Posted by : Admin|Date : 15 Oct, 2023|Location : Karamsad

BU organized the 10th National Conference of Pediatric Education in association with the Academy of Pediatrics Karamsad under the aegis of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics Medical Education Chapter

Bhaikaka University organized the 10th National Conference of Pediatric Education in association with the Academy of Pediatrics Karamsad under the aegis of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics Medical Education Chapter (IAP-MEC) on 14-15 October 2023.

The IAP-MEC is a National Body of professionals devoted to Pediatric education and is a subgroup of the large body of 40000 Pediatricians of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics. 35 faculties from all over India , 27 faculties from Gujarat, and more than 100 delegates participated in the conference.

The conference was meticulously organized under the able leadership of Dr. Somashekhar Nimbalkar, Head Department of Neonatology, Pramukhswami Medical College, Bhaikaka University, Karamsad as the Organizing Chairperson. Dr Purvi Patel, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Pramukhswami Medical College ,Bhaikaka University, Karamsad and Dr. Jigar Thacker, served as the Organizing Secretaries, and their dedicated efforts contributed significantly to the success of the event. Dr. Krutika Tandon, Head Department of Pediatrics, Pramukhswami Medical College, Bhaikaka University, Karamsad also played a pivotal role in ensuring overall success of the conference .

The conference is an annual IAP- MEC group event, which meets to discuss the latest changes in education and how it can be used to improve training in Pediatrics for undergraduate MBBS students and postgraduate MD/MS students. Various modalities of training are debated and discussed during this event. It also features Dr. PN Krishnamurthy`s oration was delivered by an eminent Educationist from the Pediatric fraternity.

At the inaugural function, Dr Harishkumar Pemde, Chairperson elect, IAP-MEC said that there is a high demand for PG seats for paediatrics and the teachers' ratio should increase.

Dr Vishnu Mohan, PT treasurer, IAP, said that there are 700 medical colleges and more than 3000 paediatrics. He stressed that Self-learning is important.

The communication book was released on this occasion. Dr. Vishal Parmar emphasized that communication is very important while treating patients in wards and OPD. Doctors should win the trust of parents while counselling, he added.

Dr Krutika Tondon expressed that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic increased the opportunities for paediatrics and a greater number of medicine students chose paediatrics as a career choice and entered the pediatric workforce.

Dr Jitesh Desai, Medical Superintendent, Shree Krishna Hosptial, Karamsad said that there is a gap in the government`s sweeping reforms in medical education. Since our existing medical curriculum does not focus on this issue, it should be reformed to integrate AI strategically across different stages of MBBS training.

Six workshops were organised during the conference in which 180 delegates participated. The workshop on "Effective Pediatric Communication", led by Dr Vishal Parmar, covered communication in different pediatric settings, and "Empowering Adolescent Mental Wellness" led by Prof. Bhalendu Vaishnav, addressed strategies for improving adolescent mental health. Other workshops include "Scientific Manuscript Writing" led by Mr. Ajay Phatak, "Objective Clinical Assessment" by Prof. Joseph John, "Competency-Based Medical Education" by Prof. Praveen Singh, and "Clinical Skill Lab Optimization" led by Dr. Vijay Jamalpuri.

The conference covered a wide range of topics, including educational challenges and advancement. The key discussions were on the role of AI in paediatrics, the future of pediatric education, strategies for improving student success, engaging debates on global healthcare needs and NMC versus the former MCI.

A significant highlight was Dr. PN Krishnamurthy's Oration, delivered by Prof. Dr. Swarnarekha Bhat, which addressed the challenges faced by clinician-educators. The event concluded with the resolution to reconvene in Chennai next year for further discussions on evolving trends in the field.

One of the highlights of this conference was that postgraduates and undergraduates were involved as faculty in the conference and their views were sought on various aspects of pediatric teaching. Also, an interesting skit called MED-TANK was performed by undergraduates and postgraduates which highlighted the scenarios in teaching and clinical care in Pediatrics.