Are DIU lessons changing?
Of course, every year the lessons are up dated. One of the challenges that lie ahead is to integrate recently described diseases, such as the new dystrophies, without forgetting the old ones.

 

Why have you launched a real time transmission system of the lessons with the Reunion Island this year?
The aim was both to develop the course and to open the DIU to other French-speaking people living quite far from Paris. This system allows students to attend classes throughout the year and only come to Paris for the examination. The choice of the Reunion Island was imposed on us because there was strong interest on their behalf, but also because there is not much time difference, making the organization simpler a priori.

 

And from a technical point of view?
It was innovation with suffering! We had several technical problems: the image was fine but the sound was more uncertain, not always very good and sometimes even disconnected. Apart from these difficulties, the students were happy to be able to interact directly with the lecturers.

 

Would you like to extend this system to other francophone countries?
Absolutely, it's very interesting, for example for the Caribbean or Polynesia. But the technical issues of transmission must be resolved first. And also consider the means to conduct a lesson while keeping the valuable opportunity to exchange, despite the time difference.

Dr. Meryem Benahmed is an anatomopathologist at the Anticancer Center in Alger (Algeria). She has decided to follow the interuniversity degree to understand the ins and outs of pathologies, exclusive of diagnosis. But also because there’s a possibility of opening a histopathology service at the same Centre and her internship in Norma B. Romero's lab allows her to further improve her skills for the diagnosis of MNM.

 

Dr. Stéphane Doutreleau is a cardiologist at the reference centre for genetic neuromuscular diseases in children and adults at the University Hospital of Strasbourg, in Dr. Andoni Echaniz-Laguna. There, he practices functional pulmonary and cardiac explorations during exercise in myopathic and exercise intolerant patients. He chose to participate in the IUD for myology to have a better understanding of neuromuscular disorders. During his dissertation, he will demonstrate the importance of functional exploration during exercise in metabolic myopathies through a system that measures gas exchange.