Children’s Cancer Institute (CCI) - American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC)

General information:

 

The American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) is in Beirut-Lebanon. AUBMC is an academic medical center dedicated

to the passionate pursuit of improving the health of the community in Lebanon and the region through the delivery of exceptional and comprehensive quality care to our patients, excellence in education and training, and leadership in innovative research.

AUBMC is now an over 350-bed capacity medical center. Website: www.aubmc.org

The Children’s Cancer Institute (CCI) is affiliated with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (SJCRH) in Memphis, Tennessee-USA.

CCI is located at the premises of the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) where it serves as the Pediatric Oncology Unit.

CCI provides consultative services and directive care to patients with complicated hematological and solid tumor malignancies.

 

Grants' options and details

 

POEM group provides grants for accepted applicants in the below programs:

 

  1. Short-term observership (2 to 6 weeks)
  2. Short-term training (6 weeks to 6 months). Note: a strong justification detailing the reason and need for this training is required. In addition to that, the trainee must be involved with on-hand work and not only observership.
  3. Long-term training (fellowship). 

Contact information:

gme@aub.edu.lb

https://www.aub.edu.lb/fm/gme/Pages/default.aspx

Training Programs

Short-term training (6 weeks to 6 months)

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Long term (fellowship)

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Short-term observership (2 to 6 weeks)

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Short-term training (6 weeks to 6 months)

AUBMC provides short term and hands-on training for residents and practising physicians seeking training in specific skills in Surgical and non-Surgical fields.
- Short term training is available for both Nationals and Non- Nationals.
- No exam is required for short term training.
- A letter of attendance is given at the end of the training period

Available Training Specialties

Pediatric Hematology Oncology

BMT

Surgery
• General Oncology
• Limb salvage
• Head and Neck
• Neurosurgical Oncology

Pathology:
• Anatomic Pathology
• Molecular Pathology
• Cytogenetics

Radiology:
• General Radiology
• Interventional radiology

- All needed information is available on the Graduate Medical Education Office website on the following link: http://www.aub.edu.lb/fm/gme/Pages/sis_res.aspx

- Application form for Visiting Resident Elective Rotation shall be filled

- Completed immunization record (page 3 of the application): Visiting residents must submit documentation of immunization or lab reports showing results of antibody titers for immunity to Tetanus-Diphtheria, Hepatitis B, Measles and Rubella, Mumps, Chicken Pox (Varicella), and an annual Tuberculin skin test taken within a year of the rotation start date.

- Updated Curriculum Vitae - Photocopy of ID or Passport

- Photocopy of medical diploma - Official medical school transcript of record

- Three letters of recommendations - Results of the USMLE Step II or the IFOM CSE if applying as a Visiting Resident

- Non-refundable processing fee of L.L. 75,000 (US $ 50)

- In case of acceptance, an additional elective fee of L.L. 100,000 (equivalent to 66US$) will be incurred; L.L.75,000 (equivalent to 50US$) of which is for the application fees and L.L. 25,000 (equivalent to 17US$) is for the AUBnet account charges of ONE MONTH ONLY.

- Evaluation form of the resident’s performance (if required by the resident’s training program) For Hands-on Training: AUBMC gives the chance for attending physicians and fellows from outside Lebanon, who are interested in participating actively in patient care, to have short term training in the Surgical and medical specialties mentioned above. The training periods range from few days to a maximum of 3 months.

- Applicants should submit their application at least three months prior to their elective start date. - The requirements for Hand-on training are the same as for Observer ship (mentioned above and available on the following link: http://www.aub.edu.lb/fm/gme/Pages/sis_res.aspx

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Long term (fellowship)

The Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Fellowship program at the Children Cancer Institute-AUBMC, provides three years of both clinical and research training, and consists of rotations at the inpatient and outpatient clinics, BMT unit and elective rotations, in addition to hospital consults. The program was recently expanded to allow for the training of 6 fellows per year, distributed to have 2 fellows in each year. First and second year fellows (4 fellows) will participate in the hematology rotation, since the third year (F3) is designed mainly for clinical research (50% of the time). The fellows also attend the weekly Tumor Board, the weekly clinic meeting, and structured educational activities of the pediatric department such as Grand Rounds. In addition, the fellows attend the Horizon-Live case discussions with SJCRH.

Research: Fellows are encouraged to identify a research interest by the end of their first year and lead a clinical (retrospective review) research project during their second year.

Program Overview:

• Prior required PGY training: Completed residency in Pediatrics

• Starting Level: PGY 4

• Length of Training: 3 Years

Available Training Specialties

Pediatric Hematology-Oncology

Eligibility Criteria

Residents must have:

• graduated from a medical school registered in the International Medical Education Directory (IMED)

• are completing or have completed their GME residency training program

• satisfactory passed an English Proficiency Language Examination

• successfully completed the required Fellowship Admission Examination

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Short-term observership (2 to 6 weeks)

At 2 departments: Nursing and Pharmacy 

 

Nursing

 

Available programs:

 

1- ANCC Nursing Skills Competency Program:

 

This is a one-day program that aims to develop the knowledge and Skills of qualified nurses in the administration and safety aspects of Chemotherapy and Bio-therapy.

The targeted audience: Registered Nurses who have been employed for a minimum of 3 months in oncology settings, Oncology Educators, Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist and Oncology Nurse Managers who administer chemotherapy and Bio-therapy.

The program includes lectures about:

• Chemotherapy agents and their major side effects.

• Chemotherapy preparation, storage and transportation.

• Safety precautions associated with administration and handling of cytotoxic drugs.

• Principle of Bio therapy

• Symptoms management and Patient education.

• Treatment phase: administration, Extravasation, Hypersensitivity.

The program also includes case scenarios focusing on administration and handling of hazardous drugs.

 

Upon completion of the program the applicant will receive:

• 17.5 contact hours as follow:

Self-Learning package: 9.5 contact hours Classroom course: 7 contact hours Qualifying exam: 1 contact hour

• Verification Statement that the applicant is “Qualified to Administer Chemotherapy and Biotherapy” valid for 3 years.

 

2- Paediatric Oncology Course:

 

This 2 week-course aims at providing an overview of the Pediatric Oncology Nursing.

Target Audience is the Pediatric Nurses.

 

The course content includes

 

a- 24 hours of lectures that cover:

• Assessment guidelines in Pediatric Oncology Patients.

• Infection control: General Guidelines.

• Overview of Oncology diseases.

• Nursing care of children with cancer.

• Protocols and treatment Modalities.

• Overview of chemotherapeutic agents and relative nursing care.

• Principles of chemotherapy administration and handling.

• Palliative and end of life care.

• Intravenous Access devices handling and care.

• Central line handling and care.

• Oncology emergencies.

• Nursing care in bone marrow transplant processes.

• Patient education. • Family centered care.

• Management and supervision of Pediatric Oncology unit. 

 

b- Discussions, case studies, case scenarios and interactive exercises.

c- 1 hour of clinical observation to relate theory to practice.

 

At the end of the course participants will be granted a certificate of completion with the ANCC accredited contact hours and training hours provided.

 

3- Pediatric Oncology Observer ship:

 

The Pediatric Oncology Observer ship provides a comprehensive exposure to the care of children with cancer at the Children's Cancer Institute (Affiliated with Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis-Tennessee).

The observer ship will be arranged according to the participant's objectives and includes mandatory rotations in the inpatient and outpatient facilities and other services if needed. At the end of the activity, participants will be granted a certificate of completion including the number of training hours provided.

 

Pharmacy

 

The Pharmacy Department at AUBMC offers pharmacists and pharmacy technicians a wide variety of Training programs which include Lectures and hands-on Training. It also allows them to be part of the workflow in the hospital pharmacy through active participation in Oncology Medication Processing and Handling.

 

Available Training courses offered for Pharmacists:

 

• Parenteral Nutrition pediatrics and Neonates: Aseptic technique, USP 797 and Clinical application: Assessment, monitoring, follow up (10 days)

• Handling Hazardous Drugs: Aseptic technique and USP 797, USP 800 (3 days)

• Pharmacy Management (Formulary management, Committees, Quality indicator, inventory control, dealing with shortages, lean management in Pharmacy…) (2 days)

• Drug Utilization Review- Work on DUR (5 days)

• Pharmacy Practice Model: Medication reconciliation, Pharmacist’s role in pediatric chemotherapy floor and BMT units, pharmacist’s role in ambulatory chemotherapy unit for pediatric, pharmacists’ role in devising chemotherapy order sets, pharmacists’ role in Mapping BMT protocols to reduce errors and hands on training (10 days)

• JCI accreditation requirements for Medication Management, a roadmap to a just culture: ADEs, Failure Mode Effect Analysis and proactive safety strategies (5 days)

• Pharmacists’ role in chemotherapy supportive care (Febrile neutropenia, Pain management, tumor lysis syndrome, oral mucositis) (2 days)

• Healthcare management: Introduction to pharmacoeconomic and evaluation of pharmacoeconomic studies (2 days)

• Pharmacists’ role in devising order sets and policies and hands on training to work on order Compounding oral hazardous medication sets and devising policy (2 days).

 

Available Training courses offered for Oncology technicians:

 

The course is offered to technicians who require training in aseptic technique and has an emphasis on safe handling of cytotoxic drugs.

 

The course consists of didactic lectures, visual demonstrations, hands-on practical experience and an assessment and validation. One month

 

Students have the opportunity to learn sterile compounding practice, the requirements for dispensing, receipt, storage and dispensing of hazardous drugs, infection control, basic knowledge of medical and pharmaceutical terminology, communication skills, teamwork, work health and safety, ethical requirements and how to provide high level support and information to pharmacists in the workplace.

 

Lectures

• Pharmacy Technician career

• USP 797, USP 800 Guidelines: compounding areas and Equipment

• Aseptic Technique

• Medical and Pharmaceutical Terminology for oncology Technician

• Pharmaceutical calculation.

• Quality Control and Assurance

• Pharmacology/Pharmacotherapy of chemotherapy drugs

 

Hands on Training

• Biological safety cabinet Care

• Barrier Isolator

• Hazardous Vial Manipulations

• Hazardous Ampule Manipulations

 

 

 

Available Training Specialties

Nursing

Pharmacy

Requirements for Nursing training Program:

 

Education: Minimum of Bachelor of Science in Nursing for the Observer ship Course

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