Mom, My Tummy Hurts!

“The OMI program is a fantastic opportunity for learning, sharing, and collaborating. I have been incredibly impressed by the quality of the interactions with the fellows and the extraordinary enthusiasm and engagement during the program. I am delighted to give my time to this experience because of the bidirectional learning – while I am here as an expert to teach, I am incredibly fortunate to learn from the fellows and enrich my own knowledge as well,” explains Dr. Binita M. Kamath, an international leader and world-renowned expert in pediatric hepatology, who became Division Chief of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (GI) at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) a year ago and joined the OMI faculty for this week’s seminar in Pediatric Gastroenterology.

With 60+ pediatric gastroenterologists, the CHOP GI Division is one of the largest of its kind in the world, caring for thousands of patients each year. The OMI is thrilled to have been working with this esteemed division over the course of 27 years to educate the future generation of pediatric gastroenterologists worldwide. The first seminar of this kind took place in Salzburg in 1998, after which the course followed a three-year curriculum.

This year’s seminar took place in the first week of June, with 35 fellows from 29 countries and five continents gathering at Schloss Arenberg to soak up not only the summer sun but also the knowledge provided by six esteemed faculty members. The young pediatricians stemmed from 29 different countries, including but not limited to Albania, Bhutan, Botswana, Colombia, Ghana, Mongolia, South Africa, Slovakia, and Vietnam.

The seminar was led by the power duo Dr. Petar Mamula (CHOP), who has been involved in this endeavor since 2004, and Dr. Almuthe C. Hauer (Medical University of Graz). Both are known for their in-depth GI knowledge and their excellence as teachers. Dr. Amanda B. Muir and Dr. Andrew B. Grossman (CHOP) made up the remaining faculty cohort.

The GI seminar covered a wide range of topics in the field. These ranged from diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and pancreatitis, to autoimmune liver disease, cholestasis, and liver transplantation. In addition, endoscopic management of foreign bodies, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and polypectomy were discussed. Finally, two new lectures on gastrointestinal surgical emergencies and the exploration of gastroenterology through research were introduced.

“I felt like I was part of a family and encouraged to be at the core of the greater picture! This motto stood out: ‘Bringing global change, one individual at a time’. This was an unforgettable week,” summarizes Dr. Rachel Mlotha Mitole from South Africa.