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ISN EAP opens doors for tailor-made education in Ecuador
ISN Educational Ambassador Helmut Rennke, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, United States, was the first to kick start the program in June 2010. After returning from his visit to the Clinica de los Ri?ones Menydial in Ecuador, he says he did not want to teach pathologists but share his approach in analyzing kidney biopsies.
He believes that the Educational Ambassador Program (EAP) complements the ISN Fellowship Program, influencing a broader group of nephrologists in the country. The visit combined several daily meetings, talks as well as question and answer sessions.
“In Ecuador, there are no specialists in renal pathology. This was an excellent learning opportunity for nephrologists and pathologists alike,“ adds the clinic’s director Cristobal Santacruz. The course revealed how pathologists and nephrologists should work together to fully analyze kidney tissue and provide patients with a more precise diagnosis.
According to Rennke, to be a good Educational Ambassador you have to give what you have. “Being approachable is essential and, in some countries, good language skills are vital. There is a lot of preparation to do beforehand. However, thanks to the help of representatives from the clinic, we managed to shape a tailor-made course,“ he says.
ISN Educational Ambassador gives back to local doctors in own region
In November 2010, Ayo Shonibare from Lagos Vantage Medical Center and visiting consultant at Saint-Nicolas hospital also in Lagos, Nigeria took time out from his daily work to visit the Dialysis Center at Doula General Hospital, Cameroon. He is one example of how the ISN Global Outreach (GO) Educational Ambassador Program is encouraging more doctors to share expertise on a regional level.
“I am thankful to ISN for this opportunity. My time is Douala was hard work but it was most rewarding. I left Cameroon feeling I had made a positive impact on the lives of many patients who will now benefit from better quality dialysis as a result of good vascular access,“ says Shonibare.
Local surgeons were in dire need of more training in fistula surgery. Through the ISN GO Educational Ambassadors Program, Shonibare provided guidance and training on inserting long-term dialysis catheters and Radio-Cephalic Fistulae surgery.
He believes a good Educational Ambassador is one who is willing to sacrifice time, effort and resources to help fellow colleague gain valuable knowledge or skills. “I would certainly recommend others to volunteer. The privileged few can afford to transfer their knowledge to others who are not so fortunate – for the benefit of humanity,“ he concludes.