SIMULATION MEDICAL TRAINING IN UKRAINE: IS THE APPROACH AS NEW AS IT IS PORTRAYED?

Abstract

The article analyses simulation-based medical training in Ukraine through the lens of continuity and transformation.
The purpose of the paper is to clarify whether simulation in Ukrainian medical education should be understood as a
completely new pedagogical invention or as a modern institutionalisation of methods that have long existed within clinical
and preclinical medical training. The relevance of the topic is determined by the rapid development of simulation centres,
the spread of virtual patients, procedural trainers and high-fidelity manikins, and the growing demand for safe acquisition
of practical skills in wartime, hybrid and clinically restricted educational contexts in Ukraine. The article argues that
the post-Soviet model of medical education was traditionally conservative and teacher-centred; but Ukraine is moving
towards European standards of student-centred and practice-oriented training. In this transition, simulation is a change
in educational culture. The methodological basis of the article is a narrative review on healthcare simulation. Simulation
is defined as an educational methodology that creates a realistic clinical or professional situation for learning, practice,
assessment, reflection and patient safety. The paper shows that simulation elements were present earlier in the form of
anatomical models, phantoms, bedside demonstrations, clinical case analysis, and repeated training of manipulations
before independent practice with patients. The novelty of contemporary simulation therefore lies in its structured design,
learning objectives, technical infrastructure and quality assurance. The article describes the central idea of medical
simulation, advantages and limitations, teaching requirements, and a step-by-step procedure for implementation in a
medical university. Particular attention is paid to the training of medical teachers, many of whom are not ready to accept
the new teaching rules. A table of basic components of teacher readiness for simulation-based teaching is proposed. The
practical significance of the article consists in offering a structured framework that can be used for designing simulation
scenarios in Ukrainian medical higher education institutions.