Approximately 30 rheumatology fellows from UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, the Medical University of South Carolina, and Massachusetts General Hospital participated in the 3-day meeting.
Educational sessions consisted of a series of seminars, workshops, and a Rheumatology Observed Structured Clinical Exam (ROSCE).
The Carolinas Fellows Collaborative twice-yearly symposiums are typically held, in rotation, at the four NC-based universities. The program is focused on promoting excellence in clinical care, and enhancing scholarship in rheumatology.
This year’s symposium was led by the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center’s Dr. Rumey Ishizawar, Director of the UNC Rheumatology Fellowship Program, and Director of the UNC Hospitals Rheumatology Specialty Clinic.
Faculty from the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center and the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology as well as other Divisions within the UNC School of Medicine presented insightful and inspiring lectures including:
- Management of Osteoarthritis: Current and Emerging Therapies
- Pain Management Best Practices
- “BAFF”-ling New Lupus Therapies – Looking to the Future After Decades of Failed Clinical Trials
- Microbiome and Rheumatic Diseases
- Taking Care of Our Own – Work/Life Balance and Physician Wellness
- ANCA Vasculitis Classification, Pathology and Pathogenesis
- ANCA Associated Vasculitis Management
- Alpha-Gal Allergy Mechanism and Management
- Numerous Rheumatology Objective Structured Clinical Examination (ROSCE) sessions
- Advocacy for Rheumatology Patients
The symposium also fostered collaborative interactions between the institutions and fellowship trainees.
Support for this meeting comes from institutional support as well as the North Carolina Rheumatology Association (NCRA), for which we are very grateful.