Meetings
Primary Immune Deficiency Disorders Summer School
November 2-6, 2006
Miami, Florida, USA
Daily Blog
Day One: Thursday, November 2, 2006
Adriana de Jesus
For me, as a pediatric rheumatology fellow, it's important to get in contact with basic immunology. I think the Summer School is a great opportunity to learn and to meet people with the same interests that I have. Today I could share a clinical case and I heard very good suggestions that will certainly help on patient's diagnosis. Additionally I could learn issues in humoral immunodeficiencies and complement, which are areas that I am interested in studying more.
Day Two: Friday, November 3, 2006
Ryan Casper
The first day of our Immunodeficiency Summer School program has been unbelievably fascinating. Today we covered DiGeorge, CVID and complement deficiencies. Of course, as a 3rd year fellow, I have been able to see many of the faculty speak in a didactic setting. But to be able to interact with the premier experts in the field of Immunology (and to listen to them argue) will be invaluable to my growth as a clinical immunologist. I am extremely grateful to the faculty and everyone involved in allowing us to be here. Looking forward to the next 3 days (especially since my presentation is over!!!!!)
Day Three: Saturday, November 4, 2006
Maria Edith Gonzalez Serrano
I'm Maria Edith Gonzalez Serrano from Mexico City, I come here to the summer school on Primary Immune Deficiency Disorders to improve my knowledge about these diseases and because I think it is a great opportunity to know and learn from the experts. So the course has given me more that I expected… the discussions are so very intense, really "exciting". I wish to participate in my country in the development and improvement of the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. And I hope that when I need some advice about a difficult case I will always find some help and collaboration in the people that I met here. Finally I want to say GRACIAS for this opportunity.
Day Four: Sunday, November 5, 2006
Paul Bollyky
Five thoughts from today at PID summer school:
1. To paraphrase Wallace Stevens - I don't know which to prefer, the beauty of knowing the diagnosis or the beauty of not knowing the diagnosis.
2. After a few days of immunodeficiencies I'm starting to get seriously concerned about what recessive alleles I might carry in my genome.
3. Dr. Andrew Cant is most definitely an Angli-can. I'm very impressed by his rigor, knowledge base and his humility.
4. I was thinking today about the power in being able to name a thing. So few of the diseases have names in some of the places I've been for AIDS related work - people just get sick and get better or they don't. Contrast that against the awesome nascent power of modern immunology to diagnose and elucidate the fine detail of some of these conditions which have been around presumably forever, lost in the background of diarrhea and infant mortality. The control implicit in being able to make a diagnosis, even if you're powerless to do anything about it, is tremendously seductive.
5. Florida. Where do all the pelicans go when there's a hurricane? Are palm trees so prevalent because their shape allows them to survive storms?
take care & thanks,
Paul
Alfonso Loosli
The day started at 7:30 am with breakfast at Atlantic Terrace, and then Dr. Andrew Cant moderated SCID and bone marrow Transplant case presentations. It continued with HLH cases and we had lunch at mid-day. After lunch was my turn to present the case I brought, about a Chilean girl with chronic diarrhea, splenomegaly and pancytopenia. It was a great experience, everyone participated and the discussion generated was really helpful. I have to mention the special consideration of Dr Andrew Cant, who wrote for me all the suggestions generated.
At night we went to downtown Miami, to Bayside, where we had a dinner cruise. It was great, Miami at night looks great. There we shared different experiences in countries like Brazil, Mexico, Canada, USA and Chile. After dinner, Dr. Hans D. Ochs, (who told me that he had been skiing in Chile years before) gave us some dance lessons at the boat deck. He was amazing.
The day finished at Delano's Bar, beside the pool. It was a great day.
Day Five: Monday, November 6, 2006
Karen DeMuth
The Clinical Immunology Summer School has been a great experience. The presentations, didactic lectures and discussions have been of wonderful quality, educational benefit, and clinical usefulness. I have also found the opportunity to interact with leaders in the field and others close to my level of training invaluable. The mix of specialties represented also helped to broaden the experience and perspectives. I was also impressed by how interested the Faculty were in getting to know the attendees and advising them in careers working with individuals with Immunodeficiency. What a wonderful opportunity this has been!
Sincerely, Karen