A lifetime commitment to learning

Continuing education for your doctors

- CLINICAL MATTERS DR. EDSEL MAURICE T. SALVANA

It's that time of year again when Filipino internists (internal medicine specialists) and internists-in-training gather over several days to learn about the latest medical information and network for research and clinical practice.

Last May 4 to 7, 2025, the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) held its 55th annual congress at the SMX Convention Center. Typically, 8,000 to 10,000 doctors come to this conference, but this year over 13,000 doctors attended. The delegates came from all over the archipelago, and even from other countries.

Featured speakers were among the best in the field of internal medicine and its subspecialties and included distinguished foreign speakers who are world-renowned experts.

Medical conventions are great sources of continuing medical education for busy clinical practitioners. The well-curated scientific program of this year's PCP convention featured high-yield topics with cutting-edge information applicable to our clinical practice. This information will help us internists take better care of our patients. Aside from the formal scientific program, there were also practical skills lectures, like the one I was asked to deliver, where I explained how to make good presentations and how to better engage your audience.

This year's first plenary lecture was provocatively entitled "Addressing Generation Gaps in Internal Medicine Training for an Age-inclusive Medical Practice." The speaker was Dr. Melfor Atienza, the dean of the National Teachers Training Center for Health Professions at the University of the Philippines Manila and a practicing gastroenterologist. Dr. Melfor, or Ma'am Melfie as her students (including me) call her, is one of the best teachers you will ever meet. Her lectures are meticulously crafted, and her exams are scientifically constructed to the point of having item analysis to make sure each question is fair.