ECDC Summer School 2013

Objectives

1. To address expressed training needs among supervisors

2. Bring supervisors of fellowships (EPIET & EUPHEM) together to share and exchange experiences and views on supervision, coaching and creating collaborations between microbiologists and epidemiologists

3. To bring ECDC core activities and the fellowship network closer together (increasing ability for supervisors to identify projects that link to ECDC core and priority tasks, increasing opportunities for ECDC experts and experts from the Disease Networks to be aware of and be involved in fellowship projects)

4. To incorporate to the training networks the trainers belonging to the new Medi-PIET project.

Target audience, seats and selection

The target audiences were:

1. Supervisors of EPIET and EUPHEM: main supervisors, co-supervisors and also those that support fellows in specific projects. They are mid-career and senior professionals in applied epidemiology and public health microbiology. (15 seats)

2. Experts from ECDC Disease Networks in the European Union (15 seats)

3. ECDC experts (15 seats)

4. Experts from Medi-PIET (10 seats)

Selection of EPIET/EUPHEM supervisors was be done through official invitation letters to the EPIET Training Site Forum and EUPHEM Training forum. In addition, there were 15 seats for ECDC experts and 15 seats for experts from disease programme networks.

The ECDC Coordinating Competent Bodies have been informed about the training, and invited to identify and propose experts from the disease programme networks. For more information please contact: ECDC [dot] coursesecdc [dot] europa [dot] eu (ECDC[dot]courses[at]ecdc[dot]europa[dot]eu)

Learning objectives

Learning objectives and curriculum of the different sessions and activities were based on the ECDC core competencies for Public Health Epidemiologists and the Competencies for Public Health Microbiologists working in the areas of communicable disease surveillance and response in the European Union.

Areas included:

• Supervision/mentoring on the job

• Applied epidemiology (risk assessment, laboratory issues, outbreak investigation, epidemiological studies, public health surveillance)

• Public health microbiology (risk assessment, outbreak investigation, public health surveillance)

• Communication

• Management (Mentoring and Tutoring)

• Training (Didactics)

Format

Twelve different one-day workshops, led by EPIET Coordinators and other ECDC experts from different Units, was run in parallel during the four days. Participative methods were used: lectures, peer learning, problem based solving, case studies, role play and checklists to review fellows’ scientific products (study protocol, report from outbreak investigation, scientific manuscript), group discussions and portfolio. For some workshops, readings and preparation were suggested prior to attendance.

Participative methods was used including: peer learning, problem-based solving, role play, group discussions, portfolio, case studies, etc.

Accreditation

The PH Training Section applied for accreditation of the Summer school under the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME, see: http://www.eaccme.eu ).​