Professor James C Petrie Scholarship

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Dr Ihsan Jibril received her basic medical education from Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, and she is currently a Senior (Specialist) Registrar in Dermatology/Infectious diseases in the Department of Internal Medicine at National Hospital Abuja, Nigeria. She also has a Master’s degree in International (public) Health from the University of Nottingham. Dr Jibril is particularly passionate about quality healthcare delivery in resource-poor settings with a special emphasis on clinical research, achieving excellence in medical education and clinical audits. Her long-term career interests are international research collaborations, global health and health policy.

“It was very exciting for me when I found out that I won the prestigious Prof James C. Petrie Scholarship. I understood attending the course in Acute and General Medicine was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.

I arrived in the beautiful city of Edinburgh on a bright Sunday afternoon and was warmly welcomed by the lovely Margaret Farquhar. I was lodged in a room with scenic view within the college accommodation, which by the way is just amazing.

The course started off with lectures on approaches to infection which were particularly interesting for me as someone who works in infectious disease. I learned new insights in the diagnosis of sepsis and was reminded of the weighty relevance of antimicrobial stewardship. The lectures on the therapeutic advances in diseases like Diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Heart Failure etc. were quite interesting and fascinating, as most of them are not available in my country at the moment. The groundbreaking lecture by Professor Derek Bell OBE on Healthcare in the 21^st century specifically resonated with me, because he emphasised the relevance of data in influencing change and the role that innovation and technology will play in the future of medicine. This is particularly important for Low-Middle Income Countries where these changes are critically needed. The interactive cases were the most relatable for me; patients present the same and in the end medicine is medicine everywhere in the world. Additionally, I especially found it helpful when the experts in the field pointed out clinical pearls and common pitfalls. The inspiring lecture by Professor Sir Andy Haines on climate change and health was eye-opening as this is a subject that we never really discuss where I come from, but nevertheless a crucial conversation that developing countries need to be part of.

At the end of it all, I appreciated the wide variety of topics covered in such a short time. The pacing of the learning through interactive cases also made it easy to understand,

Furthermore, I enjoyed the tour around the city, discovering the rich history of Scotland including “The real Mary King's Close’. The complimentary tour of the college similarly took us back in time to the days of early medicine; I am convinced Edinburgh really is the heart of medicine.

I can say coming to this course has enhanced my knowledge on acute and general medicine, I have made amazing contacts and what I have learned will influence my practice and the practice of my colleagues. I have also taken the opportunity to explore the city of Edinburgh, which I have truly come to love.”

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I am from Nepal, a beautiful Himalayan country in South East Asia. I completed my MBBS in 2011 and MD in Internal Medicine in 2016 from Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences. After graduation, I joined as a lecturer in the Department of Internal Medicine at Dhulikel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital, and have been working there ever since.

It was a great privilege to be one of the recipients of the prestigious Professor James C Petrie Scholarship for the year 2019.  The RCPE Course in Acute and General Internal Medicine has been one of the best learning experiences for me so far. All the topics were very intriguing and the lectures were well presented, interactive and highly informative. I gained new insights in to the management of infectious diseases and antibiotic stewardship, caring for people with multimorbidity, therapeutic advances in various common clinical conditions, challenges  of healthcare in the 21^st century to name a few. There was more learning during the informal interaction sessions with all the wonderful participants from various countries. The knowledge I have acquired from the course will definitely have a positive impact on my career, medical teaching and patient care.

I am very grateful to the Royal college of Physicians of Edinburgh for this opportunity and would like to thank everyone involved in the course for such warm welcome, cosy and beautiful College accommodation, College tour and such a well-organized course. The people of Edinburgh were equally nice and welcoming and though it was short stay I will cherish the memories of the beautiful city of Edinburgh for lifetime.