We are pleased to announce that our University is a part of the Erasmus+ Programme KA220 Cooperation Partnership in Higher Education project.

The title of the project is: "MedEd PolyTrauma VR: Increasing quality of emergency medicine education through polytrauma virtual reality training".

The University of Vilnius (Lithuania), the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (coordinated by Dr. Rakesh Jalali, MD, PhD), Gluk Media (Lithuania) and the University of Franche-Comte (France) are participating in this international project.

The motivation for our project stems from the recognition of significant challenges within current emergency medicine education and the pressing need for innovative solutions to address them. Traditional teaching methods often fall short in providing medical students with realistic training scenarios, particularly in the management of polytrauma patients. Hands on training opportunities are limited, especially for students in smaller or remote hospitals, and the increasing role of technology in healthcare necessitates the development of digital skills and competencies among medical professionals. By implementing our project, we aim to revolutionize emergency medicine education by leveraging virtual reality (VR) technology to provide immersive and interactive learning experiences for students. Our focus on polytrauma scenarios fills a crucial gap in existing training methodologies, allowing students to practice decision-making and critical skills in a safe and controlled environment. Additionally, VR technology offers a solution to the challenges of limited access to hands-on training, particularly in remote or resource-constrained settings. VR allows students to practice various tasks and scenarios without real-world consequences, enabling them to learn from their mistakes without significant financial cost or real-world risk. The project's emphasis on international collaboration and exchange further enhances its significance. By fostering partnerships between universities across Europe and interactive media & augmented reality solutions enterprise, we can leverage expertise, resources, and best practices to ensure that the benefits of VR training reach a broader audience and have a lasting impact on medical education globally.

Project partners:

• Vilnius University (coordinating institution)
• University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland (Polish: Uniwersytet Warmińsko-Mazurski w Olsztynie)
• Franche-Comté University of Besançon, France (Université de Franche-Comté)
• UAB Gluk Media, developers of innovative virtual reality technologies in Lithuania

The project is funded by the European Union (Erasmus+ Programme, action type KA220-HED - Cooperation Partnerships in Higher Education, Project No 2024-1-LT01-KA220-HED-000248267).