“The first course was fully booked within seconds,” recalls Doris Straub Piccirillo, Co-Head of Education at CK-CARE. In the fall of 2012, 30 Swiss pediatricians benefited for the first time from the new continuing education course “Allergy in Everyday Pediatric Practice.” “Over 20 percent of Swiss children suffer from allergies, and the trend is rising, yet aspiring pediatricians still learn very little about this during their basic training,” says the education expert. The need to promote skills and acquire new knowledge remains enormous. Doris Straub ­Piccirillo, in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Roger Lauener, allergists, and the Swiss Association of Pediatricians, developed the curriculum for the block course, which consists of three two-day modules. Pediatrician and clinical lecturer ­Michael Hitzler has been involved in the planning and as a course instructor since the very beginning. As an attending physician for allergies and lung diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Central Switzerland, he also regularly treats children with chronic cough or asthma. “Many of their symptoms stem from allergies such as pollen, house dust, or pet dander. Trained pediatricians could easily treat them themselves in their practices – without months of waiting for a hospital appointment,” he emphasizes.

For the course, Doris Straub Piccirillo introduced the “flipped classroom” concept: instead of traditional lectures, participants prepare individually for the in-person session by acquiring basic knowledge through videos on the CK-CARE Allergy Online Campus. They also have access to scientific publications, fact sheets, and webinars, for example, on hay fever, atopic dermatitis, and anaphylactic shock. They then apply their knowledge interactively during the course. “They perform prick tests, for example, and learn from and with each other using case studies from their own practice. Each topic is accompanied by a specialist physician and course instructors from the field,” she explains. “Our goal is for pediatricians to be able to apply what they’ve learned directly in their daily practice.” A refresher course is offered as needed.