ESRU meetings

After the EAU congress in Milan, the dynamism of European urology continues! With the support of the ESRU, the French Association of In-training Urologists (AFUF) is pleased to invite you to attend: The 4th International Consultation on Incontinence, that will be held in Paris from 5th to 8th of July 2008 by the International Consultation on Urological Diseases (ICUD) and the International Society of Urology (SIU).

Its board is providing an invitation to 150 residents from Europe and 50 from the rest of the world.

This is a great opportunity to promote contacts and exchanges between young urologists from Europe and worldwide. The session will also provide a very busy, informative, and dynamic program with lectures from the best experts in the fields. Details are available on the congress website (www.congress-urology.org). A resident program will be held on Saturday the 5th, ending with an invitation by AFUF on Champs-Elysées.

Thanks to the kindness of the ICUD board and the dynamism of its French secretary, Pr Saad Khoury, the invitation for the European residents includes :

To register, please download and complete the registration form and send it by e-mail to consulturo@aol.com before April, 30th (or by fax: +33 1 42 17 71 22). You will be informed thereafter by email if you are able to receive the grant (priority given to the first subscriptions received and to residents presenting a poster).

The grant will be transferred on your account after the meeting if you provide when you're in Paris :

2. a certification of your resident-status (ESRU-membership or letter from your head of department)

We have previously invited residents in Paris in 2005 on the same principles and it was a great success. If you are looking after some feedback, articles on that event are available in EUT and on the ESRU website (www.esru.net).

We hope that you will appreciate efforts that are done for residents in urology and that you will catch this opportunity to attend a nice congress in a very nice city,

Thomas BESSEDE

Pierre-Nicolas GOSSEINE

- French NCOs of ESRU -

Baptiste ALBOUY

- Chairman of AFUF -

Andreas PETROLEKAS

- Chairman of ESRU -

Prof. Saad KHOURY

- Secretary of the 4th International

Consultation on Incontinence -

23rd EAU Congress and 15th ESRU day
Milan, 26-29 March 2008 (You can visit the congress website here)

22nd EAU Congress and 14th ESRU day
Berlin, 21-24 March 2007 (You can visit the congress website here)

Wednesday, 21 March 2007:
"The ESRU day" (14th Meeting of the European Society of Residents in Urology [ESRU])

                           Increase your knowledge in Laparoscopy I
10:35                  Tips and Tricks for beginers in Nephrectomies
                           J. Rassweiler

10:50                  Strictures of Urethra
                           Technical Keys of success
                           L. Martinez-Pineiro

11:35                  Campbell Session I
                           Test your knowledge
                           Are you up-to-date on EAU Guidelines?

13:00                 What is Offered to Residents in Urology in Europe
                           Information, Training and Research
                           S. Larré, CC Abbou

13:55                  Increase your knowledge in Laparoscopy II
                           Tips and Tricks for beginers in Prostatectomies
                           G. Vallancien

14:25                  Campbell Session II
                           Test your knowledge
                           Are you ready to pass the EBU Board ?
                           Theo M. de Reijke

15:00                  Nightmare Session
                           A presentation of clinical problems that have startled and perplexed residents all over Europe
                           FC Hamdy, L Martinez-Pineiro, G. Vallancien, A Mundy

Location: Top Hotel Praha, Blažimská 1781/4, 149 00 Praha 4 - Chodov, Czech Republic
Tel.: +420 267 284 111, Fax: +420 272 765 854
web: www.tophotel.cz

We remind you that ESRU had obtained that registration will now be free for all ESU/ESRU junior members, and that ESU courses subscribed during the congress will be free for them too.

ESRU 2005 Fall Meeting
Madrid 11-13 November (NCOs only)
Saturday 12 November 2005 from 09:00 – 12:00 hours NH Eurobuilding Hotel
Padre Damián 23
Madrid, Spain
www.hotelnheurobuilding.com

24-27th June 2005 6th International Consultation on New Developments in Prostate Cancer and Prostate Disease, Paris, France

Residents are the future of urology

Stéphane Larré
stephanelarre@yahoo.fr
Chairman elected of ESRU and member of AFUF board

Last June, the 6th International Consultation on New Developments in Prostate Cancer and Prostate Diseases organized by the ICUD and the SIU took place in the beautiful city of Paris . This congress had something special for us since it signified a new approach related to European urological residents.

Like at previous Consultation meetings an evidence-based medical report was to be produced by specialists in the field of prostate diseases. So what was new for the urological residents? For the first time, European residents where invited to attend the Consultation meeting. This invitation was special because it included a free registration to the congress and also an educational grant to help residents organize and pay for their travels. Thus, more than hundred European residents from 24 different countries could benefit from the excellent lectures and improve their English as well. For most of them, it was the first time they attended an international meeting.

These were not the only advantages for residents and in many other ways this was a very interesting experience. It was an occasion for European residents to meet each other and to tighten bonds. The European Society of Residents in Urology (ESRU) and the French association of urologists in training (AFUF) who organized the attendance of the residents with the help of the Consultation staff took advantage of this meeting to organize an extra congress meeting to inform residents of all the opportunities offered to them in Europe , especially through EAU membership. Information was provided on the opportunity to publish material in the resident’s corner of this newspaper or our website (www.esru.net), the EAU fellowship grants, and also the EUREP programme which is now open to all residents in Europe .

We noticed that there was great interest in many countries to participate in ESRU activities and be represented at a European level. Moreover, it was an opportunity for many of us to meet residents from other countries – especially countries that were not, or poorly, represented within the ESRU - and to share experiences. Also the difficulties many residents have to content with came up, particularly concerning obtaining visas. I invite you to read the story of Dmitry Youshko and Alexander Minich from Minsk , Belarus (to be found following this article), who crossed Europe by car trying to obtain their visas 2 days before the congress. New contacts were established with non-represented countries that have lead to an update and increase of the National Communication Officers (NCOs) list which is included with this article (and can also be found on our website with many photos taken at the Consultation meeting). Please feel free to contact the NCO of your country for any information concerning Europe . Finally, we also did a poll concerning many aspects of training in Europe among all the resident participants.

This new approach at the Consultation meeting represents a new way of thinking concerning residents. This trend has begun with the restoration of friendly relations with EAU, and we are pleased to see that senior urologists are helping us and expressing their trust in us. Residents should be involved in European urological life as soon as possible. One’s residency period is the perfect moment to travel and benefit from training in other European countries. This not just enhances one’s experience and knowledge but also reinforces the bonds between future urologists from different countries. The residency period is also a very good moment to get some experience in fundamental or clinical research and a meeting like this Consultation meeting should encourage residents to do that. Most urologists involved in research activities started already doing so during their residency period and not after.

I am extremely grateful to Professor Saad Khoury, the secretary of the Consultation who made these invitations possible. He presented us with his project and helped the ESRU and AFUF to realize it. I should also like to thank Professor Elhilali, Professor McAninch and Professor McConnel for their support, as well as EAU and Mrs. Dubois who gave us wonderful logistical help.

We hope that in the future similar enterprises will be repeated both for the quality of the training of European residents and the unity of European urologists. Residents are the future of urology and we take tremendous pleasure to see this increasing support for our work and our ideas.

From right to left: Francis Dubosq - French NCO, Selçuk Keskin - Chairman of ESRU and Stéphane Larré Chairman Elected of ESRU- who were in charge with the organization of the residents part.

Pr Khoury, the secretary of the congress who initiated the project and made it possible.

It is easy if decision is made

Once the great opportunity occurred. Take part in 6 th international consultation in prostate cancer and prostate disease June 24-27, 2005 and see Paris for 4 days. That day we (Dr. Dmitry Youshko and Dr. Alexander Minich, urology residents at N.N. Alexandrov Research Institute of Oncology and Medical Radiology, Dept. of Oncologic Urology, Minsk , Belarus ) could not imagine how interesting this trip will be for us and how hard will be the way to Paris . First of all we have to get a visa. We had collected all necessary papers and came to the French Embassy. And here we found out that the line to the Embassy was around 600 people and everybody in the line has to confirm their existence near the Embassy 2 times a day. It is all because of new experiment at the Embassy with digital fingerprints and photos. It took us 10 days and on Monday prior to Friday, June 24 we became a 140 and 141 persons in line. What we have to do? We have done everything: invitation from organizing committee directly to Embassy, paper from the head of our hospital. No benefits. Finally we contact one of the high person in Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the answer was – we could help you to get visa just on Friday, June 24. We gave up…

The next day, Tuesday, something happened in the Embassy, and they called us. We brought all papers on Wednesday afternoon and got our visas Wednesday evening. What we have to do? Previously we were thinking to go by car, but now the only we can do it is this way, because it was so late to think about airplane or train as well. We left Minsk , which is 2200 km away from Paris , at midnight in direction of Brest city on Belarus-Poland border. We took a nap there for 3 hours and did cross the polish border on Thursday early morning. The weather was nice and we drove all the day long, just stop for meal and to put a gas in our car. We passed Poland and Germany and before night come we had to make a decision where we are going to stay over night. There was a good choice we had never before - Germany , France , Luxembourg or Belgium . After a little debate we chouse Luxembourg . It was one of the memorable days in our lives. Could anyone imagine, we had breakfast in Belarus , lunch in Poland , dinner (supper) in Germany and night in Luxembourg . Next morning we woke up and left this nice city for Paris . Paris met us with good weather, a lot of cars and road congestions. We spent 3 days at the Palace de Congress, open new data and get knowledge, attending most part of the meetings and satellite symposiums. For this occasion all of us, urology residents, have to say thanks to Prof. Khoury, who found possibility to invite us there and to provide grand to cover our trip expenses. All of us were busy at the conference and have time to sightseeing only in evening. But we visit Arch de Triumph, Monmartre and, for sure, Eifel Tower . At the last day we made a boat trip alone the Sena, saw Luvre, Notre Damm de Paris. Paris was great! But we have to go home and on Monday, as soon as consultation was over we left Paris …

The way back took us less time, and Wednesday afternoon we arrived in Minsk . On our way we also visited Freiburg , a small city on German border with very interesting nature and architecture.

It was wonderful trip, during less then a week we had an opportunity to meet a lot of world famous specialist in their field in Urology, listen to there lectures and debates, open for us new data in treatment of prostate cancer and prostate diseases. We also visited some famous Europeans cities and see some other part of Europe from car window and made around 5000 km.

Again we would like to thank Pr Khoury and all organizing committee for inviting us and elected chairman ESRU Stephane Larre for taking care of us while we were in Paris . We hope to come back to Paris next year for EAU meeting.

ESRU Day at EAU Istanbul Congress, March 2005

M. Selcuk Keskin
Chairman, ESRU
Ankara (TR)
mselcukkeskin@yahoo.com

It was our pleasure to welcome you in the city of Istanbul last March. One of our main tasks - the organization of the ESRU meeting – proved very successful and our meetings were very well attended. As we had lessons from the past, the restructured session held in the afternoon included approximately 250 batch readings and the average attendance during the meeting was no less than 80 persons. The two great state of the art lectures were followed by the traditional “Residents Nightmare Session”

I am sure that this session was the most pronounced part of the meeting. The winner of the Campbell ’s Challenge” had to carry 20 kg of urology back to France . A well attended meeting evidence of a greater familiarity among residents related to the ESRU is a clear indication that the ESRU is reaching more residents throughout Europe .

As the new chairman it is very encouraging to serve a society which is regaining its impact among residents and societies, an achievement of the previous board members who founded and carried the ESRU to 2005. This year we said goodbye to Sven and we welcomed Stéphane as the new chairman elect. Historically we have always and almost exclusively been supported by the EAU and the EBU. Our subscription to J. Endourology is supported by Storz Company.

Now our collaboration with the EAU has a new dimension. The Residents’ Office within the EAU, which is composed of professors, is somewhat ESRU. We serve the same goal, a better and more equal urological education throughout Europe . Our mutual relationship began when Prof. Louis Martínez Piñerio attended our board meeting held in Amsterdam , November 2004. The benefits of joint membership have already been announced, and many other projects are on their way.

Working in the committees of the EBU has given us a deeper insight in the residents’ profile. This way of representation is crucial to explore the demands of the residents of the individual countries. Promotion of the EBU exam, accreditation and the opportunities provided by the EUSP are routine tasks of our NCO’s.

Some of the hot topics such as laparoscopy are less prominent in many Eastern European countries including Turkey . This gap could be perfectly filled with the help of the EUSP and companies willing to support residents, since laparoscopy recently became one of the milestone techniques in the urological field.

We already started work for the 2006 Paris meeting. As our database is growing and the arrangements for the registration fees have been taken care of, I believe that the next ESRU meeting may well become the best attended afternoon session of the EAU Congress and the exhibit hall will be free of residents during the ESRU Session.

A final remark for the countries that have not yet joined the ESRU. You are always welcome to represent your countries in our board meetings. Do not forget that the ESRU will help you to found a resident’s society in your country. Please feel free to contact me directly, or our database manager, Stina Erikson (stina_erikson@yahoo.se)

23rd EAU Congress and 15th ESRU dayMilan, 26-29 March 2008 (You can visit the congress website here)

Residents are the future of urology

It is easy if decision is made

23rd EAU Congress and 15th ESRU day
Milan, 26-29 March 2008 (You can visit the congress website here)