In early December, Harvard Medical School Dubai Center
(HMSDC) presented Specialty Practi-Med: Women’s
Health Throughout the Life Cycle, a two-day continuing
medical education (CME) conference in Dubai attended
by approximately 160 gynecologists, obstetricians,
nurses, and general practitioners from the Gulf Region.
This HMSDC course was the first to award delegates
with CME credits toward the American Medical Association
Physician’s Recognition Award.
Benjamin Sachs, DPH, MB, BS, professor of medicine
at HMS and chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Beth
Israel Deaconess Medical Center, led a multidisciplinary
faculty that included faculty from HMS and local institutions,
including four physicians practicing in the United
Arab Emirates. “The lecturers and audience took
the discussions to a very high level academically,”
said Sachs, adding that “the faculty enjoyed
interacting with participants with respect to both
medicine and culture.”
“Continuing medical education programs like
this one are a vital resource for health care providers,
both generalists and specialists, working to keep
up with the latest advances in health care,”
said Muhadditha Yahya Al-Hashimi, DrPH, director of
education at HMSDC. Pleased with the attendance of
the program, she noted that several attendees praised
the interactive format of the program and appreciated
the opportunity to discuss various topics with faculty.
The program’s first day focused on care of
adolescent girls, including interactive sessions addressing
medical issues related to pregnancy, and family planning
and pre-conception counseling. During the afternoon
session, small-group workshops led by faculty discussed
the treatment of asthma during pregnancy, dysfunctional
uterine bleeding, and prenatal diagnostic testing.
The second day of the course focused primarily on
health care issues of adult women, including cardiac
disease, osteoporosis, cancer, and menopause. The
afternoon again featured small-group workshops addressing
gynecological issues including family planning and
contraception, fertility after breast cancer, and
preeclampsia.
“The program was very successful both in attendance
and in addressing the particular needs of Gulf Region
practitioners while providing up-to-date information
on the full range of medical issues related to the
health of women,” said Robert L. Thurer, MD,
chief academic officer of HMSDC. “We look forward
to providing similar world-class CME programs in the
coming year.” He noted that programs for 2006
are already in the planning stages, including an update
on oncology and a course on the management of obesity
and its complications.
(Originally published in HMI World: (www.hmiworld.org)
January/February 2006)
