Course Review: MDS-ES Summer School 2013 (London, United Kingdom)

Contributed by Yahaya Olugbo Obiabo, MBBCh, FMCP, Consultant Neurologist, Oghara, Nigeria

July 2013

The African young neurologists had a unique experience in this year’s summer school as a special three day program was organized at Newcastle by Prof. Richard Walker, the Chair of the MDS Task Force on Africa. We arrived in Newcastle upon Tyne on July 22.

On July 23 we met Prof. Richard Walker at the North Tyneside General Hospital along with Dr. Brian Wood, a geriatrician with an interest in PD, and a PD nurse specialist. We enjoyed sharing ideas about services, training and research priorities for PD in Africa.

We then proceeded to Choppington Welfare Centre to attend a Clinical Update meeting on Palliative Care in PD convened by Annette Hand, PD nurse consultant, and Louise Robinson, PD nurse specialist.

On July 24, we visited the Clinical Ageing and Research Unit (CARU) of Newcastle General Hospital where we were shown the gait lab and other facilities. Afterward we attended Prof. Richard Walker’s movement disorders clinic at  North Tyneside General Hospital run by doctors and PD nurse specialists.

On July 25th we made our way to London for the MDS-ES Summer School. The 2013 MDS-ES summer school was an intensive package for all of us. It was indeed a huge success.