The 6th ESSM Oxford Sexual Medicine Course, 2012
St Catherine’s College Oxford, United Kingdom
Monday, 23th July – Friday 3rd August 2012
and
Sexual Medicine course during the Amsterdam ESSM 2012 Congress
Amsterdam, The Netherlands (with the 2012 ESSM Scientific Congress)
Thursday, 6th to Sunday, 9th December 2012
Dear ESSM Member
On behalf of our President, Professor Hartmut Porst, and the Executive Committee of ESSM, and the Educational Committee of the ESSM I invite you to apply for the 6th European School of Sexual Medicine programme. A number of ESSM bursaries are available to support the attendance of ESSM members from low-income countries, or those who are experiencing financial hardship; for more information, please see below. This exclusive benefit is available only to ESSM members.
Background
The European School of Sexual Medicine was a joint venture established by the European Society for Sexual Medicine and the European Federation of Sexology. The first “Oxford Course” was run in 2007; this year, we will deliver a learning curriculum based upon the UEMS Joint Committee for Sexual Medicine syllabus. Our programme is intended for clinicians seeking to acquire the knowledge and skills essential for specialist practice in Sexual Medicine. Medically-qualified participants should find the programme helpful when preparing for the Fellowship of the European Board of Sexual Medicine examination, which will be set for the first time in 2012.
So far, over one hundred and twenty physicians from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas have taken part in the Oxford Programme; they include specialists in andrology, endocrinology, family medicine, gynaecology, internal medicine, psychiatry and urology. Participants will have the opportunity to learn the essentials of sexuality in both men and women that are necessary for effective clinical practice, even for those whose usual practice is exclusively with one gender.
Programme
The Oxford Programme is primarily intended for medically-qualified persons with post-graduate experience in any relevant clinical specialism. Interest in and enthusiasm for Sexual Medicine are the essential qualifications; whilst previous experience in the clinical practice of Sexual Medicine is an advantage, the programme is also suitable for those starting out in this fascinating and rapidly developing area of medicine. Special skills in surgery or psychotherapy are not a requirement for participation. Psychologists and therapists are welcome to join the programme but are not eligible to sit the UEMS Fellowship of the European Board of Sexual Medicine exam.
Requirements
Participants must enter the 2012 Oxford Programme at the two-week, residential “Oxford Course” in July/August 2012. This covers a wide range of Sexual Medicine topics and provides the essential background learning from which clinical experience can be developed. A second programme will be held in Amsterdam in December 2012, in conjunction with the ESSM Annual Scientific Congress, so that participants can attend both events. It is not possible to join the Programme mid-year, in Milan. All sessions during the programme will be conducted in the English language; participative learning techniques for skill development will be used, as well as didactic teaching. Working with simulated patients, there will be practical training in Sexual Medicine consultation techniques and history-taking, and in the basic use of sex therapy techniques in Sexual Medicine.
The academic programme will include
• sexual development
• psychology and physiology of sexual desire, arousal and response
• impact of gender on sexuality
• ageing and sexuality
• sexual dysfunctions in men and women
• problematic sexual behaviour
• gender identity disorders
• impact of medical treatments and other health problems on sexuality
• clinical skills in Sexual Medicine
• clinical management of sexual disorders
• sexually transmitted infection
• genital dermatology
• ethical and legal aspects of Sexual Medicine
• research methods related to Sexual Medicine
• history of Sexual Medicine
• standards of care in Sexual Medicine.
The course not only aims to add to your knowledge of Sexual Medicine but also to enable you to change your clinical practice with the acquisition of new skills to apply to providing services for patients and to have more confidence in assessing and helping men and women with common sexual concerns.
The two-week course is held at St Catherine’s College, a modern College offering high-quality accommodation for participants; it is within 10 minutes walk of Oxford city centre. There will be an optional and very informal social programme run throughout the course. This is a friendly course and we hope that participants will make new friends, as well as learn about Sexual Medicine. Because the number of participants is strictly limited (see below), there is plenty of opportunity to meet and talk informally with teaching faculty members; group members have the option of joining us for evenings together in Oxford after dinner at the College. Although two weeks may seem a long time to be away from home at a course, feedback from previous groups suggests that loneliness and boredom are not a problem. We are fortunate to be studying such an interesting subject!
The actual running cost of the complete Oxford Programme is more than €3,300.00 per person but it is part-subsidised by generous support from the European and International Societies for Sexual Medicine.
• The registration fee for the complete programme is €1,500.00, inclusive of tuition fees for both the Oxford and Amsterdam courses, meals and accommodation for the two-week Oxford course, and lunch and refreshment breaks at the Amsterdam course; accommodation costs in Amsterdam, and all travel costs, are not included. In addition, participants will be offered free registration for the 2012 ESSM Congress in Amsterdam, and reduced registration fees for the ESSM Congresses in 2013 and 2014.
• ESSM members from low-income countries, or those who are experiencing financial hardship, may apply for special bursaries, which can cover up to two-thirds of the registration fee.
• The number of participants in each year of the Oxford Sexual Medicine Programme is limited to 40, so early application is advisable. Bursary applications should be received no later than 31st March 2012; successful applicants will be notified of award of bursaries by 23rd April 2012.
ISSM will is likely to offer a similar bursary scheme for ISSM members who are NOT also ESSM members, to assist those from low-income countries, and those who are experiencing financial hardship. A separate letter of invitation and application form will be sent by ISSM to its non-ESSM members.
All ESSM member applicants, whether seeking a bursary or not, should apply using the form below, which must be returned by e-mail to jan[at]sexualmedicine.org or by fax to +44 1364 72935
For further information, please e-mail the Programme Director, Dr John Dean, c/o
Please download the Application form here, fill it out and send it per mail to jan[at]sexualmedicine.org.
Download the application form here and return it jan[at]sexualmedicine.org.