Learning and improvement are not contained within the four walls of an institution; there will always be opportunities to develop oneself professionally and academically. Last 17 August 2019, the Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) College of Medicine, together with its Alumni Association and the Alumni Affairs Office, conducted its 1st Postgraduate Course at the San Lorenzo Hall of the Valenzuela Campus. With the theme “Diabetes and Hypertension: Common Medical Conditions for Major Specialties in Medicine”, the event fostered discussions on the prevalence and control of the two diseases in the Philippines and in the world.
Director of Alumni Affairs Robert Bjorn Santos formally welcomed the audience, which mostly consisted of alumni faculty, physicians, and interns from the Fatima University Medical Center (FUMC). Acknowledging the contribution to the guests’ continuing professional education, he wished to make the program a regular affair. “I hope that this shall be part of the annual agenda of the College of Medicine Alumni Association hereon,” he said.
Dr. Jose Arnel Manalili, Associate Dean of the OLFU College of Medicine and President of the OLFU College of Medicine Alumni Association (OLFU-CMAA), then reported the group’s accomplishments and future projects. Aside from conducting medical missions, the OLFU CMAA also provides book grants to promising students — an endeavor which they aim to further expand in the coming years. Inspiringly, he expressed the hope that attendees would learn a lot in the Postgraduate Course. Quoting author Kenneth Blanchard who said that “No one is as smart as all of us”, he recognized that while they are experts in their respective fields and specialties, “no one can be better” than them altogether.
After being introduced by Finance Officer, Dr. Edwin Fortuno, and officially declared open by its Overall Chairman, Dr. Ernesto Guevarra, the 1st Postgraduate Course kicked off with the first part, Focusing on Diabetes Mellitus. The first speaker of the day was Dr. Emma Concepcion Chang-Miranda of Batch 1987, who discussed the “Natural History of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Risk Factors”. With impactful changes brought about by modern society, two of the risk factors mentioned were obesity and sedentary lifestyle. “The obese child is the diabetic of tomorrow”, Dr. Miranda averred.
Next to take the stage was Dr. Cynthia Fabian-Dela Rea of Batch 1990, who elaborated on the “Diagnosis and the Clinical Impact of Diabetes Mellitus”. Dr. Dela Rea expressed how happy she is to be back in OLFU, sharing that it is “the best gift” for an institution to have its alumni share their knowledge on their “home ground”. This was then followed by talks on related conditions and cases, namely: “Mineral Bone Disorder in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Focus in the Pre-Dialysis Stage” by Dr. Genesis Bicera of Batch 2015, and “Managing Diabetes in Pediatric Patients” by Dr. Ma. Teresa Fajardo of Batch 1987.
Before moving onto the second session of the program, a Luncheon Symposium entitled “Ciprobay: Updates on Antibiotic Guidelines” was conducted by Dr. Angeline Odelia Concepcion-Li of Bayer Philippines.
The Course then commenced its second half, “Focusing on Hypertension” with the talk “The New Hypertension Guidelines: Definition and Current Classification” by Dr. Marie Sylvie Easter Gunigundo of Batch 1996. Presenting and analyzing data on what is widely known as the “Silent Killer”, Dr. Gunigundo urged everyone to join the fight against it. Related conditions were then explored in the succeeding topics, specifically: “Screening and Management of Hypertensive Disorder in Pregnancy” by Dr. Roselyn Collado-Garcia of Batch 1983, and “Hypertensive Retinopathy, Choroidopathy, and Optic Neuropathy” by Dr. Victoria Amigo-Madduma of Batch 2001.
To wrap up the core issues of the 1st Postgraduate Course, Dr. Guevara, a member of Batch 1995, explained facts and figures in his segment, “Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus: Public Health Challenges and Global Proportions”.
Each talk was accompanied by question and answer portions which allowed participants to clarify points. These were moderated by Dr. Ma. Victoria Matias-Villarica and Dr. Harold Iturralde, who also stood as the event’s Master of Ceremonies.
The 1st Postgraduate Course entitled its attendees to four (4) Continuing Professional Development (CPD) units.
