Cook Medical Sponsors Global Exchange Programme For Urologists

Main Category: Urology / Nephrology
Article Date: 01 Jun 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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Cook Medical has agreed to become the exclusive sponsor of the American Urological Association's global exchange programme. Details of exchange sponsorship were announced at a press conference during the AUA annual meeting in Chicago. Jerry French, senior vice president and strategic business leader for Cook Medical's urology division was joined by Dr. Joel Nelson, chair of the AUA/EAU Academic Fellowship Selection Committee and Dr. Ziya Kirkali, a past exchange participant from Turkey and upcoming chair of the AUA International Member Committee.

The AUA exchange programme unites urologists from various cultural, educational and clinical backgrounds to exchange ideas and expertise with their American colleagues. Visiting physicians in this year's programme will spend time at renowned U.S. facilities such as the MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston, Texas, and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. During their stays, physicians will observe procedures, take classes and share their own best practices with faculty and staff.

Dr. Nelson, chair of the Department of Urology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, stressed the importance of the international programme to the improvement of the practice of urology. "As the field continues to innovate, it is vital that we have an open world-wide exchange of best practices and techniques across professionals," said Nelson. "The AUA's exchange programme plays a pivotal role in assisting urologists to globally engage and learn from one another. We believe the end result will be better medical practices and improvements in overall patient care."

Associations participating in the global exchange programme include the European Association for Urology (EAU), Sociedade Brasiliera de Urologia (SBU), Chinese Urological Association (CUA) and the Japanese Urological Association (JUA). Through the programme, each international society is invited to select urologists annually to visit U.S. academic centres for a period of up to one month. U.S. urologists are also chosen to visit academic centres in countries served by the international societies.

Former exchange participant representing the EAU, Dr. Kirkali described his experience as "a rewarding and energising opportunity to share and learn from my international colleagues, and return to my practice in Turkey with a better knowledge of global best practices and techniques." Kirkali is professor of urology at Dokuz Eylul University of Medicine in Izmir, Turkey. His primary research activities focus on clinical and basic research in oncologic urology.

Jerry French said, "Throughout our history, Cook has remained dedicated to fostering communication and education between physicians to improve patient care globally. With this sponsorship, we reinforce our devotion to ongoing innovation, collaborative learning and cross-cultural understanding in the field of urology."

Source
Cook Medical and The American Urological Association