2009-12-06
Applications for the International Outreach Initiative (IOI)
come from a variety of locations. Both rural townships and sprawling urban
cities across 40 countries receive ASH’s educational materials through the
program. Participants are equally diverse. From a pediatric hematologist in Brazil, to a medical professor in Pakistan, to a transfusion specialist in Serbia, IOI
materials reach individuals who span across professions, sub-specialties, and
even continents. Despite these
variances, what the participants have in common is significant: they are
improving hematology in their institutions and in their home countries.
Ten years ago, the IOI
started as a small-scale project with 12 participants. It has since grown into
ASH’s largest outreach program, distributing online access to Blood;
DVDs from the annual meeting as well as smaller meetings; Hematology,
the Education Program Book; and the ASH Self-Assessment Program (ASH-SAP).
In 2009, materials were distributed to approximately 300 applicants. But more
impressive than the numbers is the effect this program has had on various
townships and cities across the world. In Buenos
Aires, a consultant in transfusion medicine works to
implement a national blood plan and centralize hospital blood banks. At the Addis Ababa University
in Ethiopia,
doctors in the Department of Internal Medicine will use the educational
materials they received through the IOI when they start an adult/pediatric hematology fellowship training program in 2010. ASH is pleased
to play a role in assisting with these initiatives.
For hematologists in developing countries, the materials
are a way to keep abreast of the current issues in the field. Though the
majority of them cannot attend the ASH annual meeting, they can still utilize
the resources that ASH offers. As Dr. Satya Prakash Yadav, of Delhi, India,
summarized, “To be updated is a must. As the field is dynamic, the need is
inevitable.” For many, obtaining access to the most recent research and
information is a constant challenge. “These materials go a long way in helping
the cause,” Dr. Kanjaksha Ghosh, of Mumbai,
India, noted.
Students and fellows, in particular, benefit from the
materials, and they are innovative and interactive in their approaches to do
so. In Ecuador,
a naval hospital uses the materials during a hematology forum held for students
each week. In Macedonia,
the ASH-SAP aids round-table discussions. Students in Malaysia and Sri Lanka are using the ASH-SAP
as a guide to prepare for their training exit exams. “[The books] are so rich
in content that the residents do not want to let them go,” commented Dr. Oche
Patrick Ogbe, of Nigeria.
Referenced in forums and seminars and filling medical
library shelves on five continents, ASH’s educational materials have found
their way around the world. For a small-scale venture, after 10 years, the IOI
has burgeoned, demonstrating the global nature of the organization and further
accenting the far-reaching impact that participants and their colleagues have
made.
To learn more about the IOI and to apply, visit the
ASH booth, #129.
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