Rheumatology lectures at UDOTS

MCh (Orth) students at the University Department of Orthopaedic & Trauma Surgery (UDOTS) were treated to two rheumatology lectures this week, on the 18th and 21st November, 2019.

Dr Suzy Silburn (Consultant Rheumatologist, NHS Tayside) and Mr Vinod Kumar (Clinical Lead for Rheumatology, NHS Tayside) gave talks on ‘Current concepts in diagnosis and management of sero-negative arthritis and crystal arthropathies’ and ‘Rheumatoid arthritis: case studies and disease management’ respectively.

Dr Silburn graduated from Aberdeen in 2000 and began rheumatology training in Glasgow before moving to Dundee as a specialist registrar. She became a consultant in 2011 and manages general inflammatory arthritis patients as well as my sub- specialty interest of lupus. She has an interest in postgraduate education and am TPD for Rheumatology and Internal Medicine in the East region. Suzy is a member of the Rheumatology Specialty Advisory Committee and a question writer for the Specialty Certificate Exam.

Mr Vinod Kumar graduated in India and moved to the UK for post-graduation and completed membership and specialist training in general medicine and rheumatology in Aberdeen. He has been working as a consultant rheumatologist since 2009 and has been the lead for rheumatology in NHS Tayside since 2016. His main interests are early inflammatory arthritis and vasculitis.

Mr Vinod Kumar (centre, front) with the MCh (Orth) students.

Mr Arpit Jariwala, Director of UDOTS, stated:

“It was a pleasure to have Dr Silburn and Dr Vinod come and educate and update the students on the ‘what’s new’ in the management of rheumatological disease. Rheumatology has changed a lot since my post-graduate days with impetus on early diagnosis with new tests, introduction of disease modifying agents or ‘biologics’ and less stress placed on the use of steroid. This is the first time we have introduced these lectures especially outside UK as most rheumatological conditions are managed by orthopaedic surgeons and hence there was a constant request of these topics to be taught. This indicates that the MCh (Orth) course is very flexible and adapts to the need of the Masters students and new knowledge.”