1. Pancreas 2000 - a new concept for education and development in pancreatology
- Author
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B Holmberg, Thomas Gasslander, and Johan Permert
- Subjects
Medical education ,International network ,Hepatology ,Drug Industry ,Universities ,business.industry ,Group leadership ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,International Cooperation ,Research ,Solvay Pharmaceuticals ,Gastroenterology ,Pancreatic Diseases ,Europe ,Leadership ,Medicine ,Humans ,business ,Educational program ,Pancreas ,Statistician - Abstract
group meets at six 3-day meetings. These takes place at the different universities where the mentors are working. To the fi rst course, which started in August 1999, participants were recruited from the Nordic and Baltic countries, to the second and 3rd courses participants from several northern European countries, including Germany, Switzerland, UK, France, and the Czech republic, were invited. Along with pancreatological education and leadership training the participants also plan and carry through scientifi c projects in network-based groups of 5–6 persons, guided by two mentors. This implies brain-storming for research ideas (fi rst meeting), implement ideas to research protocols, apply for ethical approval and funding, realise the projects and write a manuscript suitable for submission. The scientifi c projects also runs between the meetings and the aim is to fi nish the different projects during the two and a half years. This has, however, not always been possible. Some of the groups have thus continued and fi nished their projects outside the timeframe of the six meetings but still within the Pancreas 2000 network. This far, 13 different projects have been initiated and of these 5 have been accepted or published [1–5] and 4 have been, or will soon be, submitted [6–9] . One study of risk factors, predictors and course in ERCP-induced acute pancreatitis is ongoing and three of the initiated projects will probably not be completed. During the last decades the number of active scientists within pancreatology has decreased in Europe and the age of the active scientists has increased. To guarantee the future of clinical pancreatology and pancreatic research, the educational program ‘Pancreas 2000’ started in August 1999. This is a new concept for continuous collaboration between the university (Karolinska Institutet) and the pharmacological industry (Solvay Pharmaceuticals) with the purpose of creating an international network of physicians/scientists interested in pancreatology and thus to contribute to a positive development of European pancreatology. This is a true collaboration, scientifi c as well as economic, as the program is sponsored partly by the respective departments of the participants and partly by the industry. The program is designed to stimulate development in especially three areas: pancreatology, scientifi c thinking and group leadership. The program, of which the 3rd course now is running, has recruited 22–25 young physicians/scientists to each course. They work together with 10 senior pancreatologists, the mentors. The mentors are actively contributing to the lectures and discussions and, furthermore, to every meeting special guests (world leading pancreatologists) are also invited to give lectures. Associated to the program is one leadership expert, who participates in every meeting, and a statistician. One program runs over two and a half years during which the Published online: August 18, 2005
- Published
- 2005