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Education Friday

ESCMID Global is extending the programme with a full day dedicated solely to education. Featuring separate tracks, there is something here for everyone. In addition to the planned sessions within the halls, there are also a suite of special sessions designed for small group work and enhancing practical knowledge.

Special Sessions

Alongside the usual session types there are a number of special sessions that will be incorporated in Education Friday. These are highly interactive small-group activities with defined learning objectives. Participants are able to work closely with ESCMID experts and interact directly with them gaining first-hand practical knowledge. Due to the small group organisation of the sessions, participants will be asked to pre-register for Education Friday special sessions. 

You can pre-register for these sessions during the registration process for ESCMID Global 2026. These sessions bear a small additional cost. The cost of joining a session varies based on membership.

Members: (EUR) €50 + VAT
Non-Members: (EUR) €75 + VAT

Special Sessions at Education Friday 2026

There are different special sessions occuring in four different rooms throughout the day. Please pay attention to the workshops details as they are all different.

Train the Trainer

This interactive workshop equips participants with practical skills to design learner-centred case-based scenarios and assessment tools. The format includes short instructional talks followed by small-group exercises on writing clinical teaching cases and single best answer (SBA) questions, with peer review and facilitator feedback. Participants will also explore principles of designing fair clinical examinations.

Learning objectives: describe the key elements of an effective case-based scenario, develop a clinical teaching case in infectious diseases or clinical microbiology, write an SBA question aligned with intended learning outcomes, outline principles of fair clinical exam design.

Maximum number of participants: 48

This interactive workshop equips clinical educators with communication strategies to handle emotionally charged and difficult conversations in medical education and clinical practice. Short instructional talks will introduce key techniques, followed by role-play and small-group exercises simulating encounters with trainees, patients, and colleagues, with peer reflection and feedback.

Learning objectives: conduct supportive meetings with struggling trainees, support trainees in sensitive patient conversations, support constructive communication with colleagues in conflict situations, and deliver structured SMART feedback.

 Maximum number of participants: 48

Leadership & Personal Development

This workshop supports emerging leaders in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases through a transformative journey into professional growth. The format combines whole-group teaching with rotating small-group activities on leadership styles, communication, mentorship, networking, and crisis management, ensuring dynamic interaction and practical skill-building.

Learning objectives: understand leadership types, communicate with clarity, engage effectively with mentors, apply tools for crisis management, and explore networking opportunities through ESCMID.

 Maximum number of participants: 40

Research & Career

This interactive workshop aims to illuminate the scientific publication process through interaction and engagement. Participants will gain invaluable hands-on experience by collaboratively developing a mock scientific publication over two hours. Upon arrival, attendees will be divided into smaller groups, each assigned a distinct infectious disease or clinical microbiology research topic. The workshop will then guide participants through each critical section of a manuscript: crafting a compelling background introduction, outlining robust materials and methods, designing representative results, formulating insightful discussions, and drawing evidence-based conclusions.

Learning objectives:  to demystify the scientific publication process, a cornerstone of career advancement in these disciplines through the creation of a mock manuscript.

Maximum number of participants: 42

Progress & Sustainability

This workshop supports devoted healthcare workers struggling with resource limitations to implement mechanisms to provide optimal patient care in a safe and high-quality healthcare environment. The format combines whole-group teaching with small-group activities where they can discuss how to enact real-life and long lasting changes in infection control, antimicrobial stewardship and microbiological diagnostics through achievable goals.

Learning objectives: understand how to achieve progress in implementing the best practices and strategies in infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship and microbiological diagnostics and how to prioritize interventions.

 Maximum number of participants: 48

Hands-on learning labs on AMS / AMR / IPC

This workshop focuses on practical antimicrobial stewardship implementation across diverse clinical scenarios, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application in complex cases. The interactive methodology follows an OSCE-style format with participants rotating through four unique clinical scenarios (emergency room, onco-hematological, nosocomial infection, and prosthetic joint infection). Using role-play, participants serve as AMS team members
making ‘hand-shake’ interventions while experts portray physicians receiving recommendations. Each station provides structured time for case analysis, intervention development, role-play implementation, and expert feedback on both clinical decisions and communication approach.

Learning objectives:  to enhance practical AMS skills through hands-on case discussions, improve clinical decision-making under pressure, and foster interdisciplinary communication essential for effective stewardship.

Maximum number of participants: 48

This workshop examines how multilevel barriers influence antimicrobial prescribing decisions. It employs a structured What-Think-Solve-Reflect methodology to maximize engagement. First, participants observe a clinical scenario containing multiple antimicrobial prescribing barriers. Next, they think independently to identify barriers before using structured frameworks. They then solve by designing targeted interventions. Finally, they reflect on approaches during solution pitches and facilitated discussion.

Learning objectives: to identify barriers to optimal prescribing, apply the theory-based frameworks to analyze prescribing challenges, and match identified barriers to appropriate AMS interventions.

Maximum number of participants: 48

Intensive Care Medicine

This workshop centres around the diagnosis and treatment of ICU patients, by walking through each steps of the patient pathway in four different cases. Working in small groups, participants will explore specific aspects of ICU related infections following the patient journey from treatment diagnosis to optimisation, using the Ishikawa diagram to lead the participants through the diagnosis, starting treatment and optimisation steps of their antimicrobial therapy.

This innovative workshop focuses on the Intensive Care setting. Intensive Care Units (ICU) are challenging environments because of the -often- complex patient setting with specific patient demands. ICU patients have characteristics that set them aside from the ‘normal’ hospital population, exposing them to specific
nosocomial infections such as CLABSI and VAP. They constitute a fragile population with challenges related to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infections. On average, 70% of ICU patients receive antibiotics during their stay and hence multi-resistant pathogens are more often detected: optimal diagnosis, infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship initiatives go hand in hand.

Learning objectives: to understand how to effectively diagnose, commence treatment and optimize empirical therapy in ICU patients.

 Maximum number of participants: 56

This workshop centres around the diagnosis and treatment of ICU patients, by walking through each steps of the patient pathway in four different cases. Working in small groups, participants will explore specific aspects of ICU related infections following the patient journey from treatment re-evaluation to discharge, using the Ishikawa diagram to lead the participants through the re-evaluation, monitoring and final treatment steps of their antimicrobial therapy.

This innovative workshop focuses on the Intensive Care setting. Intensive Care Units (ICU) are challenging environments because of the -often- complex patient setting with specific patient demands. ICU patients have characteristics that set them aside from the ‘normal’ hospital population, exposing them to specific
nosocomial infections such as CLABSI and VAP. They constitute a fragile population with challenges related to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infections. On average, 70% of ICU patients receive antibiotics during their stay and hence multi-resistant pathogens are more often detected: optimal diagnosis, infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship initiatives go hand in hand.

Learning objectives: to understand how to effectively optimize empirical therapy in ICU patients through the re-evaluation, monitoring and stopping of antimicrobial treatment.

 Maximum number of participants: 56

Test & Train

This workshop focuses on preparing participants to take the European Infectious Disease Exam through various interactive learning methodologies from experts in the field. 

The exact topics covered in this session will be posted closer to the Registration date (29th October).

Learning objectives: to help prepare participants for the European Infectious Disease Exam.

Maximum number of participants: 90

This workshop focuses on preparing participants to take the European Infectious Disease Exam through various interactive learning methodologies from experts in the field. 

The exact topics covered in this session will be posted closer to the Registration date (29th October).

Learning objectives:  to help prepare participants for the European Infectious Disease Exam.

Maximum number of participants: 90

This workshop focuses on preparing participants to take the European Clinical Microbiology Exam through various interactive learning methodologies from experts in the field. 

The exact topics covered in this session will be posted closer to the Registration date (29th October).

Learning objectives:  to help prepare participants for the European Clinical Microbiology Exam.

Maximum number of participants: 90

This workshop focuses on preparing participants to take the European Clinical Microbiology Exam through various interactive learning methodologies from experts in the field. 

The exact topics covered in this session will be posted closer to the Registration date (29th October).

Learning objectives:  to help prepare participants for the European Clinical Microbiology Exam.

Maximum number of participants: 90