We were witnesses to an exciting and educational event at the University of Pécs Faculty of Pharmacy, in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, where on November 7th, the 14th edition of the student competition titled "Patient Counseling and Pharmaceutical Care in Practice" was held. This event provided an excellent opportunity for the final-year pharmacy students to assess their knowledge and communication skills in a real-life setting.
This year's competition focused on the topic of "Antibiotic Therapy," which is especially relevant today. The organizers created an authentic atmosphere by carefully designing a pharmacy environment, complete with a dispensing counter and real medications.
"It was a pleasure to see a record number of 32 enthusiastic students take part in the competition, including 26 Hungarian and 6 English program students. The contestants were given five minutes to resolve each scenario, during which they could demonstrate not only their professional knowledge but also their communication skills and problem-solving abilities. The simulated patients from the University of Pécs Faculty of Medicine's Health Language and Communication Institute acted as different types of patients, helping to make the scenarios even more lifelike, sometimes challenging the students even further. The jury, consisting of renowned experts such as Dr. István Télessy (jury president), Dr. Judit Fekete, Dr. Rita Börzsei, Dr. Gábor Pozsgai, Dr. Gergely Csaba, and Dr. Csongor Kónyi, evaluated the students' performances based on three main criteria: information gathering, information delivery, and communication" - summarised Dr Róbert Vida, associate professor of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
He emphasized that the competition was not only about selecting winners but also about the students' development and preparation for the pharmacy profession. The participants received valuable feedback, which will help them further improve their skills. Additionally, lower-year students and invited colleagues were able to follow the event live via a projector in an adjacent room.
Based on the jury's evaluation, the first-place winner among Hungarian program students was Barbara Nóra Lukács, followed by Dániel Halász-Mojzes in second place, and Letti Lakos in third. In the English program student competition, the winner was Nadica Karakamisheva.
"The student competition excellently exemplifies the commitment of the University of Pécs Faculty of Pharmacy to practice-oriented education. The success of talent nurturing is confirmed by the fact that Pécs students have performed outstandingly at national events, with PTE students taking first and third place at the national competition in 2024. Initiatives like this significantly contribute to ensuring that future pharmacists step confidently and professionally into the workforce, ready to provide high-quality care for patients" - said Dr Róbert Vida.
"We would like to congratulate the winners and all participants and express our thanks to the simulated patients and the professional jury for making this event even more colorful with their presence!" - he added.
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Photos:
Klára Dránovits