Rheumatology studentship to tutorship: A journey with Learna

Meet our former student, now busy and committed Rheumatology tutor, Dr. Md Abu Bakar Siddiq. Abu is currently working as an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Brahmanbaria Medical College, in Bangladesh.

He also participates on a weekly basis at a rheumatology clinic at Chittagong Medical College Hospital, where he first developed his keen interest in rheumatology and rheumatic diseases. Recently Dr Abu successfully passed the Registry in Musculoskeletal (RMSK) and American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS). Abu also passed the POCUS (Musculoskeletal) certification in January this year and is the only person in his country achieving both certifications in MSK ultrasound. An enormous achievement!

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Abu about his background and why he decided to pursue his rheumatology diploma and masters with Learna after completing his physical medicine residency:

Tell us about your journey here at Learna?

Abu: I started searching available rheumatology online courses and fortunately got one at the University of South Wales, UK - unique of its kind in the UK. I enrolled for a diploma in rheumatology in the March 2017 session and finished it in time with a distinction! Later, I registered for the MSc rheumatology in March 2018 and completed it in 2019 with distinction. However, the most important thing that came to me as a surprise was that Learna offered me the course tutor! It didn't take too much time to say yes. Learna provided me the platform to interact with excellent, experienced faculty. Their support team was constructive and would help students when they needed any help and support.

What part of the course benefited your practice?

Abu: In the second year of my MSc, I had to work hard on research methodology, writing research protocol, and preparing a thesis that I found helpful in writing a medical manuscript for journal submission. I learned different review article types and how to write a review article. Most importantly, MSc rheumatology helped me find my new areas of research interest. Before, I only had a basic foundation on rheumatic diseases when I was studying my clinical fellowship in physical medicine as mentioned above; but since I completed the MSc rheumatology, I now have advanced knowledge of rheumatology and handle various inflammatory, non-inflammatory arthritis, and soft tissue rheumatism confidently.

What part of the course is beneficial to the current students who are studying this course?

Abu: The academic forum discussion where students participate with their views on the given topics also allows them to learn from their peers' writings. This helped me a lot as well as the feedback from the tutors which makes the forum discussion more lively and engaging.

What does it take to succeed in this course?

Abu: Dedication to the rheumatology courses, researching updated published articles, studying rheumatic diseases, practicing guidelines (NICE, EULAR, BSR), following the tutor's instructions-feedback and responding to the tutor's post on a regular basis is key for successful completion of the course. Updating the weekly portfolio using a standard format (for example, Gibbs' method, etc.) will help score higher grades. As well, active participation in the module activity will allow students to get higher individual and group grades.

What would you say to students who are considering studying this course?

Abu: The rheumatology courses are flexible, and in between modules, they will have sufficient time to get a new start for the next module. Students should follow the instructions provided on the course website carefully. Initially, they may find it challenging to go with the module's thread; however, they will overcome them very soon as the course progresses. To have high grades, students must work hard, and I think they should read at least 2 hours/day. They should focus on the weekly topics and finish each week's discussion during the respective modules, which will help them to get enough to prepare for the module end MCQ exam with a high score.

About our Rheumatology Programmes:
Having specialist knowledge in the field of rheumatology is an increasingly important role and responsibility of medical personnel globally. These rheumatology online courses can advance your knowledge of rheumatology that will facilitate decision-making in unpredictable and/or complex situations. Our online courses can help you demonstrate a systematic understanding of the care of patients and critically evaluate current research in rheumatology.

The curriculum will cover subjects such as epidemiology, pathophysiology, multidisciplinary treatment, therapeutic interventions, diagnostic and management approaches in inflammatory arthritis. Connective tissue disease, with an emphasis on diagnosis and management and understanding of soft tissue, hypermobility and connective tissue disorders, degenerative arthritis and traumatic conditions.

Why choose rheumatology? Find out more about our MSc and Postgraduate Diploma in Rheumatology.

Related articles: