Children are in a constant stage of change, and kidney disease or an endocrine disorder can affect how a child grows and develops, as well as can contribute to the development of diabetes. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Division of Endocrinology provides children with advanced treatment options for a broad range of endocrine disorders, as well as the Division of Nephrology offers support services that assist children in reaching the best level of health possible. This week, the OMI was honored to have experts from these departments teach 31 fellows from 24 countries during the Salzburg CHOP Seminar in Pediatric Endocrinology and Nephrology, which took place from March 19-25, 2023.
Dr. Andrew C. Calabria, Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, led the course alongside Dr. Madhura Pradhan, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Christoph J. Mache, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Medical University of Graz, served as the co-course director. Additional expert faculty members from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia included Dr. Vaneeta Bamba and Dr. Susan L. Furth.
The exceptional group of faculty members created a dynamic schedule of 20 didactic lectures which covered topics such as Puberty, Chronic Kidney Disease, HUS – Infection Related, Adrenal, Pituitary/Diabetes Insipidus, Hypoglycemia, and more. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons were dedicated to fellows’ case presentations that focused on real cases from their personal work experience. This opportunity is much appreciated by fellows, as they not only receive feedback and advice on their case from faculty and fellows, but they have the chance to learn about unusual or common cases in other parts of the world that they may not see as often. This week, six cases were selected by the faculty as excellent case presentations, which are published on the OMI online case library.
With so much input during the week, faculty and fellows enjoyed a much-deserved free afternoon on Wednesday, in which many explored the old town of Salzburg, visited a traditional Austrian coffee house, or ventured to nearby countryside villages. Faculty took the afternoon to explore the beloved, mountainside, lakeside village of Hallstatt.
Fellows developed a strong bond throughout the week, and the Friday evening graduation dinner and ceremony was a special time to relax and celebrate their accomplishments from the week!
Andrew C. Calabria, MD
OMI Course Director
What a tremendous week. It has been gratifying to share my experiences as a pediatric endocrinologist with such an engaged and invested audience. I have been impressed by the high quality of the questions and the case presentations that I have reviewed with fellows. The ability to hear about the personal experiences of fellows at coffee breaks and meals has also been quite inspiring.
Madhura Pradhan, MD
OMI Course Director
I returned to the OMI in Salzburg after 12 years and once again, I had one of the most rewarding experiences! Interacting with fellows from over 20 countries in and outside of the classroom provided a unique perspective on the practice of medicine. The enthusiasm, energy, and active participation from the fellows was both contagious and inspiring!
