Report on IOF Bone Densitometry certified course 2010 < Download Report here >

An IOF Bone Densitometry certified course 2010 was conducted at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) on 11-12th August 2010. This workshop on Bone Mineral Densitometry with certification) was sponsored by IOF and ISBMR and was conducted for the second time in India, in consecutive years.

88 delegates registered for the workshop (of which 76 took the written test at the end of the workshop). These delegates comprised of 40 endocrinologists (including students), 10 physicians (internal medicine), 8 radiologists, 9 orthopedic surgeons and 21 other doctors including a dietician with interest in bone densitometry.

The international faculty comprised of Prof Hans P Dimai, M.D., Prof. of Medicine & Endocrinology, Division of Endocrinology & Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Austia and Prof Jan Stepan, Professor of Biochemistry and Medicine at Institute of Rheumatology, Charles University Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.  Maj. Gen. (Dr.) R K Marwaha, Additional Director & Head, Department of Endocrinology & Thyroid Research, INMAS was the Indian faculty and moderator for the course. The topics that were covered during the workshop on Day 1 were Osteoporosis: The Scope of the Problem, Pathophysiology of Osteoporosis, Clinical Evaluation, Overview of Bone Densitometry Methods, Radiation Safety and Quality Control, Diagnostic Use of Densitometry I: Basics & Interpretation and pitfalls, Risk Assessment & Vertebral Fracture Assessment and Monitoring Skeletal Changes, Clinical Management: Prevention, Clinical Management: Treatment – Part I & Part II on Day 2. This was followed by a comprehensive multiple choice exam. The successful candidates will be awarded certificates by IOF.

The content of the course and the presentation by the faculty was very much appreciated by all the delegates. The course was very informative and a learning experience for all, from the seniors to the resident doctors. Very rarely do we have a course where all the participants sit through the day and actively participate in the discussions. Prof Hans P Dimai and Prof Jan Stepan were very impressed with the number of participant and the questions that were put to them and they took great pains in answering the queries. The logistics of the course were also very well appreciated, for which we are thankful to INMAS.

We are glad that we could run this course two year in a row first at Mumbai and now at Delhi.
Seeing the response, we have forwarded our ‘Expression of interest’ to hold it again next year, which hopefully will be allotted. In fact the audience is so large that, we could conduct this course every year for at least the next 5 year in different centers.