When Medicine was at its first steps, medical diagnosis was based on the physician's ability to identify and interpret correctly the symptoms of a disease/disorder. Through this process, physicians used all their clinical skills. In our era, however, new knowledge arises at a lignting speed and overflows us leading to subversion of dogmas and perceptions, diagnostic approaches and treatments. The Urologist has a great difficulty in keeping updated with all these rapid developments. Trasferring new knowledge from the theoretical level to clinical practice takes time and requires Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning. On the other hand, contemporary educational trends have replaced the traditional theoretical-amphitheater teaching process, by bringing forward modern methods that have been adopted by the international academic community. Towards this direction and based on the USUD long educational experience upon different fields of Urology (Andrology, prostatic diseases, urinary/ continence disorders), we set up in 2008 a real School, where the Participants have "equal time" with the Tutors and where evidence-based medical knowledge meets daily clinical practice and experience. The aim of Uroschool is to set prevailing scientific trends and stimulate discussions among colleagues on therapeutic options, sharing knowledge, experience and concerns -always focusing on good clinical practices, ethics and the patient's benefit.
Who is UroSchool addressed to?
UroSchool is addressed exclusively to Urologists who -despite their everyday heavy schedule- have never stopped seeking new knowledge. It is particularly addressed to younger colleagues who, due to working and economic conditions, have fewer opportunities for Continuing Education. Within this context, a limited number of positions is provided to Residents who go through their last year of Residency and get prepared for examinations.
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Educational Sections
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Workshops
Workshops aim at providing specialized knowledge upon issues concerning every Urologist. Each presentation lasts 10-15 min (up to 15 transparencies) and then follows discussion with the audience on practical examples set by the Tutors.
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UroSwords
Duels have been diachronically the fight between two opponents -the duelers- at a predetermined place and time, with the presence of witnesses. Likewise, 2 Urologists will 'duel' to support 2 opposite positions. The process comprises structured questions set by the 'Referree' of the duel. Every question corresponds to one round. Following each round, the audience votes for the winner. The final winner is the one who wins most rounds (the overall number of rounds is always an odd number, so as to have a winner).
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Interactive Seminars
Interactive seminars aim at fully covering a nosological entity -from its etiopathogenesis to its therapy. Thus, participants are offered the potential to have one "final rehearsal" before incorporating and integrating the new knowledge to their clinical practice.
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Working Groups/ Virtual Patients
In medical practice we come face to face with dilemmas more and more often. The patient asks for a second opinion and a problem arises when physicians have contradictory opinions. Working groups are the most interactive part of UroSchool. Students are divided in groups and discuss among them, so as to exchange concerns and viewpoints. A case is presented that has more than one therapeutic options available. The use of virtual patients via Internet provides each student the potential to manage the case. The next morning, the treatment management is presented before the whole group, followed by comments and criticism and a final effort for reaching a consensus.
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Surgical Secrets
Surgical secrets probably compose the most difficult part with regard to conveying skills and experience. They aim at helping achieve the optimal surgical result and avoid complications. However, all surgeons come in face with complications and some of them are real nightmares both for the patient and the therapist physician. All participatnts are called to expose their own experience sharing secrets of their "surgical art", as well as strategies for reducing complication rate.
General Information
Location/ Venue
According to the tradition, Apollo was carrying baby Asclepius, the Father of Medicine -after his mother's death- to Centaur Chiron to Pelio. Centaur Hiron raised Asclepius and conveyed all his therapeutic knowledge to him. Zeus placed the figure of Asclepius holding the therapeutic snake among the stars right next to the figure of his Teacher Centaur Chiron. The above mythological information justifies why we selected Pelio as our UroSchool location. Portaria is the most easily accessible village in Pelio. Our experience has shown that getting isolated at a particularly blessed natural landscape, -the favorite resort of the gods of Olympus- meets ideally the objectives of UroSchool. The aim is to have a plain but respectable scientific event, avoiding any exagerration or anything foreign to the learning process.
Stay
Portaria has many hotels and guesthouses. In order to meet the needs of the conference, a sufficient number of rooms have been reserved at 3 hotels, within a short distance from the UroSchool venue.