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Medical Education2026-10-08T15:10:48+03:00

Medical Education

Overview

Our mission is to advance the field of medical education through innovative research, fostering an environment of academic excellence and collaboration. We aim to enhance the educational experiences of medical students and professionals, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes. Our focus is to conduct high-quality research by developing and implementing projects that address key challenges in medical education and publishing our findings in reputable academic journals to contribute to the global body of knowledge. To foster collaboration, we build partnerships with academic institutions, healthcare organizations, and industry leaders, and encourage interdisciplinary research initiatives that integrate diverse perspectives. Our goal is also to enhance educational practices by translating research findings into practical applications and providing training and resources for educators to implement evidence-based teaching methods. Additionally, we support professional development by offering workshops, seminars, and conferences to disseminate research findings, while mentoring emerging researchers and educators in the field of medical education.

Primary Research Areas

  • Curriculum Development and Evaluation
    • Innovative teaching methods and technologies, such as the use of AI in clinical skills and clinical communication skills training
    • Assessment and feedback mechanisms, encompassing traditional and innovative methods, with the integration of AI to enhance evaluations, adaptive learning, and real-time feedback systems
  • Interprofessional Education
    • Collaborative learning across healthcare disciplines
    • Communication and teamwork skills
  • Diversity and Inclusion in Medical Education
    • Addressing disparities in educational opportunities
    • Creating inclusive learning environments
  • Global Health Education
    • Preparing students for global health challenges
    • Cross-cultural competencies and international collaborations
  • Student and Faculty Well-being
    • Strategies to promote mental health and resilience
    • Work-life balance and burnout prevention

Coordinator

  • Achilleas Pavlou
    • Assistant Professor in Psychology and Clinical Communication Skills

Members

  • Alexia Papageorgiou, MSc, PhD
    • Professor in Medical Education and Clinical Communication
  • Anna-Pavlina Charalambous, MSc, PhD
    • Assistant Professor of Clinical Communication
  • Chloe Antoniou, BSc, PhD
    • Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Co-Director of the Graduate Entry MD Programme
  • Costas Constantinou, MA, PhD
    • Professor of Medical Sociology, Director of the Unit for Diversity Competence (UDC) in Healthcare and Healthcare Education
  • Eirini Kampriani, MSc, PhD
    • Assistant Professor of Medical Anthropology and Medical Ethics
  • Maria Perdikogianni, BA
    • Lecturer of Clinical Communication
  • Panayiota Andreou, MSc, PhD,
    • Associate Professor of Communication Skills
  • Panos Economou, MB ChB Hons, FRCS (Ed), FRCS (Eng.), MFSTEd, PgCert HBE, FACS
    • Clinical Professor of Surgery
  • Peter McCrorie, PhD
  • Soulla Nicolaou, BSc, PhD
    • Associate Professor in Pharmacology and the Associate Dean for Students
  • Stella Loizou, BSc, PhD
    • Associate Professor of Chemistry, MD Year 1 Academic Lead and Chief Examiner

Selected Publication

  1. Andreou, P., Constantinou, S. C., Papageorgiou, A., Christoforou, I., & Kampriani, E. (2025). Diversity, equality, and communication in the workplace: a training programme. Patient Education and Counselling, 137(1), 109099.
  2. Antoniou, C., Pavlou, A., & Ikossi, D. G. (in press). Let’s chat! Integrating ChatGPT in medical student assignments to enhance critical analysis. Medical Teacher.
  3. Aoun, B.S., Salameh, P., Salloum, A., Salameh, W., Park, Y., Tekian, A. (2018). Voluntary vs. compulsory student evaluation of clerkships: effect on validity and potential bias. *BMC Med Educ*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-017-1116-8
  4. Chahine, S., Wanna, S., Salameh, P. (2022). Migraine attacks among Lebanese university medical students: A cross sectional study on prevalence and correlations. *J Clin Neurosci*. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2022.03.039
  5. Chamoun, N., Ramia, E., Sacre, H., Haddad, M., Haddad, C., Hajj, A., Namnoum, J., Zeenny, R., Iskandar, K., Akel, M., Salameh, P. (2023). Validation of the specialized competency framework for pharmacists in hospital settings (SCF-PHS): a cross-sectional study. *J Pharm Policy Pract*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-023-00592-7
  6. Constantinou, C. S., et al. (2021). The use of interpreters in medical education: A narrative literature review. Societies, 11(3), 70. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc11030070
  7. Constantinou, C. S., Kassianos, A. P., Georgiou, G., Panayides, A., Papageorgiou, A., Almas, I., Wozniak, G., & Karekla, M. (2020). Barriers, facilitators, and interventions for medication adherence across chronic conditions with the highest non-adherence rates: A scoping review with recommendations for intervention development. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 10(6), 1390–1398. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibaa118
  8. Constantinou, C. S., Papageorgiou, A., Andreou, P., & McCrorie, P. (2020). How to integrate cultural competence in medical curricula: Learning from a new medical programme. MedEdPublish, 9(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.15694/mep.2020.000011.1
  9. Constantinou, C., Andreou, P., Papageorgiou, A., & McCrorie, P. (2020). Critical reflection on own beliefs for cultural competence in medical education: An analysis of tutors’ reflective narratives. Qualitative Research in Education, 9(3), 273–299. https://doi.org/10.17583/qre.2020.5063
  10. Constantinou, C., Georgiades, S., & Papageorgiou, A. (2020). PEACE of mind: Guidelines for enhancing psychological support for medical students. MedEdPublish, 9(1), 119. https://doi.org/10.15694/mep.2020.000119.1
  11. Constantinou, S. C., Andreou, P., Kampriani, E., & Papageorgiou, A. (2025). Mapping of the diversity and cultural competencies in healthcare and healthcare education through participatory action research (PAR). Societies, 15(12), 330.
  12. El, H.S., Chahine, M., Sayde, G., Daaboul, M., El, M.J., Salameh, P. (2023). Competencies required for graduated physicians: the integration of Englander’s common taxonomy in a validated scale for the assessment of competency acquiring in undergraduate medical education. *Ir J Med Sci*. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-022-02962-7
  13. Haddad, C., Zakhour, M., Sacre, H., Karam, J., El, K.S., Akel, M., Salameh, P. (2024). Perceived advantages and drawbacks of teleworking during the economic crisis and COVID-19: A cross-sectional study among university degree holders. *Arch Environ Occup Health*. https://doi.org/10.1080/19338244.2024.2366815
  14. Hajj, A., Hallit, S., Sacre, H., Akel, M., Zeenny, R., Salameh, P. (2021). Lebanese pharmacy core competencies framework: tool validation for self-declared assessment. *Int J Pharm Pract*. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijpp/riab055
  15. Hajj, A., Zeenny, R., Sacre, H., Akel, M., Haddad, C., Salameh, P. (2023). Pharmacy education and workforce: strategic recommendations based on expert consensus in Lebanon. *J Pharm Policy Pract*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-022-00510-3
  16. Hays, R. B., Wilkinson, T., Green-Thompson, L., McCrorie, P., Bollela, V., Nadarajah, V. D., Anderson, M. B., Norcini, J., Samarasekera, D. D., Boursicot, K., et al. (2024). Managing assessment during curriculum change: Ottawa Consensus Statement. Medical Teacher, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2024.XXXXX
  17. Hopayian, K., Papageorgiou, A., Hadgipapas, A., Charalambous, A., & Kolokotroni, O. (2019). Teaching family medicine online: The experience in Cyprus. British Journal of General Practice, 69(682), 244. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp19X702461
  18. Iskandar, K., Haddad, C., Hajj, A., Sacre, H., Zeenny, R., Akel, M., Salameh, P. (2022). Assessing self-reported core competencies of public health practitioners in Lebanon using the WHO-ASPHER validated scale: a pilot study. *BMC Med Educ*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03940-4
  19. Jenkins, J., Peters, S., & McCrorie, P. (2024). ASPIRE for excellence in curriculum development. Medical Teacher, 46(5), 633–639.
  20. Karam, V., Malhab, S., Bahous, S., Salameh, P., Khoury-Malhame, M., Asmar, N. (2024). Medical students attitudes towards patients with disability: a scale validation study. *BMC Med Educ*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06238-9
  21. Konstantinou, P., Kasinopoulos, O., Karashali, C., Georgiou, G., Panayides, A., Papageorgiou, A., Wozniak, G., Kassianos, A. P., & Karekla, M. (2021). A scoping review of methods used to assess medication adherence in patients with chronic conditions. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaab080
  22. Krasnik, A., Sørensen, J., Lopez, A. M., & Constantinou, C. (2025). Developing and implementing diversity competence training in medical education – how to overcome the global challenges? European Journal of Public Health, 35(Suppl 6), ckaf180.026. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaf180.026
  23. Kyriakou, I., Hörnquist, E. H., Papapetrou, I., Constantinou, V., Mansour, M., Quattrocchi, A., & Antoniou, C. (2026). Qualities of an effective teacher: a cross-cultural study on the perspectives of students and faculty in two medical programs in Cyprus and Sweden. BMC Medical Education, 26, 429.
  24. Loizou, S., Koshiaris, C., Sivalingam, A., & Aharonson, V. (2026). Integration of PBL-informed medical cases into first-year chemistry laboratories in a traditional medical curriculum: Perceived educational outcomes from NLP-based sentiment analysis. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 17, 596852. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S596852
  25. Loizou, S., Aharonson, V., & Hajigeorgiou, P. G. (2026). Use and perceptions of generative artificial intelligence tools among first-year medical students: A cross-sectional survey. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 17, 622875. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S622875
  26. Loizou, S., Nicolaou, N., Pincus, B. A., Papageorgiou, A., & McCrorie, P. (2022). Concept maps as a novel assessment tool in medical education. MedEdPublish, 12, 21. https://doi.org/10.12688/mep.19036.1
  27. Loizou, S., Pavlou, A., Cory, O. A., & Ireland, D. (2024). Introduction of PBL in the first year of traditional medical curriculum. Health Professions Education, 10(1), Article 12.
  28. Lui, J., & Papageorgiou, A. (2018). Empathy, introversion and the OSCE: Reflections of a 2nd year medical student. MedEdPublish, 7(4), 33. https://doi.org/10.15694/mep.2018.0000254.1
  29. Mobarak, H., Haddad, C., Salameh, P., Towair, E., El, K.M., Chatila, R. (2024). The relationship between self-determination and burnout: Mental health outcomes in medical residents. *PLoS One*. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308897
  30. Mouawad, Y., El, T.F., Mina, C., Richa, K., Salameh, P., Nakhle, R. (2024). Assessment of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Knowledge Among Lebanese Medical Residents. *Cureus*. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.69205
  31. Moyoh, W., Gondwe, K. W., Andreou, P., Philippou, E., & Papageorgiou, A. (2022). Allied health workers’ role in patient education in the United States. Journal of Health Sciences, 12(1), 1–9.
  32. Namnoum, J., Hajj, A., Iskandar, K., Sacre, H., Akel, M., Zeenny, R., Haddad, C., Salameh, P. (2023). Assessing and validating the specialized competency framework for pharmacists in sales and marketing (SCF-PSM): a cross-sectional analysis in Lebanon. *J Pharm Policy Pract*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-023-00638-w
  33. Nasr, R., Rahman, A., Haddad, C., Nasr, N., Karam, J., Hayek, J., Ismael, I., Swaidan, E., Salameh, P., Alami, N. (2024). The impact of financial stress on student wellbeing in Lebanese higher education. *BMC Public Health*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19312-0
  34. Nicolaou, P., El Saifi, M., McCrorie, P., & Nicolaou, S. (2019). The impact of using virtual patients in pre-clinical pharmacology teaching. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 75(Suppl. 1), S62–S63.
  35. Nicolaou, P., McCrorie, P., & Nicolaou, S. (2019). Using virtual patients to integrate physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology in preclinical teaching. Advances in Physiology Education, 43, 277–281.
  36. Nicolaou, S. A., Heraclides, A., Constantinou, C. S., Loizou, S., & Gillott, D. J. (2021). One size doesn’t fit all: PBL tutor training and development. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 15(2).
  37. Nicolaou, S. A., Televantou, I., Papageorgiou, A., Albert, A. P., Hitchings, A. W., McCrorie, P., & Nicolaou, P. (2024). Factors affecting pharmacology learning in integrated PBL in diverse medical students: A mixed methods study. BMC Medical Education, 24(1), 324. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-04859-x
  38. Papageorgiou, A., Miles, S., & Fromage, M. (2018). Does medical students’ empathy change during their 5-year MBBS degree? Education for Health, 31(3), 142–147. https://doi.org/10.4103/efh.EfH_279_17
  39. Ramia, E., Salameh, P., Btaiche, I., Saad, A. (2016). Mapping and assessment of personal and professional development skills in a pharmacy curriculum. *BMC Med Educ*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-016-0533-4
  40. Sacre, H., Akel, M., Haddad, C., Zeenny, R., Hajj, A., Salameh, P. (2023). The effect of research on the perceived quality of teaching: a cross-sectional study among university students in Lebanon. *BMC Med Educ*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-03998-8
  41. Sacre, H., Aoun, R., Haddad, C., Abou, S.C., Zeenny, R., Akel, M., Hajj, A., Hassoun, C., Namnoum, J., Iskandar, K., Salameh, P. (2023). Specialized competency framework for pharmacists in managerial positions in sales and marketing (SCF-PMSM): development, validation, and correlates. *J Pharm Policy Pract*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-023-00567-8
  42. Sacre, H., Hallit, S., Hajj, A., Zeenny, R., Akel, M., Raad, E., Salameh, P. (2022). Developing Core Competencies for Pharmacy Graduates: The Lebanese Experience. *J Pharm Pract*. https://doi.org/10.1177/0897190020966195
  43. Sacre, H., Saab, M., Haddad, C., Haddad, M., Zeenny, R., Akel, M., Hajj, A., Iskandar, K., Salameh, P. (2023). The specialized competency framework for industry pharmacists (SCF-IP): validation and pilot assessment. *J Pharm Policy Pract*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-023-00602-8
  44. Safwan, J., Akel, M., Sacre, H., Haddad, C., Sakr, F., Hajj, A., Zeenny, R., Iskandar, K., Salameh, P. (2023). Academic pharmacist competencies in ordinary and emergency situations: content validation and pilot description in Lebanese academia. *BMC Med Educ*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04712-4
  45. Sakr, F., Akel, M., Sacre, H., Haddad, C., Tawil, S., Safwan, J., Hajj, A., Zeenny, R., Iskandar, K., Salameh, P. (2023). The specialized competency framework for community pharmacists (SCF-CP) in Lebanon: validation and evaluation of the revised version. *J Pharm Policy Pract*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-023-00585-6
  46. Zeenny, R., Akel, M., Hajj, A., Sacre, H., Hallit, S., Salameh, P. (2021). Descriptive assessment of graduates’ perceptions of pharmacy-related competencies based on the Lebanese pharmacy core competencies framework. *Pharm Pract (Granada)*. https://doi.org/10.18549/PharmPract.2021.2.2320
  47. Zeineddine, L., Sacre, H., Haddad, C., Zeenny, M., Akel, M., Hajj, A., Salameh, P. (2023). The association of management and leadership competencies with work satisfaction among pharmacists in Lebanon. *J Pharm Policy Pract*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-023-00554-z
  48. Zeitoun, A., Sacre, H., Hallit, S., Zeenny, R., Sili, G., Salameh, P. (2020). Clinical preceptor competencies for a better pharmacy education: a suggested framework for Lebanon. *J Pharm Policy Pract*. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-020-00217-3

Books

  1. Brown, J., Noble, L., Papageorgiou, A., & Kidd, J. (Eds.). (2016). Clinical communication in medicine. Wiley-Blackwell.
  2. Papageorgiou, A., McCrorie, P., Georgiades, S., & Perdikogianni, M. (Eds.). (2015). Psychology for psychologists: A problem-based approach to undergraduate psychology. Palgrave Macmillan.
  3. Coll, X., Papageorgiou, A., Stanley, A., & Tarbuck, A. (Eds.). (2012). Communication skills in mental health care: An introduction. Radcliffe Publishing.

Book Chapters

  1. Papageorgiou, A., Leinweber, J., Böhm, K., Constantinou, C., Kolokotroni, O., Kapreli, E., Savvoulidou, K., Strimpakos, N., Knais, C., Horlait, M., Papastamatiou, N., & Papadopoullou, C. (2022). The development of an empathy curriculum (Empathy in Health) for healthcare students using VR technology. In P. S. Ventura (Ed.), Empathy – Advanced research and applications [Working title]. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106518
  2. Jennings, B., & Papageorgiou, A. (2011). The holistic curriculum: Balancing basic and psychosocial sciences with clinical practice. In P. Cavenagh et al. (Eds.), The changing face of medical education (pp. 65–77). Radcliffe Publishing.
  3. McCrorie, P. (2018). Learning in small groups. In T. Swanwick, K. Forrest, & B. O’Brien (Eds.), Understanding medical education: Evidence, theory and practice (3rd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.

Manuscripts Under Review

  1. Sustainability Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education – a scoping review (submitted; under review).

Conference Presentations, Symposia and Keynotes

  1. Kyriakou, I., Hörnquist, E. H., Papapetrou, I., Constantinou, V., Mansour, M., Quattrocchi, A., & Antoniou, C. Should teachers entertain? Views and attitudes of students and faculty in two medical programs in Cyprus and Sweden. Presented at WFME, Bangkok (May 2025; presenting author: Ismini Kyriakou) and AMEE, Barcelona (August 2025; presenting author: Irene Papapetrou).
  2. Nikitara, M., Constantinou, C. S., Andreou, P., Kampriani, E., & Papageorgiou, A. Developing Diversity and Cultural Competencies Through Participatory Action Research (PAR). 11th International Conference, European Transcultural Nursing Association (ETNA), Limassol, Cyprus, 3–5 May 2026.
  3. Panagiotou, S., Nikitara, M., Apostolara, P., Rousou, E., Constantinou, C., Papaneophytou, C., & Velonaki, V.-S. Psychometric Evaluation of the Greek Versions of the Cross-Cultural Competence Instrument for Healthcare Professionals (CCCHP-27) and the Attitudes toward Refugees Questionnaire Among Nursing Students in Greece and Cyprus. 11th International Conference, European Transcultural Nursing Association (ETNA), Limassol, Cyprus, 3–5 May 2026.
  4. Constantinou, C., & Nikitara, M. Diversity and Cultural Competence in Healthcare – the need for an ecosystem. Keynote presentation, European Congress on Multiculturalism in Medicine and Health Sciences (MultiCultiMed), Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland, 26 May 2026.
  5. Andreou, P., & Kampriani, E. Symposium: “Health Literacy Education: Communication, Critical and Ethical Skills for Health Professionals.” International Conference for Communication in Healthcare (ICCH 2026), Belfast, Northern Ireland, 16–18 September 2026.
  6. Kampriani, E., Andreou, P., Bowers, B., Jabr, C., & Richany, C. Health-Literacy-Responsive Communication & Competencies of health professional learners. Paper presented at the symposium “Health Literacy Education: Communication, Critical and Ethical Skills for Health Professionals,” International Conference for Communication in Healthcare (ICCH 2026), Belfast, Northern Ireland, 16–18 September 2026.

PhD Supervision

  1. One PhD student working on a medical education topic, supervised by Chloe Antoniou (enrolled February 2026).

Recent Grant Applications

  1. Erasmus+ KA2 Partnerships for Cooperation: Co-creating an AI-enabled learning environment for diversity competence in health professions education. Partners: Cyprus University of Technology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University of Valladolid, and Pomeranian Medical University. Not selected.
  2. Erasmus+ KA2 Partnerships for Cooperation on the university community and mental health, with diversity as an integral component. University of Valladolid (Coordinator) and University of Patras. Not selected.

Selected Research Projects

The effect of pharmacology teaching on diverse learners in a problem-based learning medical curriculum

Research Project Description: Reducing medication errors remains a significant challenge. Medication errors compromise patient safety and significantly increase health care costs. An important contributor to medication errors is irrational prescribing, which may stem, at [...]

By |April 24th, 2025|Categories: Medical Education, Research Projects|0 Comments
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Curriculum Development using VR technology to enhance empathetic communication skills in future health care professionals (EMPATHY IN HEALTH)

Research Project Description: Empathy is key to effective communication between patients and health care practitioners and has been shown to positively affect health outcomes and patient satisfaction as well as to improve patient safety. [...]

By |April 24th, 2025|Categories: Medical Education, Research Projects|0 Comments
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OUR MEDICAL SCHOOL

The University of Nicosia started the first medical school in Cyprus in 2011. The Medical School is now offering a 6-Year Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme designed for high school leavers, a Graduate Entry – Doctor of Medicine Degree (MD), an MSc in Family Medicine for practicing primary care physicians, a Master of Public Health (MPH) and a PhD in Medical Sciences, for research in all disciplines or specialties of Medicine.

  • UK  (Toll Free):  0800 031 5421
  • US & CA (Toll Free): +1 877 298 8189
  • AU: +61 417 397 712
  • GR: + 30 698 508 8212
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