Two representatives of medical diaspora visited “Nicolae Testemitanu” University

Between January 30 and February 2, 2024, Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy was visited by two representatives of the medical diaspora from Germany: Ala Sorocean, Doctor of Medical Sciences, specialist in cardiology in Agaplesion, and Sergiu Sorocean, neurologist, specialist of the STROKE Unit, Neurology Clinic of the Bremen-Mitte Hospital in the city of Bremen. Both are graduates of our university and returned to their Alma Mater at the invitation of the National Institute of Health and Medical Research.

The program of the visit began with the participation of the two specialists in the workshop “Strengthening the collaboration between the academic community from the Republic of Moldova and the highly qualified specialists established in Germany” . Other members of the medical diaspora were also present at the event - Radu Safta, Doctor of Medical Sciences , neurosurgeon at the Werner Forßmann Hospital in Eberswalde, and Vitalie Mazuru, Doctor of Medical Sciences, specialist in pulmonology, allergology and critical care medicine at Saarland University Medical Center, University of Saarland. The discussions focused on the identification of various ways of collaboration and partnerships between Nicolae Testemitanu University and members of the DiaMed platform. 

“We reached a stage of development when we determined that medicine is the field where the potential of the diaspora is of the greatest value”, academician Stanislav Groppa, Vice-Rector for research activity, specified.

For their part, the diaspora specialists came up with various proposals regarding the initiation and development of these collaborations. “In order for medicine to evolve, it is necessary that the methods of diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation be connected to the European ones”, Sergiu Sorocean emphasized. 

Finally, the invited doctors announced their openness to support the modernization of the university and postgraduate curriculum, the training of teaching staff and students, as well as participation in bi- and multilateral research projects. 

According to the agenda, Sorocean doctors had a meeting with students, resident doctors and doctoral students. “We returned to our Alma Mater very excited to share our professional experience. First of all, I want to thank the University for all the opportunities it gave us during our professional training and the people who instilled in us the academic spirit, the thirst for knowledge, medical etiquette and the art of communication”, said Ala Sorocean, who presented a State of the Art series lecture on “Behcet's vasculitis”. 

Sergiu Sorocean gave a lecture on “Management of complex clinical cases in neurology”, highlighting the professional training opportunities and the management of complex clinical cases in neurology, the importance of the exchange of knowledge and experience between doctors from the diaspora and local specialists,  demonstrating how a collaboration can improve the quality of medical care and innovation in the field. 

The specialists' visit was organized within the project “Involvement of highly qualified medical staff from the diaspora in the development of the country of origin” (“DiaMed@USMFNicolaeTestemitanu”), implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation.