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Family medicine camp, research forums top week’s global activity

A training camp during which UNMC physicians will help equip Chinese doctors to bring the field of family medicine to the world’s largest nation is among the highlights of a full slate of international activity at UNMC next week.

During the camp, which runs Aug. 6-17, nearly 20 Chinese physicians will visit Omaha to take advantage of UNMC’s renowned expertise in primary care to learn family medicine practices.

Right to the specialist … but is it the right one?

Traditionally, hospital receptionists — not primary care professionals — triage ailing patients in Chinese medical centers.

Chinese patients don’t have the luxury of a family medicine doctor who can take a closer look at the ailment, administer treatment or make a more authoritative referral after a thorough examination.

A new system

Like the U.S., health care reform is underway in China and the introduction of family medicine is major component of system change.

During the training camp, the Chinese physicians will learn and observe family medicine practices that will help them establish the field in China.

More international activity

Other major highlights of a week filled with international activity at UNMC include:

  • International Student Research Forum — More than 60 students from universities in China, Australia, Japan and the U.S. will converge on the UNMC to present their biomedical research. This marks the eighth year UNMC students have participated in the forum, which is held at a different site throughout the world each year. This is the second time the forum will be held at UNMC.
  • Joint Research Symposium — Three faculty members from UNMC and four from universities in China will present and discuss their research into inflammation and disease as part of the fourth-annual symposium, which is designed to foster collaboration among UNMC and Chinese investigators.

The student forum and research symposium will both run Aug. 7-9 on the UNMC campus. An opening ceremony for both events will take place Tuesday at 7:45 a.m. and a closing ceremony will be held Thursday at 11:30 a.m.

The campus community is invited to both events.