“Knowledge-enriching, suitable for all medical expertise levels, confidence-building, and full of networking opportunities and practical applications for daily use.” These are the phrases Dr. Diana Maria Morosan used to joyfully describe her week at the OMI. The Belgian pediatrician is one of 38 fellows who attended the CME-accredited pediatric endocrinology and diabetes course that took place from November 1 to 7, 2026.
As such, this seminar has never been held in this format before, as it used to cover pediatric nephrology as well. The course was in extremely high demand, with 342 applications. Course director Dr. Andrew C. Calabria exclaimed that he and the faculty were “excited that there were so many applications for the updated program as we hope to attract more clinicians to our exciting field and meet the needs of the interested fellows.”
The participants traveled from 29 different countries, including Albania, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Mexico, Romania, Serbia, Tanzania, and Uzbekistan, to take part in the week-long learning opportunity. As usual, our partner institution in peds was the esteemed Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The partnership between CHOP and OMI goes back to 1994 and spans over 170 courses. U.S. News & World Report ranked CHOP among the best children’s hospitals for pediatric endocrinology care in the USA for 2026-2027. They are also ranked among the best pediatric endocrinology programs in the nation by Newsweek.
From CHOP, we were honored to host four out of five faculty members. Course director Dr. Andrew C. Calabria, who is the Clinical Director of the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes at CHOP, specializes in mineral metabolism and general endocrinology. He was joined Dr. Christopher Gibson, Dr. Jacquelyn Hatch-Stein, and Dr. Katherine Lord. From Austria, Dr. Daniel Weghuber from the University Hospital/ Uniklinikum Salzburg enriched the event with his expertise. The faculty cohort worked well together, pooling their knowledge of the specialized pediatric subject into their lectures and answering the fellows’ many questions. The course director was present for the third time, while the remainder of the faculty were newcomers to the OMI programs.
“The program covered a wide range of endocrine conditions, with a focus on disorders of growth, puberty, obesity, thyroid, adrenal, gonadal and sexual development, pituitary, bone and mineral homeostasis, and cancer survivorship. The program also extensively reviewed disorders of glucose homeostasis, including type 1 diabetes with a focus on diabetes technology and prevention, type 2 diabetes, and hypoglycemia,” summarized the course director.
A highlight of the course was the fellows’ case presentation sessions, during which the participants were able to present a clinical case from their own institution. These workshops not only allowed the fellows to present a case in English to an international audience but also to receive invaluable feedback from world-class experts in the field. The participants, as well as the faculty, enjoyed listening to their international colleagues’ cases and learned more about healthcare systems in different countries.
Dr. Calabria believes that it is extremely important to offer education in the areas of pediatric endocrinology and diabetes to international doctors. The course director expands on this notion in a statement:
“Focused training and education in pediatric endocrinology and diabetes remain critical on a worldwide scale. The incidence of type 1 diabetes is increasing across nearly all regions and in all pediatric age groups. The ability to recognize and treat type 1 diabetes is paramount to support the quality of life of patients with the condition and prevent long-term complications. With variable screening practices in place throughout the world, the diagnosis of congenital disorders (congenital hypothyroidism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, congenital hyperinsulinism) requires astute clinical expertise to identify these patients at an early age to optimally treat and prevent serious morbidity and mortality. Nutritional disorders, whether it be deficiency (e.g., rickets) or excess (e.g., obesity, type 2 diabetes, PMOS), can impact patients throughout the world and also require early intervention.”
Lizete Braivo, MD
OMI fellow from Latvia
“I was particularly interested in the lecture on diabetes prevention by Dr. Jacquelyn Hatch-Stein, as I have previously conducted a pilot diabetes screening project in Latvia and would like to develop a nationwide screening program. The experience shared regarding screening and Teplizumab treatment will be very helpful when planning our next steps.”
Rocio del Pilar Pereira Ospina, MD
OMI fellow from Colombia
“Course director Dr. Andrew C. Calabria discussed disorders involving calcium metabolism. This topic was particularly important to me. In the neonatal unit where I work, we see several cases of cardiac conditions associated with hypocalcemia, which makes us quite familiar with DiGeorge syndrome.”
Tat Votthoeun, MD
OMI fellow from Cambodia
“Every faculty member taught well, but childhood obesity is the topic I will remember the most. I had not worked much with it before. Dr. Daniel Weghuber went through real cases in his lectures, and we kept talking about it at dinner. I came away with a clearer idea of where to start with these children and how to involve their families.”
