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Endocrine University welcomed a new group of young endos
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Traditionally, sometime in the first part of March, senior endocrinology fellows from various programs throughout the country gather in Rochester, Minn., to participate in a six day conference entitled Endocrine University.
As part of a joint effort by the American College of Endocrinology, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist (AACE) and the Mayo Clinic, and supported by Novo Nordisk, this year’s meeting, now in its seventh year, saw its largest turnout yet with 223 endocrinology fellows from 129 programs.
Meeting overview
 Emily J. Tan |
The first two days were dedicated to the AACE diagnostic endocrine neck ultrasound and ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (UGFNA) course. As thyroid ultrasound and fine needle aspiration has become an integral component of today’s practice of endocrinology, the importance of establishing proficiency in use of thyroid ultrasound and UGFNA biopsy has been increasingly emphasized in most training programs. Topics covered in this course included an overview of the history of the ultrasound as well as the principles of physics behind it; a review of the analysis of thyroid nodules, parathyroids and lymph nodes; use of color flow and power flow doppler; UGFNA techniques; a review of cytology; and an in-depth discussion on the controversies in thyroid nodule management.
The afternoons were dedicated to laboratory sessions that provided hands-on experience with using ultrasounds for evaluation of thyroid glands and practicing UGFNA biopsy using turkey breasts stuffed with items such as olives, grapes and water-filled gloves.
The third and fourth days were devoted to the bone densitometry course, given in conjunction with the International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Lectures focused on understanding techniques of assessing bone mass measurements, using bone densitometry for assessing fracture risk, critical evaluation and proper interpretation of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scans, clinical management and follow-up of osteoporosis. Participants of this conference will be able to receive certification as a Certified Clinical Densitometrist upon satisfactory performance on the examination.
Essential components to establishing a private practice were also presented during the conference, which provided useful information for this year’s endocrinology fellows, a majority of whom will be going into clinical practice. Key information on negotiating contracts, coding, electronic medical records, obtaining licensure for nuclear medicine procedures, and setting up an office-based laboratory within a private practice were provided.
An added benefit to participants was the opportunity to become licensed as a laboratory director. During the conference, fellows already completed the first four hours, with the remaining 16 hours to be completed online and available without charge for participants. This is truly an excellent opportunity for anyone going into private practice; all should highly consider completing this lifetime certification.
Other highlights included pituitary case studies and thyroid case studies, both of which took place over lunch, an interactive dinner conference highlighting “clinical pearls” through review of cases, a review of molecular genetics and overview of the use of TSH and thyroglobulin testing.
The conference concluded with a hands-on session using insulin pumps and discussions on intensive insulin management, diabetes in pregnancy, use of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring sensors.
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In conversations with other fellows, most overall felt the conference was great, practical, and an excellent learning experience with impressive speakers and lots of useful information. Many felt that it put everyone on the same page and filled in the gaps so that everyone could get exposure to things not emphasized in individual training programs. Others felt that it served as a reinforcement of what we learned in fellowship.
Interestingly, “cabin fever” was another description used by some, as many of us spent most of the time indoors, splitting our time between the Kahler Grand Hotel and the conference rooms, while taking advantage of the underground tunnels to avoid the cold and frigid, Rochester weather. Intense was one word to describe the long days that started in the early morning hours and often lasted late into the evening. However, most felt the course to be fun, enjoyable and an amazing opportunity to meet colleagues and hear how different people do things.
Surely, this program is one of the best, a must for anyone starting practice after fellowship. It may be considered as a right of passage for senior endocrinology fellows to solidify techniques and establish a firm foundation in endocrinology before embarking on our careers.
I truly thank all those involved for this outstanding conference, and look back on this experience as one of the finest joint efforts and opportunities available to all senior endocrinology fellows.
Emily J. Tan, MD, is a Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and is a member of the Endocrine Today Fellows Advisory Board.