3 Less-Popular Options for Learning About Medicine- source US News

Source: U.S.news online education
It's common for people interested in medicine to shadow a doctor before applying to medical school, but this kind of experience may not always impress an admissions team
It's considered to be one of the most passive forms of clinical experience, says Alicia McNease Nimonkar, a medical school admissions consultant for Accepted, which helps people get into college and graduate school "You're not actively involved," says Nimonkar.
While applicants may clean some things as a fly on the wall, they're limited in how much they can do to really learn about medicine, experts say.
Clinical care opportunities that require training and allow applicants to share responsibility for the well-being of a patient is more impressive, experts say. Admissions officers know that when premed students explore medicine by becoming scribes or emergency medical technicians, two less-popular paths, they're learning about the nitty-gritty side. ​


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Staffing An Intensive Care Unit From Miles Away Has Advantages -NPR news

NPR website

Source: NPR website
Recovering from pneumonia is an unusual experience in the 10-bed intensive care unit at the Carolinas HealthCare System hospital in rural Lincolnton, N.C.

The small hospital has its regular staff, but Richard Gilbert, one of the ICU patients, has an extra nurse who is 45 miles away. That nurse, Cassie Gregor, sits in front of six computer screens in an office building. She wears a headset and comes into Gilbert's room via a computer screen.

A doorbell goes off before the camera turns on, to alert Gilbert that the nurse is looking in. They chitchat as Gregor monitors Gilbert's vital signs, asks how he's feeling and if there's anything he needs.

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Medical Schools Reboot For 21st Century -NPR news

NPR website

Source: NPR website

Medicine has changed a lot in the past 100 years. But medical training hasn't — until now. Spurred by the need to train a different type of doctor, some top medical schools around the U.S. are tearing up the textbooks and starting from scratch.
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352 students graduate in Jeddah

Source: Arabnews news paper

Batterjee Medical College for Science and Technology (BMC) recently celebrated the graduation of its fourth group of students.
The event was held under the auspices of Sobhi Batterjee, chairman of the board of trustees, and in the presence of parents and other guests at Sheikh Abdul Jalil Batterjee Auditorium on the BMC campus.

The ceremony began with the national anthem, recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an, and a visual presentation about the college and its programs. Batterjee welcomed the attendees and congratulated the graduates.

“You are the ambassadors of the BMC in the local and global community, and are going to represent your college in the labor market.

“We are confident that you are going to lead wonderful lives filled with achievements and successes,” he said. He also announced that the BMC would soon become Batterjee Medical University for Science and Technology and increase its capacity to accommodate more students, at a cost of SR500 million.

He said three branches would soon be launched in various regions of the Kingdom. In addition, the college will offer new majors starting from next year including respiratory therapy and occupational therapy.
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Saudi Health Exhibition 2015

This three-day event is the largest healthcare event in the kingdom and is the leading platform for the industry to meet, learn and do business. The exhibition will attract more than 13,000 healthcare professionals and host 500 of the world's leading healthcare suppliers, manufacturers and service providers.

Saudi Health is ideal for all looking to do business in the Saudi Arabian market. Whether you are looking to meet new contacts, reinforce existing partnerships or launch new products or services, Saudi Health can meet your needs.

 MOH to Organize the Saudi Health Exhibition and Conference-2015
08 March 2015
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced that the Saudi Health Exhibition and Conference 2015 will be held over the period from May 18th to 20th, 2015 (corresponding to Rajab 29th – Sha‘ban 2nd, 1436 H) at Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center (RICEC).

The Saudi Health Exhibition and Conference is reckoned the largest health event in the Kingdom, and provides a good opportunity for exchanging expertise,  identifying the best experiences in the health sector and introducing the latest technologies and services in the international markets.

It is worth mentioning that some educational conferences will be held during the event,  during which the attendees will get hours of continuing medical education (CME) accredited by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS), in such a manner meeting the needs of the Saudi healthcare market and training requirements in the Kingdom.

The next edition of the show is 18-20 May 2015 at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Doctors and Nurses, Not Learning Together - source The New work times

Source: The New work times

There are few group projects in medical school — which is strange when you consider that there are few solo practitioners in the real world.

During medical school, I spent countless evenings in a library, half-asleep, poring over textbooks and talking through cases with other medical students. What I did not do, ever, was take a class with anyone studying to be a nurse, physician assistant, pharmacist or social worker. Nor did I collaborate with any of these health professionals to complete a project, participate in a simulation or design a treatment plan. It wasn’t until residency that I first began to understand just how many professions come together to take care of a single patient — what exactly they do, how they do it, and how what I do makes their jobs easier or harder.

As a first-year resident, you finally learn to put into practice the theory of medicine you have been nurturing since fumbling around with organic chemistry models in college. You learn in a safe and hierarchical environment — with senior residents, fellows, consultants and attending physicians each demonstrating, with increasing degrees of nuance and sophistication, how much clinical medicine you have yet to learn and how far you have left to go.

But, in all that time, there is surprisingly little education on what it means to be a leader of a medical team, with its nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, dieticians and case managers. There is even less discussion of how to understand one another’s roles, perspectives, frustrations and limitations.

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MERS cases dramatically decline, says Saudi health chief

Source: arabianBusiness.com

The fatal Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus appears to be receding, according to Saudi Arabian health officials.

Health Ministry undersecretary for public health Dr Abdulaziz Bin Saeed said the number of reported cases had dramatically declined in recent months.

“In February last year we used to have about six cases every day. Now we often do not have more than a single isolated case in a day,” he was quoted by Saudi Gazette as saying.

“It is good to see the virus receding but it is too early for people to think that the virus has forever gone.”

There have been more than 1000 confirmed cases of the virus, which was first detected in Saudi Arabia in September, 2012.

MERS has spread to several other countries, with more than 350 confirmed deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

The virus was almost considered of epidemic proportions a year ago, but the number of cases has steadily declined.

Medical experts have been struggling to create a vaccine or determine exactly how the virus is spread, although it is believed to have originated in camels.

Bin Saeed said it was still premature to talk about a vaccine.

“This issue may take a long time to resolve and a lot of experimental work has to be done,” he was quoted as saying.

“The virus itself is ambiguous in its characteristics and features.”

The WHO in February criticised the kingdom’s poor infection control measures in hospitals for allowing the virus to spread among health professionals.

Two health ministers have been fired since MERS evolved.

Bin Saeed said he was satisfied with the improving levels of detection and prevention.

“This is a positive sign indicating the success of precautionary measures being taken against the spread of the deadly virus,” he said.

“The awareness programs about the virus and the best methods of protection have effectively contributed to containing its spread.”