Although COVID-19 is still fresh in everyone’s memory for its impact and the relevance of having a scientific community prepared for biological threats, particularly among vulnerable groups, it is just one of several epidemics that continue to pose critical danger globally. A positive aspect of the recent outbreak, however, is the heightened awareness that prevention requires the utmost attention—a key theme addressed by our infectious diseases faculty this week.
In the context of high-quality medical care, our faculty are the experts to consult. From September 1-7, 2024, we were honored to welcome back the infectious diseases course director, Dr. Roy M. Gulick, for the 18th time in Salzburg. Dr. Gulick is the chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Weill Cornell Medicine. He has a solid background in HIV treatment and prevention, another pandemic that is a significant focus of this week’s course—one that must never be forgotten and is still far from meeting the World Health Organization’s targets.
Joining Dr. Gulick this week from Cornell were Dr. Grant Ellsworth, assistant professor of medicine and primary investigator for the AIDS Malignancy Consortium; Dr. Harjot Singh, associate professor of medicine and associate medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital; Dr. Alexander Stabell, infectious diseases fellow; and, last but certainly not least, Dr. Sallie Permar, a recipient of numerous accolades in medical research, currently professor and chair of the Pediatrics Department, as well as pediatrician-in-chief at Weill Cornell.
From Europe, we were joined by Dr. Peter Reiss, professor emeritus of medicine at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and Dr. Caroline Sabin, professor of medical statistics and epidemiology at University College London in England. We feel a strong sense of fulfillment and pride in gathering such extraordinary expertise at Schloss Arenberg. This is made possible only through the knowledge-sharing that takes place with our esteemed fellows—33 of them from 25 different countries—who came together this week to benefit from the environment we create here: a safe learning setting where science and collaboration thrive, friendships are formed, and medical education transcends borders.
This week, the expert Dr. Sallie Permar kindly shared her first-time experience with us:
“I thoroughly enjoyed participating as faculty in the OMI seminar series. From interacting with fellows from across the globe, who represent the future of healthcare, to forming long-standing collaborations with faculty, and learning about infection control from a global perspective – the experience was truly unique and highly motivating to push the envelope on the future of global health.”
Dr. Permar further shared details on the core of the Infectious Diseases seminar:
“The course focused on learning from the experiences in treatment and vaccination for global pandemics both old and new, how to build an academic medicine career, and case-based learning from patient presentations across the world. Among the learning objectives, storytelling from the faculty in how they built academic careers that evolved over the course of epidemics such as HIV was both informative and motivating for fellows. The fellows also brought teachings from their own country where they offered great insight into common presentations that are uncommon in other parts of the globe. It was bidirectional learning at its best.”
We echo the beautifully written words of Dr. Permar and extend a heartfelt thank you for her time and commitment, as well as Dr. Gulick’s for spending his 18th time with us. Quoting the words of Dr. Permar, the OMI seminars present a bidirectional learning extremely relevant in the field of infectious diseases – starting from COVID-19 all the way to emerging conditions all over the world.
Thi Thu Huong Nguyen, MD
OMI fellow from Vietnam
Ricardo Espinosa Gonzalez, MD
OMI fellow from Mexico
Rreze Hoti, MD
OMI fellow from Kosovo
