At the invitation from Anastasiia Leukhina, Chairwoman of the NGO “Vertykali,” the DOCU/CLUB Network team has enthusiastically joined this unique project, presenting documentary films as powerful and effective tools for development of soft skills, empathy, and the human aspect in the medical education and practice.

The event brought together participants of “Co-Learning” groups, professors of the leading medical universities, clinicians, psychologists, facilitators, and representatives of civil society organizations. 

The organizers of the forum opted out of the traditional conference format with presentations. The main idea behind the event was the “non-conference” approach and self-organization of participants: they found themselves in a space of collaboration on equal terms, where the community themselves determined the quality, themes, and pace of the training sessions.

The forum’s program combined a wide variety of methods for rebuilding resilience, fostering connections, and promoting professional growth: self-directed sessions on developing training programs, facilitation methods, leadership in hospitals, and ways to teach empathy in high-stress environments. Body practices and trauma-informed pedagogy helped participants unwind themselves and relieve tension. Throughout the forum, participants learned about the results of the Ukrainian-Swiss project “Development of Medical Education,” the Empathy Lab, and the guidebook “Humanity and Empathy in Healthcare.”

A separate and important component of the forum was the work of the Docudays UA Traveling Film Club, organized by the DOCU/CLUB Network team.

Lina Babych and Olha Babchuk

The DOCU/CLUB Network Coordinator Lina Babych and its Communication Manager Olha Babchuk offered the audience to watch and conduct a facilitated in-depth discussion of two relevant documentaries: Beautiful Something Left Behind by Catherine Philp and Not a Scary Movie At All by Yelyzaveta Striy. The film screenings became a full-fledged educational tool for working with the audience, as they allowed viewers to “synchronize their watches” regarding their understanding of human dignity, professional boundaries, and support for patients in moments of crisis.

Through discussions of films, healthcare professionals and educators gained practical experience in using visual art to address complex and “uncomfortable” topics, such as loss, grief, emotional distress, and perceptions of death.

Olha Babchuk

“Transforming the healthcare system is impossible simply by changing guidelines or orders. It comes with the transformation of the culture of communication changes. The combination of facilitation approaches, peer group methods, and documentary film tools has proven highly effective. The synergy between the civil society sector, educators, and practicing healthcare professionals creates the safe space in which empathy grows,”  said Olha Babchuk.

Over four days of intense work, the “Educational Experiment” generated a powerful impetus for the entire community. Among the most important achievements was the formation of a vibrant network of impact agents who are ready to support one another in implementing a patient-centered approach in medicine and to use innovative tools in their work with students and interns.

“The ‘Educational Experiment for Healthcare Professionals’ has launched new inter-institutional partnerships between educational institutions, hospitals, and the public sector. Continued collaboration between the DOCU/CLUB Network and medical universities and clinics will allow us to scale this experience, expand the network of film clubs at medical institutions, and provide educators with a ready-made, attested toolkit for nurturing a new generation of compassionate, emotionally mature, and professional doctors,” noted Lina Babych.

The DOCU/CLUB Network team is sincerely thankful to all the organizers, facilitators, and participants for their courage to experiment, share their experiences, and be the change our society wants to see in Ukrainian healthcare.

The project is implemented with the support of the DOCU/CLUB Network, funded by the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine and Fondation de France.

The opinions, conclusions or recommendations are those of the authors and compilers of this publication and do not necessarily reflect the views of the governments or charitable organizations of these countries. The authors and compilers are solely responsible for the content of this publication.