice. Students particularly valued opportunities to apply prescribing knowledge within realistic clinical scenarios.

Conclusions

A structured transition-to-practice prescribing programme significantly improved final-year medical students' confidence and perceived readiness for safe prescribing. Embedding multidisciplinary, clinically focused prescribing education within undergraduate curricula may strengthen prescribing competence, improve patient safety and better support the transition from medical student to junior doctor. This educational model is scalable and readily transferable to other medical schools and healthcare organisations.

Introduction and Aim: Final medical examinations should provide reliable evidence that graduating students are prepared for clinical practice. However, evidence on the psychometric performance of large-scale computer-based examinations involving local and international cohorts remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate five-year trends in student performance and the psychometric characteristics of the Final Medical Examination at the large medical university in Lithuania.

Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study included anonymised data from all Lithuanian and International medical students who completed the examination between 2021 and 2025. The examination consisted of 200 computer-based, scenario-based multiple-choice questions administered in two parts. Student performance and psychometric indicators, including facility index, discrimination index, internal consistency, and standard error of measurement, were analysed separately for both cohorts. Differences in categorical distributions across years were assessed using the Chi-square test and pairwise z-tests with Bonferroni correction. Differences were regarded as statistically significant when p < 0.05.

Results: Annual cohort sizes ranged from 263 to 285 Lithuanian students and from 74 to 169 international students. Mean examination scores varied over the five-year period in both cohorts, with the highest mean scores observed in 2023. Internal consistency ranged from 0.747 to 0.875 in the Lithuanian cohort and from 0.684 to 0.813 in the International cohort. Question difficulty distributions varied significantly over time in both cohorts (p = 0.004 and p < 0.001, respectively), with a marked increase in very easy questions in 2023. The greatest improvement in question discrimination was observed in 2022 among international students and in 2023 among Lithuanian students.

Conclusions: The examination demonstrated generally reliable psychometric performance and improved question quality, particularly during 2022-2023. Continuous psychometric monitoring and systematic question-bank review are important for maintaining examination quality across student cohorts.

Background and Aim. Contemporary health systems require stronger intersectoral cooperation. Public health should be understood both as a distinct profession and as a shared competence area for physicians, nurses, midwives, and other health professionals. Unclear national role definitions may hinder the harmonization of competency standards and cross-border mobility of public health professionals within Europe. This study assessed the relationship between the competency framework of the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER), public health education, and the positioning of public health specialists within the Lithuanian health system, and identified gaps between global and local levels.

Materials and Methods. A legal framework and policy analysis were conducted, including a review of national legislation, regulatory documents, and public health study programs. A survey of 200 public health specialists and 54 managers assessed competencies, gaps, and workforce needs was implemented.

Results. Educational programs are generally aligned with european framework competencies, but professional functions are fragmented across numerous legal acts, creating ambiguity. Only 56.6% of competencies were reported as fully held, with the largest gaps in crisis communication (32.2%) and One Health approaches (30.5%). Managers reported an 82% vs. 51% gap between competencies needed and held. Leadership and intersectoral competencies are not systematically included in workforce development, and an unclear distinction between public health as a profession and a shared activity may hinder interprofessional collaboration.

Conclusions. Formal alignment with international competency frameworks does not automatically ensure coherent national implementation. The Lithuanian case highlights the importance for competency evaluation instruments in postgraduate training and continuous professional education. A clearer national concept of the public health profession is needed, alongside recognition of public health as a shared competence area for the broader health workforce, to support harmonization with European frameworks, professional mobility, and collaboration with clinical medicine and other professions.

Background and aims

Diversity within UK healthcare has increased significantly in recent years, bringing new challenges for clinicians and institutions. Cultural competency is the ability to deliver effective care across diverse cultural contexts. Currently, UK cultural competency education relies heavily on the hidden curriculum and e-learning, whereas many US institutions mandate more structured training.

This review aims to evaluate whether current UK cultural competency training is adequate and explores how educational reform could improve patient outcomes.

Materials and methods

A critical narrative review was conducted using PubMed and MEDLINE, supplemented by UK and US government reports and professional guidance. Thirty sources informed the review, including systematic reviews and original studies. The review was primarily drawn from literature published between 2016 and 2026 and was supplemented by earlier studies.

Results

The evidence consistently identified three related themes: communication and linguistic barriers to practice, clinician capability and institutional support. Cultural and linguistic barriers were a major contributor to lower engagement in preventive healthcare, with vaccination uptake in UK ethnic minority groups ranging from 66% to 75% compared to 94% among the white British population. Similar patterns were seen for adherence to breast and cervical cancer screening. In contrast, studies from the US showed improved clinician capability and patient trust and as a result, greater engagement with preventative behaviours from patients. Institutional support was a key differentiator for this disparity with structured training characterising US programmes whereas the UK curriculum remained inconsistent.

Conclusions

The reviewed evidence indicates that cultural competency training is associated with improving patient outcomes, however the current UK training may not prepare clinicians adequately for a diverse population. These findings support the development of a standardised module-based approach to cultural competency education, replacing e-learning activities with active mandatory case-based scenarios and incorporating formal assessment.

Background and Aim

Medical education extends beyond formal curricula, creating opportunities for students to develop research competencies, leadership skills, educational expertise, and international collaboration. Student-led scientific conferences represent an underutilised educational environment where these competencies can be developed. ROMCON, the international health sciences conference organised by the Romhányi György College for Advanced Studies at the Medical School, University of Pécs, has evolved into one of the largest student-organised scientific events in medicine and health sciences in Hungary. This study presents the educational model of ROMCON 2026, emphasising the integration of medical education and scientific training.

Materials and Methods

ROMCON 2026 was designed as a three-day educational ecosystem combining scientific communication, educational innovation, professional networking, and student development. Besides traditional oral scientific sessions, the programme intentionally incorporated new educational components, including a Medical Education Forum, student well-being activities, academia-industry dialogue, and opportunities for international collaboration.

Results

The conference featured more than 150 scientific presentations in Hungarian and English across 25 sessions, attracting participants from medical universities in Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Georgia, and Germany, including representatives of AMSE member institutions. A major educational innovation was the Medical Education Forum, where university leadership, the President of the Association of Medical Schools in Europe (AMSE), medical educators, near-peer teaching tutors, and international student organisations explored contemporary challenges in medical education. The conference created interactions between undergraduate research, curriculum development, near-peer teaching, international mobility, student organisations, and industry collaboration. Student well-being and preventive healthcare initiatives further expanded the educational experience.

Conclusions

ROMCON illustrates how student-led scientific conferences can evolve into comprehensive educational platforms complementing formal medical curricula. By integrating research dissemination, educational innovation, leadership development, international collaboration, and student engagement, this model supports competency-based medical education and offers a scalable framework for medical schools seeking to strengthen active student participation in educational development.

Background and Aim
The hidden curriculum significantly influences medical students’ professional identity formation. Beyond formal teaching of professionalism, ethics, and patient-centered care, students learn through observations made during clinical training. This study explored medical students’ perceptions of the hidden curriculum and the professional values encountered in clinical settings.

Materials and Methods
An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted among Years IV–VI medical students enrolled in the Medical Doctor Programme at European University, Tbilisi, Georgia. The questionnaire explored professional behavior, communication, teamwork, patient safety, learning culture and the alignment between taught and observed professional values. Data were collected using a five-point Likert scale and two open-ended questions. A total of 40 students participated in the study

Results
Overall, students reported predominantly positive clinical learning experiences. 70% agreed that healthcare professionals demonstrate professional behavior, while 77.5% reported that clinical role models positively influence their understanding of what it means to be a doctor. Respect for patients and respectful interprofessional communication were highly rated (90% each). Patient safety emerged as the strongest positive finding, with 92.5% agreeing that it is clearly prioritized during clinical practice. Positive perceptions were also reported regarding teamwork and collaboration (80%) and feeling safe to ask questions (82.5%).

Only 57.5% agreed that mistakes are openly discussed as learning opportunities and that clinical practice consistently reflects professional values taught at university. Nearly half of respondents (47.5%) reported observing behaviors that contradicted formally taught professional values. Qualitative responses identified empathy, professionalism, respectful communication, teamwork, compassion and patient-centered care as the most valuable lessons learned.

Conclusions

The hidden curriculum largely reinforces positive professional values, particularly patient safety, respect, teamwork and professional role modelling. However, discrepancies between formal teaching and observed clinical practice remain evident. Faculty development and supportive learning environments may improve alignment between formal and hidden curricula and support professional identity formation.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping evidence-based medicine, yet preclinical medical curricula rarely equip students with the skills to integrate AI meaningfully into the patient–clinician encounter. Gastroenterology (GI), with its heavy reliance on imaging, endoscopic interpretation, and longitudinal patient data, offers an ideal early clinical context in which to introduce AI-augmented decision-making while preserving the therapeutic relationship at the center of care.

Methods: We designed a multi-modal preclinical session anchored in Kolb's experiential learning cycle—Experiencing, Reflecting, Thinking, and Doing—and deliberately mapped to seven learner profiles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, reading/writing, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and logical). Pedagogical strategies include multimedia concept maps of AI clinical pipelines, faculty-led lectures on evidence appraisal, GI-focused case simulations, hands-on hackathon-style workshops with AI decision-support tools, analysis of contemporary research papers, structured debates on ethical and regulatory implications, and reflective journaling on the physician's evolving role in algorithm-assisted care.

Results: The session enables preclinical students to (1) articulate the mechanisms and evidentiary basis of AI tools relevant to GI practice, (2) critically appraise AI-generated recommendations against traditional evidence hierarchies, (3) apply AI outputs within a simulated patient encounter while preserving communication, empathy, and shared decision-making, and (4) reflect on the ethical, regulatory, and relational dimensions of integrating algorithmic tools into everyday clinical reasoning.

Conclusions: By coupling AI literacy with humanistic patient-encounter training at the preclinical stage, this session offers a scalable, learning-style-inclusive model for preparing the next generation of clinicians. The framework is transferable across specialties and provides a replicable template for embedding AI competency into evidence-based medicine curricula.

Background and Aim

Academic medicine is based on three interconnected missions: education, research and patient care. Increasing clinical demands, workforce shortages, administrative responsibilities and healthcare system changes raise concerns regarding the sustainability of this model. This study explored academic clinicians' perceptions of the sustainability of the triple mission and identified which component is perceived to be to be most vulnerable.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among academic clinicians involved in teaching and clinical practice in Georgia. Following predefined inclusion criteria, 82 participants were included, of whom 54 (65.9%) were also engaged in research. Participants represented diverse medical specialties, career stages and age groups. The questionnaire evaluated perceptions of workload, triple mission sustainability, institutional support and the impact of professional responsibilities on education, research and patient care. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results

Overall, 41.9% of participants agreed that balancing education, research and patient care has become increasingly difficult, while 58.1% were neutral or disagreed. Increased expectations toward academic clinicians were reported by 67.8% of respondents and 64.5% believed workforce shortages negatively affect academic medicine. Although 79.0% reported adequate institutional support for teaching and 82.2% believed they could provide the desired quality of education, only 29.0% reported sufficient time for research, and 24.2% were satisfied with their research productivity. Furthermore, 66.2% agreed that teaching and research improve patient care. Research was identified as the component under the greatest pressure by 50.0% of respondents, followed by patient care (38.7%) and education (11.3%).

Conclusions

Despite increasing professional pressures, academic clinicians perceive education and patient care as largely maintained, whereas research appears to be the most vulnerable component of the traditional academic medicine model. Institutional strategies protecting research time and strengthening the integration of education, research and patient care are essential to sustain academic medicine in times of uncertainty.