Participants, the panel of judges, and organizers of the skills and knowledge contest. Photo used with permission.
Family Doctors Vie for "Who Provides the Best Palliative Care?" Title
In a fresh twist on raising awareness, Mongolia held a "Who Provides the Best Palliative Care?" contest in October that drew family doctors from all 149 Family Health Centers in Ulaanbaatar.
A wide range of palliative care practitioner skills and knowledge were assessed. Here, a doctor prepares a "patient" for a subcutaneous infusion. Photo used with permission.
The Capital City Health Department ordered those who failed the contest to re-take palliative care training, and were advised on how to write morphine and tramadol prescriptions correctly.
Inserting a catheter is part of basic care. Photo used with permission.
3 rounds of tests
Held in October to coincide with World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, the contest consisted of three rounds. The first round, which was online, consisted of 50 test questions. The 50 highest-scoring doctors moved on to a second round, also online, of 10 clinical questions. The third round brought the top 11 (it was supposed to be 10, but two people had a tied score) together at the National Cancer Center for practical tests under the supervision of a five-member panel.
A success at all levels
Its novel nature drew significant public attention, including television reports as well as newspaper coverage. It was so successful that the Capital Health Department director recommended that Family Health Center nurses be included in a similar three-stage competition in March or April 2025.
The contest took more than a month to prepare and involved eight organizers, led by the head of the Mongolian Palliative Care Society, Professor Odontuya Davaasuren. Fundraising was necessary to cover the costs, which included hiring doctors to prepare the tests, a software engineer to score the online rounds within minutes, and prize money for the top three family doctors.
1.8 million MNT ($525 USD) in prizes
First-place winner Ardabek Erkebulan received 1 million MNT (about $290 USD); second-place winner Chuluuntsetseg Yuriinzolmon received 500,000 MNT (about $145 USD); third-place winner Ganbat Monkhtuyaa received 300,000 MNT (about $90 USD).
The contest was organized and funded by the Mongolian Palliative Care Society, National Cancer Center, and Capital City Health Department.
All organizers of the event did media interviews. Pictured are (L-R): National Cancer Center (NCC) president N. Ernenekhuu; D. Myagmartsersen, head of the Family Medicine Department; NCC Chief Operating Officer T. Uranchimeg, former president of the NCC; Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences; former director of NCC E. Emkhjargal; Capital City Health Department's D. Oyun-Erdene; D. Odontuya, head of the Mongolian Palliative Care Society (MPCS); MPCS Secretary A. Altantsetseg; and N. Dadral, head of NCC's Palliative Care Department. Photo used with permission.