Dear Colleagues,
As Vice Dean for Residency at the University of Tartu's Faculty of Medicine, I am delighted to invite you to join us for a unique gathering that brings together the clinical and digital worlds for medical residency education.
Our Journey
Estonian residency training is currently developing competency-based education alongside an e-portfolio system, with the goal of bringing strong programs into the clinical environment. To understand the full scope of this challenge, we have assembled a unified development team that brings together residency education specialists, educational analysts, and IT professionals.
We believe this integrated approach is essential, and we want to learn from your experiences too.
Let's Discuss Together
How can digital solutions bring university programs into clinical settings and thereby support daily learning and educational outcomes? This is the central question we wish to explore together.
Why Join Us?
For the first time in Estonia, we are bringing together everyone involved in medical residency development – from faculty and learners to teachers and IT professionals.
We would be delighted to welcome you and your colleagues to Tartu for this collaborative exchange.
Warm regards,
Helen Reim
Vice Dean for residency training
University of Tartu
Program
February 5, 2026
Thursday
09:30 - 10:30 Arrival to V SPA Conference center, registration and morning coffee
10:30 - 11:50 Opening words and opening session “How does a learner learn in a clinical environment?” Guest lecturer Grete Arro
Followed by a panel discussion
11:50 - 12:45 Lunch
12:45 - 14:00 “Why does paying attention to competencies help us?” Guest lecturer Prof. Fedde Scheele, dean of Amsterdam University Medical Center
Followed by a panel discussion
14:00 - 14:30 Coffee break
14:30 - 15:45 “Opportunities for digital solutions in residency training” Prof. Ilze Grope and guest lecturers from Estonia and neighboring countries who have developed various digital solutions, benefited from them, and gained experiences to share.
15:45 - 16:00 Break
16:00 - 17:30 LIVE Podcast recording session with Deltakutse. Guest lecturer Deltakutse Conference keynote speaker Prof. David Carr from Canada.
17:45 - 20:00 Dinner for all conference participants in V Spa Hotel restaurant JOYCE
Speakers
Senior Researcher in Educational Psychology.
Tallinn University, Estonia
Grete Arro's main research interests include various aspects of learning, such as the development of thinking, misconceptions, motivation, and self-regulation. In addition, she is interested in conceptualizing and supporting environmental awareness.
Dean Faculty of Dentistry in Amsterdam (ACTA)
Universiteit van Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit, Netherlands
Before 2024 worked as gynaecologist in OLVG hospital in Amsterdam. He is a National leader in health systems innovation and in education for the health sector with a large (inter)national network. He shifted his focus from biomedical research to research on societal accountability of medical education and change management.
Keynote speaker
Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine
University of Toronto, Canada
He is an Emergency Physician and Clinical Investigator at the University Health Network and Mackenzie Health Hospital. Dr. Carr has lectured internationally over 100 times in more than 30 different countries. He currently is the Continuing Professional Development Lead in the Tri-Division of Emergency Medicine at the University of Toronto. Prior to that, he served as the Assistant Director of Risk Management and Faculty Development at the University Health Network.
Dean of the Residency Department
Riga Stradins University
Prof. Dr. med. Ilze Grope is a senior Latvian pediatric physician, academic professor, dean of medical residency programs, and clinical researcher. Her work spans medical education, pediatric clinical practice, and health care system research, with significant involvement in training future doctors and advancing child health research. She holds leadership roles in professional medical associations, including national pediatric associations.
Guest lecturers from Estonia and neighboring countries university IT development departments
Location
Welcome to Tartu, Estonia, well-known as the Student Capital of Estonia!
The conference will take place in V Spa Hotel and Conference Centre.
Residents can do nearly everything they need to online - from voting to signing documents to doing taxes online, getting a medical prescription, or even registering a business in 10 seconds. Estonia implements a hassle-free and modern approach to doing errands. The University of Tartu's main campus is in Tartu, the second largest city in Estonia, which is well-known as the Student Capital of Estonia and the City of Youth.
How to get to Tartu?
Discover all the convenient ways here.
The V Spa Hotel and Conference Center is located in a multifunctional business quarter in Tartu, with world-famous brand stores and cozy cafes, offering activities even for longer vacation days.
Read more about Estonia and Tartu:
Contact
Helen Reim
Vice Dean of residency training,
Conference program lead
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