Abstract
Participants in the 2017 ERS summer schools of adult and paediatric respiratory medicine describe their experiences http://ow.ly/i4y930hzLU0
Summer school of adult respiratory medicine
Faculty
U. Costabel, M.L. de Souza Galvão, W. De Wever, J. Gibson, L. Grote, S. Hartl, I. Horváth, R.M. Huber, G. Kovacs, N. Maskell, E. Polverino, N. Regamey
Overview
The summer school of adult respiratory medicine is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of each of the major fields of respiratory medicine based on the European core syllabus in adult respiratory medicine. This course is aimed at all respiratory professionals wishing to update their knowledge, particularly those preparing for the European examination in adult respiratory medicine. The programme is designed to challenge participants and provide a learning framework including interactive sessions and multiple choice question (MCQ) discussion sessions. 50 participants from 24 countries took part in this year’s summer school.
Iana O. Andreieva, Ukraine, a participant
The main purpose of Summer school of adult respiratory medicine is a help to participants with preparation for the HERMES examination. But participation in this school would also be useful for those who decide not to take the exam. Some participants passed the exam many years ago and attended the summer school again to update their knowledge.
The atmosphere of the course was friendly and provided conditions for successful learning and networking during the sessions, coffee breaks and free-time. There were participants from many countries and it was really interesting to discuss our experience in different medical fields.
The workshops on pulmonary imaging and pulmonary function testing, and the session on cystic fibrosis and respiratory failure were really interesting to many participants. For me, the session on respiratory failure helped to sort out some issues of using noninvasive ventilation and I’ve already implemented this knowledge in my daily practice. I also appreciated the session about sleep and breathing disorders. As a new area for many pulmonologists, this session raised a lot of questions. In my opinion, the session of lung cancer was one of the most demanding for many participants as it contained a lot of information about different diagnostic approaches and treatment strategies, and many lacked of experience in this field. Unfortunately, the session on airway diseases was on the last day and we didn’t have enough time to fully discuss some of the questions raised by participants.
Participation in this summer school gave me the opportunity to challenge myself, to update my knowledge according to the latest European standards and clarify potential weaknesses in my education. I’m very grateful to the ERS for opportunity to attend this summer school.
Olha Konstantynovska, Ukraine, a participant
The adult summer school was the great opportunity for physicians in the respiratory field to improve they knowledge, to prepare for the HERMES examination and also make new friends and collaborators for future research.
The atmosphere at the course was very warm. Our learning started early in the morning, but the course venue was very close to public transport and was well signed ensuring nobody got lost, even if they were visiting the city for the first time. The organisers met everybody with smiles on the faces and were prepared with everything that participants needed.
The course programme was very rich, but each lecturer kept to their time slot and we had regular coffee breaks. One evening the organisers prepared the best surprise for all of us: we had a guided city tour with a professional guide. I very much enjoyed this. Barcelona, with its architecture, very beautiful beaches, and recognisable atmosphere, arts and cuisine is very hospitable for tourists.
The course programme covered most topics from basic science to diagnostic tests and procedures. For me personally, it improved my knowledge almost in all fields of respiratory medicine. I want to thank all the lecturers for their clear explanations and bright presentations. We had the opportunity to practice MCQs as in the HERMES examination. The faculty did not hesitate to offer any help during and even after the course by sharing their experiences. All the attendees received good information on how to register and prepare for the HERMES exam.
There were some controversial topics. First, the topic of sleep apnoea as, depending on the country in which they practice, not all physicians have enough experience in this branch of respiratory medicine. For example, in Ukraine we have just started research in the sleep apnoea field. Similarly, participants from European countries had many questions about tuberculosis (TB). Their colleagues from non-European countries, where the incidence rate of TB is much higher and who therefore have more experience, kindly shared their clinical stories.
Thanks to the summer school, I had a valuable and unique learning experience which I was pleased to share with my colleagues. ERS gave me the opportunity to receive a bursary to attend the course. Best wishes to all the organisers and faculty! Thank you all very much!
Summer school of paediatric respiratory medicine
Faculty
M. Beer, E. Eber, R. Ersu, M. Gappa, J. Grigg, A. Hadchouel-Duvergé, F. Midulla, M. Pijnenburg, N. Regamey, M.L. de Souza Galvão
Overview
The paediatric summer school provides a comprehensive update on paediatric respiratory medicine for professionals at all levels. The programme is designed to challenge participants and provide a learning framework including interactive sessions and MCQ discussion sessions. Furthermore, participants will have the opportunity to prepare for the European examination in paediatric respiratory medicine. The course included case presentations with interactive discussions, plenary lectures and workshops. 57 participants from 26 countries took part in this year’s summer school.
From the point of view of the faculty, one of the major challenges during the course was to provide the participants with a good level of knowledge for the paediatric HERMES exam. Another important challenge is to create a network among paediatric pulmonologists across Europe. Areas participants were particularly eager to learn about depended on their age and expertise: younger participants wished to update their knowledge of paediatric pulmonology, while the more experienced participants were expecting to learn about what is new in paediatric pulmonology. Paediatric rare diseases emerged as the topic most relevant for future research or educational activities.
In the future, it is hoped that this course will continue to attract paediatric pulmonologists from around the world and that it will become a key appointment for young medical doctors who are interested in paediatric pulmonology.
Diana Marangu, Kenya, a participant
It was a great privilege and honour to be selected as one of the ERS bursary recipients to attend the 2017 summer school of paediatric respiratory medicine. As a Kenyan paediatrician pursuing a clinical fellowship in paediatric pulmonology at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital/University of Cape Town, South Africa, I considered it an opportune time to undertake this international course to gauge the level of knowledge and skills that I had gained halfway through my training, to identify the areas that I needed to strengthen, and to help me prepare for my fellowship exams in 2018. The course lived up to my expectations. It was an excellent opportunity to learn from world renowned leaders in paediatric lung health, engage with colleagues from across the globe, share experiences and foster networks for future collaborations. The course was held in the beautiful city of Barcelona, Spain. The organisers were friendly and helpful, and the overall atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Participants were predominantly from Europe, but also included colleagues from Asia, America and myself from Africa, highlighting the international calibre of this ERS organised course.
Topics presented by the faculty were varied including infectious diseases, interstitial lung diseases, cystic fibrosis and sleep disordered breathing. Reading material had been made available to participants prior to the course. The use of an interactive polling platform during the lectures kept us engaged, I have subsequently incorporated this technique into my own presentations. I particularly enjoyed the lung function testing, bronchoscopy and imaging workshops. Similarly, the case presentation sessions prepared by fellow participants were very intriguing. These sessions gave participants an opportunity to share interesting cases from their respective institutions and for the faculty and other colleagues to provide their input. I learnt so much from my fellow participants, and the faculty were stellar, providing various perspectives. Through these interactions, I also got the opportunity to identify my personal knowledge and skill gaps related to paediatric pulmonology. Although the session on preparation for examinations was specific to the HERMES exam, I found it quite relevant to my upcoming exams.
I wouldn’t say there were any controversies per se during this course, but an area of interest that emerged during one of our discussions regarded sputum induction in the diagnosis of TB in children. This is a simple and effective technique that is widely used at the centre that I am training in. During our breaks, a couple of colleagues approached me enquiring about the practical aspects of this technique and I was happy to share our experience. I was also pleased that I continued to learn from fellow participants through informal conversations during the breaks. Most importantly, I met great people and made some wonderful friends. In the future I hope I will get an opportunity to collaborate with the colleagues and faculty I met. I am truly grateful to the ERS for this amazing opportunity.
Nino Mchedlishvili, Georgia, a participant
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the ERS for granting me a bursary and giving me an opportunity to attend the 2017 summer school of paediatric respiratory medicine in Barcelona, Spain. Such awards are extremely important for young specialists, especially those from low or middle income countries who have limited resources available to participate in educational events abroad.
I am a paediatrician, allergist and immunologist working at the Center of Allergy and Immunology in Tbilisi, Georgia. In my everyday practice I am responsible for diagnosis and clinical management of different allergic and immunological diseases in paediatric patients. Participation in the summer school of paediatric respiratory medicine was of great benefit for me as well as for my home institution. During the course I met the most outstanding experts in the field and had the opportunity to network with them. We obtained a general overview of what is needed for proper orientation through the process of career development in this particular field of pulmonary medicine.
The venue was a perfect place for such course, the course itself was held in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Barcelona, and in addition to the interesting course we were deeply impressed by a social event organised by the ERS, namely a guided city tour to visit many lovely places, which facilitated networking with other participants. It is worth mentioning that the atmosphere of the course was very friendly and pleasant, and the faculty of international experts in paediatric respiratory medicine were attentive and helpful. This had a positive impact on our engagement in the educational process and facilitated rich intercollegiate discussions with analysis of specific clinical cases and exchange of professional experience, which is extremely important for young professionals in the early stages of their careers.
The structure of the course was very inclusive, with a range of formats including lectures, workshops and interactive sessions with MCQs. Most of the course attendees were preparing for the European examination in paediatric respiratory medicine and the course covered important topics that are assessed in the exam. There was a good opportunity for all attendees to participate in discussions and ask questions. In addition, as mentioned above, the faculty were very helpful, giving their feedback on each question and debate, and sharing their own experiences, providing us with a unique opportunity to learn from the best. During the course some controversial issues arose and were actively discussed by participants. One of these was related to ciliary dyskinesia and cystic fibrosis, as diagnosis and treatment of this disease is not available in all developing countries, and even if it is available, it is very expensive and most patients living in developing countries can’t afford it, unfortunately. This is why we cannot suggest it widely and implement appropriate guidelines to treat this disease.
My expectations from the course were fully met. The course was a valuable and unique learning experience for me, with a lot of cutting-edge information and hot discussions. In addition, I’ve met the colleagues from other countries and built a relationship with them, which might trigger broader collaboration between our centres in the future. Being a member of the ERS gave me this opportunity. I strongly recommend all ERS members attend this course, especially those at an early stage of their careers, and benefit from all the educational activities that the ERS offers. I thank the ERS, the faculty and all the participants for such a wonderful adventure.
Footnotes
Conflict of interest None declared.
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