Abstract
Since my first participation in UEG classroom courses in 2009, I have learned that scientific activities can be educational and at the same time enjoyable. My first course was a professional trainee course on the management of biliary diseases, and it was a 2-day course held at the Academic Medical Center (AMC). The course was announced on the United European Gastroenterology (UEG) website, and I completed an online application form to participate in the course.
The course represented an ideal opportunity for me to participate in this specifically tailored educational programme. The programme was a mixture of state-of-the-art lectures on the first day and parallel hands-on training sessions on the second day. I expanded my knowledge in management of biliary diseases in general, and have gained some hands-on skills in diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic retrograde choleangiopancreatography (ERCP) and abdominal ultrasound.
My first fruitful experience with UEG classroom courses encouraged me to apply for subsequent courses. I was lucky to be accepted for another practice course that was held at the International Congress Center, Berlin, Germany on 12–13 October 2013, on the occasion of the UEG Week.
The course was titled ‘Evidence-Based Medicine’ and it gave me the chance to be trained on how to formulate a research question in a scientific way (Problem, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes; PICO format) and how to search a literature database to answer this question. With the help of the eminent course instructors we had practical training in small work groups on how to critically appraise different types of studies and decide whether or not to incorporate their results into our clinical practice.
UEG courses are a mixture of learning together with social connections and cultural experiences. Courses cover both basic science and evidence-based clinical aspect of gastroenterology. The Education Committee of UEG aims to develop effective and up-to-date training tools and teaching formats to meet the learning requirements of young gastroenterologists, and thus enhance the quality of teaching activities. When you apply and get accepted for a UEG course you can expect to meet many colleagues from different countries with diverse clinical and research interests, and different cultural backgrounds.
Courses give you the opportunity to learn new skills and techniques, and to share your experience with colleagues in addition to expanding your network of friends all over the world.
Arrangements for accommodation, travelling and social night gatherings are managed by the very organized UEG secretariat, which runs the course very smoothly and makes participants feel that they are at their home institution.
Courses are run by a group of eminent speakers and instructors; they are fully oriented to the needs of the course participants and very interactive in their lectures. Educational modules involve workshops where course participants practise hands-on training under the supervision of their course instructors. Each participant has the full opportunity to ask, to argue and to share their experience.
After finishing the course, educational materials will be sent to all participants to review what they have learned and to further extend this knowledge to their colleagues. Evaluation forms are also collected after the course to get feedback from the participants about the course activities and needs for further improvement.
To sum up, I would recommend UEG classroom courses to every young gastroenterologist.
Participated at UEG Research Course 2011 and UEG Practice Course 2013
Mohamed Alboraie
Department of Internal Medicine,
Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
Participated at UEG Research Course 2011 and UEG Practice Course 2013
The next UEG Practice Course ‘Evidence-Based Medicine’ will be held on the occasion of UEG Week Barcelona 2015. The meeting aims to enhance and bring forward collaborations between young trainees and senior physicians in the field.
Application is open until July 26, 2015.
To find more information visit https://www.ueg.eu/education/courses/practice-courses/upcoming-course/