European Master in Stroke Medicine - Feedback from WSO scholarships recipients

01 Mar 2019 Education

Below we present the feedback of the three recipients of the WSO scholarships for 2018.

Medhi Gorky

Sikkim Manipal Institute of medical sciences, India

Start: ESM 7/M1 October 2018

Question 1: Why is the program important?

Answer: The program, European Master in Stroke Medicine, I believe is very important because, this program gives an overview of the disease “Stroke” as well as its management including stroke prevention, rehabilitation. Students from all over the word viz. Asia, Europe, America, Africa have been enrolled here and all of them can communicate their local need and improvise management.

Questions 2: What have you learned / learning?

Answer: I am learning to get a holistic approach to stroke including epidemiology, treatment strategy, clinical perspective etc. I am much impressed by the lectures taken by the esteemed faculty from all over the world. It is a privilege to interact with them

Question 3: Are your personal expectation met?

Answer: Yes

Question 4: What is the most positive aspect of the program?

Answer: For me, being an interventional neuroradiologist I am involved only in endovascular management and of course with CT /MR diagnosis of stroke. This program gives me an opportunity to have a holistic approach to stroke patient starting from epidemiology, prevention, detection, management, rehabilitation. Also, it is a WSO certified program with a high quality of standard where the masters and mentors of stroke care are involved.

Question 5: How do you plan to make use of networking opportunities?

Answer: My short term goal is to make some good friends all over the world to keep me updated about stroke care in different parts of the world. A long-term goal is to organise scientific meeting /CME etc in my locality where I can invite my friends from all over the world who are very good in stroke care to share their practice and ideas

Question 6: What are your personal impression?

Answer: It’s a perfect platform to update, fine-tune one’s knowledge of stroke.

I am also obliged and thankful for receiving WSO scholarship as a 50% of the Tuition Fee / Course Fee without which it would have not been possible to complete the entire course for me because I need to bear the travel and accommodation also apart from course fees.

Question 7: What about making an alumni organisation? What should be its role?

Answer: It’s a great idea. Its role should be to take part in organising CME / activities to improve the stroke care in different parts of the world. To conduct a multi-centre study. Help each other to understand and improve stroke medicine.

Mamushet Yifru Yared

Addis Ababa University College of Health Sciences, Ethiopia

Start: ESM 7/M1 October 2018

Q.1 why the program is important?

While stroke continues to inflict death, disability and family tragedy in the world in my country. Equivalent response is needed. Concerning stroke, In my part of the world it is not only lack of resources which is hampering its care, but the know how and expertise on every aspect of stroke care is far below the standard.

A center like Danube University Krems where comprehensive training on stroke is given is one important way to prepare to fight the burden of stroke.

In my case I live in the African continent (East Africa) and we have no such center to give training. So attending such a program will help to transform not only my academic and professional standing on stroke ,but that of my country and of course Africa.

So such a program is important in helping us to get armed and ready in the big fight against Stroke.

Q.2What have you learned and learning.

After attending my first module I learned stroke pathophysiology, diagnostic approach and aspects of stroke prevention in detail by renowned experts in the sections they teach. And after I left my school in Krems holding the valuable input I already had ,am expanding my learning by reading more and increase my activities in relation to stroke science and care here in my country.

Q.3 Are your personal expectations met?

Yes! I have learned a lot of new things and I now know better the scope and breadth of stroke medicine.

Also taught by people with many years of rich experience and surprising to me, often by people who are pioneers in the areas they taught gave me personal satisfaction and pride.

So yes, my personal expectations were met!

Q.4 what is the most positive aspect of the program?

Besides getting an excellent theoretical and practical approach to stroke.The experience I got from my first module has broadened my insight into the science of stroke .And made me believe that as I learn the courses in the module I will be more capable in facing the challenges of stroke care with confidence.

Another thing I saw in the program was teachers, the program director and staffs were all showing sincere interest in helping us in many areas .And a very friendly atmosphere with a high quality training left a positive impression about the program.

Q.5 How do you plan to make use of the networking opportunities?

I met some and I saw some instructors from different countries with varied expertise and apparently willing to collaborate on academic endeavors and surprisingly students from different countries told me different practices in their country ,which are interesting and most are more than happy to share ideas, do multicenter research together ,and and have exchange visits .So the door for networking and cooperation is open, as long as we come up with a useful idea.

Q.6 what are your personal impressions?

Already with a passion for the science of stroke and finding myself in a prestigious center and taught by people of such academic merit and experience (in a cordial environment, within a beautiful European City, Krems) is a dream fulfilled thanks to God! Thanks also for WSO, thanks for the course director professor Brainin and all my teachers, and university staff. Thanks!!

Q.7 What about making an alumni organization? What should be its role?

It is a great idea, after staying together for two years it is not fare to disperse and disappear from each other for good .Having an alumni will be another platform to promote stroke science and care .People share what they do, what they plan to do what progress they made in their country and what contribution they have after all this education. It is a great idea.

Waweru Peter Kuria

MP Shah Hospital Nairobi, Kenia

Start: ESM 7/M1 October 2018

Question 1: Why is this program important?

Stroke care in sub-Saharan Africa is markedly underdeveloped. In Kenya, stroke patients are managed by internists, cardiologists, family and general physicians; without clear stroke care guidelines or protocols. There are no stroke physicians in Kenya, and interventional neurology is not routine. This, coupled with the general tendency for our patients to present late means there is hardly any meaningful acute care for stroke patients, resulting in poor outcomes and a high case fatality.

As such, this program is extremely important because it provides information that I could otherwise never acquire in my local training. Further, it is surprising how extensive stroke research has advanced (as I learnt in module 1), yet in Kenya stroke research is only marked by a handful of hospital based epidemiological data reports. This exposure to meaningful stroke research is key to guiding stroke care in my hospital, and country; as well as exposing me to standard care for stroke patients.

Question 2: What you have learned/learning?

I have already learnt a lot, from exposure to experimental stroke, to the vast expanse of neuroimaging for stroke that is not available at all in my hospital. Of interest, was to note the focus on cerebral small vessel disease, including the research thereof, which is largely disregarded in our region.

Question 3: Are your personal expectations met?

YES

Questions 4: What is the most positive aspect of the program?

The first module comprised of experts in the various fields taught, from hypothermia, experimental stroke, neuroimaging, epidemiology, small vessel disease, among others. The hands on experience with neurosonology was also particularly interesting.

Question 5: How do you plan to make use of the networking opportunities?

From the class, I have already succeeded to get a stroke unit to observe in Sweden. Further, the networking with another neurosurgical resident in the program has already expanded my understanding of stroke neurosurgery. Also, I hope to explore the feasibility of point of care transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in our region where CT scans are scarce.

Question 6: What are your personal impressions?

The program is amazing, and professionally enriching.

Question 7: What about making an alumni organization? What should be its role?

I would be very much interested in such an organization. Its role would span from sharing research, to growing research in stroke medicine and improving stroke care across the globe. For example, if one was to consider an international multi-centre stroke study; such an alumni organization would become very handy. Further, such an organization can help expand the program from Europe to other parts of the globe; not to mention sharing expertise, observerships, internships, and also share other opportunities, e.g. PhD programs for those interested.

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