Traditional Olympiad for the Faculty of Pharmacy of Ryazan State Medical University jointly with OCTAPHARMA-PHARMIMEX LLC

To attract student's attention to the future facility which is currently under construction and to increase their interest in working at pharmaceutical production, Ryazan State Medical University named after academician I.P. Pavlov (RSMU) and OCTAPHARMA-PHARMIMEX LLC hold an interdisciplinary internal university student Olympiad for the second time – this event has become a good tradition for OCTAPHARMA-PHARMIMEX LLC and the pharmaceutical faculty of RyazSMU.
The second Olympiad for students was completed in March 2022.

At the first stage, the students solved test tasks compiled by professors from the RyazSMU. The tests were a mixture of questions on different disciplines that students had already studied - microbiology, introduction to the specialty, pharmaceutical chemistry, analytical chemistry, and pharmaceutical technology. For 4-5-year students there were added questions from employees of OCTAPHARMA-PHARMIMEX LLC to test knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practice.

At the second stage of the Olympiad students were offered tasks in the form of business game – employees of OCTAPHARMA-PHARMIMEX LLC prepared tasks related to the work of various departments involved in pharmaceutical production, such as warehouse, quality control department, quality assurance department, etc., and professors offered to perform practical tasks. 2-3-year students showed their skills and knowledge in microbiology, and 4-5-year students divided into 2 mixed teams prepared and analyzed drug solutions.

Business game in team format with general tasks was interesting both for students and Olympiad organizers – all participants proved themselves from new sides, showing leadership, executive qualities, ability to work in team - all these soft skills are very important for OCTAPHARMA-PHARMIMEX LLC as a potential employer. Professors of RyazGMU appreciated interesting and non-standard tasks that were offered to the students. Some assignments will become part of the curriculum of the Departments.
It was very nice to see the students who participated in the Olympiad for the second time.

During tasks performing, future pharmacists were estimated on the spot by check-list invited experts - representatives of OCTAPHARMA-PHARMIMEX LLC: Head of Quality Control Department Ekaterina Mosina, Quality Control Support Specialist Victor Arefiev, Head of Procurement Department Victor Baryshnikov, Quality Assurance Manager Elena Khripunova, HR Director Anastasiya Tsygankova and faculty specialists: Dean of the Pharmaceutical Faculty Elena Anatolyevna Maximtseva, Head of Microbiology Department of Olga Valeryevna Evdokimova, Professor Alexandra Ivanovna Novak, Head of Pharmaceutical Technology Department Raisa Mikhailovna Streltsova, Associate Professor Alexander Nikolaevich Nikolashkin, Head of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department Ivan Vladimirovich Chernykh.

The final score was summed up by the results of all stages of the Olympiad.
The winners of the Olympiad among the 2-year students were: Maria Frolova – 1st place, Kseniya Bludova – 2nd place, Kseniya Shamrayeva – 3rd place. The winners among 3d-year students were: Anastasia Golubeva – 1st place Nikita Bogomolov – 2nd place, Dmitry Kukov – 3rd place. Among the 4year students, the winners were: Evgeny Lobachev – 1st place, 2nd place with Yulia Novikova, and 3rd place with Vasilina Eliseeva. Among the 5th year students 1st place was taken by Darina Starshova, 2nd place – Alexandra Savushkina, 3rd place – Anastasia Savchenko.

The names of the winners were announced in a solemn atmosphere at the meeting of the participants with the Rector of the University, Professor Roman Evghenievich Kalinin and General Director of OCTAPHARMA-PHARMIMEX LLC Andrew Douglas Smith.
All participants of the second stage of the Olympiad, as well as professors of the RyazSMU who participated in the preparation and conducting of the Olympiad, were awarded commemorative diplomas and gift certificates.

The prize for the winners was a trip to Moscow, during which they would participate in a training organized specifically for them by the Eurasian Academy of Good Manufacturing Practices, a leading expert and educational institution in the field of good manufacturing practice in Russia, as well as a cultural program.

Participation in the Olympiad was a great chance for the students to get an expert assessment of their skills and to try their strength, courage and knowledge gained through the classes at the university. For the students it is a real opportunity to acquire new skills in the field of industrial pharmacy, to draw attention of potential employer from a partner company of RyazSMU and to become familiar with the work of a world-class pharmaceutical company.