As the medical system is being rebuilt in Afghanistan, many programs that are familiar in Canada, are being introduced to a new generation of Afghan physicians. One such program is the medical conference to provide continuing medical education, known as CME.

A two-day medical scientific conference was held by the Armed Forces Academy of Medical Sciences (AFAMS) on 30 – 31 December 2012 in Kabul. With almost 300 attendees, the theme of the conference was efficient delivery of healthcare in Afghanistan.

The conference was planned and run by an Afghan faculty, while members of the Canadian Forces provided advice. All of the presentations were made by Afghan physicians with the exception of one talk given by Major Dennis Marion of the Canadian Forces Health Services. Major Marion, a specialist in Internal Medicine, is currently posted to Edmonton, Alberta.

Major Vivian McAlister, a member of Graduate Medical Education (GME) advisory team who is also a councilor of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, spoke at the end of the conference to congratulate AFAMS on the high standard of the meeting. Dr McAlister reminded specialists attending the meeting to apply for CME credits to their colleges. He then presented the Royal College speaker certificate to Dr Zabiullah Azizi of Kabul for his presentation on sepsis.

Major Marion spoke on the topic of applying evidence-based medicine techniques to clinical examination. While the principles of rational clinical examination were new to many in the audience, the presentation was welcomed as the way of the future for Afghan medicine.

The Canadian contribution to the NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan has been advising the Afghan National Army during the current phase of its reconstruction. The GME Advisory Team has assisted Afghan medical faculty during the process of developing curricula for training specialist physicians and surgeons in Afghanistan.

The success of medical conferences such as this one held in AFAMS, bodes well for the future of academic medicine in Afghanistan. The contribution of Canada to this process was recognized by Surgeon General Mohammed Musa Wardak during his closing remarks to the conference.