Continuing Education

Photo by S. Phanouvong, USP Staff

To use antimicrobials appropriately, healthcare professionals require up-to-date knowledge about which antimicrobials are recommended to treat specific infections and about the factors that contribute to antimicrobial resistance. Traditional forms of post-graduate education do not completely meet the needs of physicians for professional development, especially in low-income countries with large territories. The Distance Learning Project on Antimicrobial Therapy was developed in collaboration with Smolensk State Medical Academy to improve the qualifications of healthcare professionals in the field of antimicrobial therapy in Russia and the Newly Independent States (NIS).

The Distance Learning program targets education for postgraduate healthcare professionals, specifically general physicians, surgeons, and pediatricians. Using contemporary information technologies, two educational courses—"Anti-infective Therapy" and "The Most Socially Important Infections"—focus on antimicrobial drugs for tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, acute respiratory infections, sexually transmitted infections, and other diseases of major significance in Russia and the NIS.

The Primary Distance Learning Continuing Education Center was established in Smolensk in 2002. Since that time, Secondary Distance Learning Centers have been added in Vladivostok (2), Yekaterinburg, Penza, Volgograd, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, and Minsk. Several more centers are expected to be added to expand educational opportunities to a broadening range of healthcare workers.

The program starts with preliminary testing online to determine a candidate's basic level and detect the most crucial gaps in knowledge of antimicrobial therapy. The course package consists of lectures on the diagnosis and treatment of various types of infections, corresponding illustrated materials, tests, and questionnaires to measure understanding of the materials, and a list of reference materials, including internet sites. After completion of each topic, students take control tests that allow qualified tutors to assess their level of knowledge. After successfully passing the final examination, healthcare professionals are awarded official certificates.

The two courses receive official recognition from the government of Russia, which provides continuing education credits—required by all physicians every five years for licensing—for students who successfully complete them. Almost 300 healthcare professionals have completed the Distance Learning courses to date. Due to the high demand for this continuing education opportunity, Smolensk Medical Academy has developed and conducted a Training of Trainers program to instruct other medical school faculties how to conduct the Distance Learning courses and provide access to materials developed under the Distance Learning Project.

Detailed information is available online at the Internet Center of Distance Education Web site.