Syrian Scientific Research Club (SSRC)

In 2019, SAMS Education Committee launched a Virtual Education Series at the Syrian Student Scientific Research Club. This project is part of several diverse educational activities led by the committee to raise the level of scientific research and critical thinking skills of our colleagues at medical institutes.

The program includes multiple courses in Evidence-Based Health Care and Medical Research along with a Journal Club.

The first online course is titled “The Practice of Evidence-Based Health Care” (EBHC).

Overview:

This course provides an introduction into the practice of evidence-based health care. The focus is on formulation of an answerable clinical question and basic critical appraisal of various types of studies, i.e. randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, diagnostic, prognostic and qualitative studies. We also cover basic statistical concepts needed to interpret studies. Teaching is co-ordinated by Dr. Yamama Bdaiwi, Evidence-Based Health Care, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Formulate an answerable clinical question
• Search for relevant publications quickly and efficiently
• Critically appraise various types of studies, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), systematic reviews of RCTs, Diagnostic, Prognostic and Qualitative studies
• Understand some basic statistical concepts required to interpret studies

Structure of the Course:

The course includes 22 lectures, covering 10 topics. Each is covered through one or two short videos comprising the theoretical parts as a basic preparation for the interactive session, and an interactive practical Webinar to cover the practical aspects of the topic. Although the course is intensive, it was designed according to an extended timetable to suit students’ and professionals’ commitments. The interactive sessions (50-75 minutes) were held on Saturdays (11 am EST time) from January 2019- April 2019.

Videos and recordings are now fully available on social media (links are included below). The course is directed to students and professionals in all health specialities. The audience ranges from students to specialist trainees and consultants, from a wide variety of regions in Syria, Egypt, Palestine, and Turkey.

Lecturers:

A team of 11 Syrian doctors in Europe and the US lectured, conveying their experience in evidence-based medicine and research to their colleagues in Arabic-speaking countries. Our renowned lectures are:

• Samer Aabed, MD
• Ahmed Al-Moujahed, MD
• Chighaf Bakkour, MD
• Ammar Sabouni, MD
• Belal Firwana, MD
• Bassam Sonbol, MD
• Yamama Bdaiwi, MD
• Muhammad Alsayid, MD
• Osama Tayyar, MD

To join our Syrian Scientific Research Club (SSRC), please click here.