Introduction to the 21st IBD Intensive Course for Trainees
Kostas Karmiris, EduCom Member
 Konstantinos Karmiris © ECCO |
The 21st ECCO IBD Intensive Course for Trainees, Copenhagen 2023
The IBD Intensive Course for Trainees will take place over one day on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, prior to the start of the main ECCO Congress.
The ECCO IBD Intensive Course for Trainees has become a tradition. It is the oldest ECCO Educational Initiative, having been conceived back in 2003 before the launch of the ECCO Congress, and is the cornerstone of the Educational Committee’s activities. I remember attending the “2nd Intensive Clinical Course for Residents, Fellows and Junior Faculty”, delivered as an affiliated course during the 140th Falk Symposium in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in 2004. This was perhaps the most comprehensive IBD course that I had ever attended as a trainee and it inspired me to further in-depth engagement with IBD.
The aim of this course is to offer an overview of up-to-date knowledge in certain IBD core curriculum areas of interest. Participants are advanced fellows from numerous countries around the globe, the majority of them originating from Europe. The selection process is the responsibility of the National Representatives and participation is restricted to two or three attendees per country. The faculty is carefully chosen not just for their expertise in the areas on which they are invited to speak, but also for their ability as educators.
The course is structured in different sessions. The first and second sessions include lectures by leading IBD experts on IBD epidemiology, pathogenesis, therapeutics, medication in the pipeline and positioning of therapeutic strategies. Presentations are case based in order to better reflect everyday clinical practice and to stimulate interactivity. Another important mission of the course is to promote social interaction among attendees, in the expectation that this will promote networking for future scientific collaborations as well as (Why not?) participation in ECCO Initiatives and Working Groups. Thus, the third session consists of round tables in a cabaret style setting, with a faculty member discussing an interesting IBD topic with eight attendees at each table. The topics to be addressed in 2023 are pregnancy, extraintestinal manifestations, when and how to start biologics, complications associated with anti-TNF therapy, therapeutic drug monitoring, exit strategy and therapeutic endoscopy in IBD. Rotation among the tables will offer all attendees the possibility to interact with the faculty group and to deepen their knowledge. This year, a lecture on the approach to IBD patients beyond therapies has been added to the course and will open the third session.
Despite their discouraging workload, physicians recognise the importance of discussing with the patient a wide spectrum of issues that he/she encounters in his/her everyday life, including guidance on screening and monitoring for common medical conditions. Active participation of the attendees during the sessions is integral to the success of the course and this aspect is facilitated by the relaxed and friendly atmosphere that is ensured by the organisers. A certificate of participation can be obtained at the end of the course, providing CME credits.
Please bear in mind that the COVID-19 pandemic may alter the schedule of the course if the ECCO Congress 2023 has to go virtual. We very much look forward to meeting you at the 21st IBD Intensive Advanced Course in Copenhagen, Denmark and to lively discussions on all of the course topics.
Kostas Karmiris
On behalf of the ECCO Educational Officer: Fernando Magro and of the ECCO Educational Committee