Postgraduate Programme of the British Yugoslav Medical Association

Broad aims of the Medicus

The Medicus is a Charity registered in the United Kingdom (Charity No. 1088214). It aims to contribute to efforts to advance medical training, provision of health care, and medical science in Yugoslavia.

Specific aims of the Postgraduate Programme

Medical education, practice, and science in Yugoslavia have suffered enormously during 10 years of wars, sanctions and corruption. Whilst some medical professionals have managed to keep up with the developments, this has not been possible for the majority. The Medicus has, therefore, established a programme consisting of lectures, short seminars and postgraduate schools as a means of bringing up-to-date medical knowledge to colleagues in Yugoslavia. Although the programme is mainly directed at professionals from what is currently known as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Medicus encourages participation of colleagues from other, former Yugoslav republics.

A further long-term objective of the Postgraduate Programme is to help colleagues from Yugoslavia establish links with foreign experts, which will, hopefully, lead to closer links, collaborative projects and further exchanges.

Postgraduate schools, seminars and lectures

The Medicus supports a number of ways for disseminating medical knowledge, including provision of books and journals, and exchanges of medical professionals between Britain and Yugoslavia. However, the Medicus believes that, at present, Postgraduate Courses, seminars and lectures by foreign experts in Yugoslavia are the most cost-effective means of helping colleagues in Yugoslavia catch up with the developments in medical practice, and clinical and basic science.

The Medicus has organised a number of lectures by UK doctors (e.g. Mr Peter Hamlyn, Consultant Neurosurgeon from London), and seminars (e.g. Dr Anna Kelsey and Dr Gordan Vujanić Pathologists from Manchester and Cardiff, respectively). It is currently organising a postgraduate school in Allergy and Clinical Immunology jointly with the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, which will be held in Palic, a resort north of Belgrade, in June 2002.

Format

Seminars
The intention of seminars is to focus on a specific topic of interest to individual specialties. An example of this is the seminar on paediatric tumours which was a hands-on practical seminar (workshop) at which slides of paediatric tumours were reviewed by participants under supervision of two lecturers from the UK. Such seminars require modest funding (travel and 2-3 day accommodation) and are usually based at one of the major medical institutions in Yugoslavia.

Postgraduate Schools
Ideally, postgraduate courses should be held outside Belgrade, in a small town or resort, where participants and lecturers stay for the entire duration of the school (between 2-4 days). This format is intended to enable close and abundant contact between the foreign lecturers and local participants, as well as between the participants themselves. The Course is usually approved and supported by one of the Medical Schools in Yugoslavia, as well as the sponsoring foreign institution (e.g. the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology). The organisation is conducted by the Organising Scientific Committee which consists of local and foreign members.

The programme consists of an opening/introductory lecture, followed by a series of lectures, workshops and Meet the Professor Seminars on specific topics. Emphasis is placed on issues of practical relevance, including justification/clarification of treatment guidelines, good clinical practice, organisation of clinical and laboratory practice and cost-effectiveness. The daily programmes does not end at 5.00 pm, but continues in a less formal manner throughout the evening.Typically, such a Postgraduate School would cost around 30,000 to 40,000 Euro.

Current Schools under consideration
The Medicus has so far established 10 specialist sections  (Anaesthetics, Biochemistry, Dentistry, Immunology, Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, Pathology, Pharmacy, Psychiatry, Surgery) each with a Section Head. To date three of these Sections (Internal Medicine [a school in Haematology], Pschiatry [Mental health Problems in Children] and Aneasthetics have been drawing up programmes for their Postgraduate Schools. Suitable contacts and co-organisers are being sought in Yugoslavia. A number of British lecturers have already been identified, and these have kindly accepted to lecture free of charge.

Lectures
The Medicus encourages lectures by British experts in their field of interest, especially if the topics are of strategic importance to the medical practice in Yugoslavia. The Medicus will wish to ensure that such lectures can be attended by as many participants as possible and are not restricted to one institution or city.

Funding

It is hoped that each school, seminar and lecture will receive financial support from one major sponsor. This will be gratefully acknowledged and, if appropriate, the sponsor name will be incorporated into the title of the programme. It is anticipated that additional funding may be needed; this may be provided by local or foreign pharmaceutical companies or manufacturers of medical equipment. The funding by the latter will have to be on a grant-in-aid basis, i.e. the company may not influence the content of the programme, but will be allowed to display their products. Any such participation will have to be approved by the Organising Committee. Sponsorship that is subject to one product-related lecture or symposium will be accepted, provided the latter do not distort the agenda of the meeting and do not deter the audience from coming to the main programme.

Division of Infection, Inflammation and Repair, Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, Level D, Centre Block
Southampton University General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD, United Kingdom
© Copyright 2001 - All rights reserved