but also offers educational programs and training for nurses, caregivers and volunteers caring for dying patients. the centre maintains a rich international cooperation wit other institutions focused on palliative care such as the centre for palliative care at the university of melbourne in australia, european palliative care research centre in trondheim and others. publications during the entire existence of the school, the total number of published material stands at 17,400 publications and 17,991 citations (2,913 cited documents). the quality of research, and also the work of the faculty, is reflected by the official slovak academic rating agency (arra), which has continuously rated the jessenius faculty of medicine as the best medical school in slovakia. student life and traditions student life and campus culture at jessenius faculty of medicine are highly diverse and are influenced both by the native slovak student population and also by the large community of foreign students. annual events celebrate the school's traditions, culture, and sports. student unions the martin group of medical students (slovak: martinský klub medikov, abbreviated mkm) is the interest association of slovak students at jfm, which helps ensure a full social life and intellectual development of students on the basis of culture, special interests, sports, and science. involved in providing lectures, seminars, discussions, cultural, social, and sports events, exhibitions, and so on, mkm organizes professional clinical practice, and domestic and foreign student exchange programs. the group also cooperates with other professional organizations in slovakia and abroad. the students issue their own magazine called omphalus martinensis. theoretical departments building the norwegian students are organized in the association of norwegian students abroad, abbreviated ansa, through their slovakia chapter (ansa slovakia), and their local chapter (ansa martin). additionally all foreign students are represented through the foreign student council, a body that helps represent the interests of international students. events every fall semester, a modern variant of the medieval central european tradition of deposition (slovak: beánie) is held. during these festivities, both students and faculty celebrate the matriculation of the new first-year students. in september, second-year students also celebrate with a traditional party to mark the end of the second and most challenging "dissection week", a week dedicated to extensive anatomical dissections and tests. another slovak tradition is the celebration called lamavica, which is held every year. the party is a celebration for all fourth-year students to mark that they are halfway through their studies. every december, the association of norwegian students hosts a traditional scandinavian julebord banquet for all students. this increasingly popular christmas tradition includes a dinner, speeches, awards, and charity fund-raising. another important tradition that originates in slovak folk culture is the raising of the maypole (slovak: máj) before may 1. according to the tradition, a tree with colorful ribbons is put up in front of houses of single young women. in modern times, slovak students raise the symbolic tree in honor of the female students at the school, sing folksongs, and dance folk dances in traditional costumes. athletics the jessenius faculty of medicine hosts several private non-affiliated sports teams, including the hk slávia medik women's handball team. the club, which was promoted after the 2011/2012 season, currently plays in the 2nd tier of the league system, and consists solely of female students at jfm. in addition, the students have organized teams in football, ultimate, volleyball, field hockey, basketball and road cycling. every year in late march, there is the traditional ansa jfmed indoor football tournament, where every year of students forms ad-hoc teams and competes against each other in indoor football.