My Experience as the First ESAIC Exchange Specialist at CAMES, Copenhagen 

Exchange Programme – CAMES Copenhagen 

My name is Igor Abramovich, a specialist in anaesthesiology and intensive care. In August 2025, I had the pleasure of being the first ESAIC Exchange Specialist to join the Copenhagen Academy for Medical Education and Simulation (CAMES). I arrived unsure of what to expect, but the team’s warm welcome quickly put me at ease. 

From August to October 2025, I immersed myself in CAMES’s simulation culture, concentrating on three pillars: 

1. High-fidelity simulation: I observed and participated in simulation scenarios and skills training for residents in anaesthesiology and other specialities. The experience sharpened my ability to identify learning objectives, lead psychologically safe debriefings, and translate lessons to my own clinical practice. 
2. Presence-in-simulation research: CAMES provided the ideal environment to explore psychological presence during simulation. We adapted a soon-to-be-published assessment tool and analysed how presence correlates with scenario design and learner roles. The findings will feed directly into my long-term “Game Challenge” project with the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care. 
3. Learning from CAMES projects: I gained a behind-the-scenes look at initiatives such as Tools4Teams (https://tools4teams.org), following each project’s lifecycle, from needs assessment through prototyping, validation studies and external funding. This gave me practical insight into how CAMES turns educational ideas into evidence-based research.

Beyond CAMES, a peek into the Danish healthcare system broadened my perspective on workflow efficiency, flat inter-professional hierarchies and patient-centred culture. Living in Copenhagen—navigating a new language, bicycle lanes and new friendships- pushed me out of my comfort zone and fostered personal growth. 

The faculty, especially Doris Østergaard and Peter Dieckmann, offered generous mentorship. Their openness to questions and constructive feedback created an inspiring learning environment and underscored the importance of mentoring the next generation of clinician-educators. I’m confident these connections will spark future collaborations. 

Outside the hospital, Denmark’s coastline, architecture and cafés provided welcome opportunities to recharge. Weekend bike rides to Sweden and Norway reminded me of the value of work–life balance, something the Danish system exemplifies. 

I am deeply grateful to ESAIC and CAMES for this opportunity. The exchange strengthened my simulation skill set, enriched my teaching repertoire and, most importantly, energised my vision of how engaging, evidence-based education can improve peri-operative safety. 

I wholeheartedly encourage other ESAIC members to apply for the ESAIC Exchange Programme. If you wish to sharpen your clinical skills, explore innovative teaching methods and grow both personally and professionally, this is an outstanding opportunity. 

Author

• Igor Abramovich, Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, UCSF