Urologists, nurses, and other health care professionals practicing in the different regions of Mindanao came together for the first time in the historical city of Ozamiz, Misamis Occidental on the 22nd of July 2023 for the 18th PUA-Mindanao Chapter Postgraduate Course entitled “Urology for JUAN and All: Building Paradigms for Holistic Urologic Care”. The objective of this post graduate course was to educate and promote an exchange of ideas between members of the healthcare system. This post graduate course also aimed to promote a multidisciplinary and team approach in providing the best urologic care for the patients in Mindanao. The plenary session was held at the Royal Garden Hotel Conference Hall situated at the heart of Ozamiz City. The venue was festive and several booths from pharmaceutical sponsors lined the hallway entrance. Health professionals from different areas filled the hall with their presence.

The post graduate course opened with a solemn invocation, the patriotic Philippine national anthem as well as the Philippine Medical Association and Philippine Urological Association hymn. Welcoming remarks were then given by the incumbent president of the PUA Mindanao Chapter Ricardo F. Jalipa, MD. This was followed shortly by an inspirational and highly appreciative message from the PUA president Eli Paulino F. Madrona, MD. A course insight and overview were then given by the gracious host of the event and president of the organizing committee John Mark S. Feliciano, MD.

The flow of the program was moderated by lively and eloquent master of ceremonies Manuel Gerard L. Sevilla, MD; Lei Carlo L. Macalisang, MD; Jade Kenneth G. Lomansoc, MD and Melinda R. Gabales, MD. Thrilling raffles and consolation prizes were given away in between lectures.

Starting things off was a lecture entitled “Easy Peasy: Foley Catheter Insertion” by Ralph Adriel T. Balan, MD. The lecture included a brief discussion on male and female anatomy and the different types of foley catheters. The highlight of the lecture was to educate and involve the nursing staff and primary care physicians in the proper way of inserting the foley catheter to avoid unnecessary injury.

The next lecture was entitled “pH Control in the Management of Urolithiasis” delivered by Paul Nimrod B. Firaza, MD. The lecture discussed the factors contributing to stone formation and emphasized the role of medications altering the pH to treat select patients with urolithiasis.

A returning lecturer, Ralph Adriel T. Balan, MD discussed a topic entitled “Plumb it out! Tips on Dealing with Clogged Indwelling Foley Catheter”. The tips and tricks on how to deal with clogged catheters and difficult catheter removal was discussed. This was followed by presentation of research data on the success rates of each procedure.

The lunch symposium ensued with a lecture on “Prostate Health 101: the Necessity of Proactive Screening and Early Treatment” given by Jeff Jubilado, MD on a virtual platform. This lecture illustrated several scenarios on how to pinpoint and detect patients in need of early treatment for prostatic diseases. A very interactive question and answer portion between the audience and the speaker was skillfully moderated by Jade Kenneth Lomansoc, MD.

This was then followed by another symposium entitled “Battling the Beast: Conquering Prostate Cancer” was delivered by Jay-R R. Enojo, MD. Lecturing on the prostate cancer landscape and the disease timeline and providing a shared decision making with the patient and the relatives were the key points of the lecture. Actual patient profiles and case discussions were presented to showcase concrete treatment and management options tailored for each patient.

Moving towards the late afternoon, a family medicine practitioner, Maria Rizza Camins-Sotomil, MD presented her lecture on “One Call Away: When to Refer to Your Friendly Urologist”. Algorithms from different medical sources were discussed to stress the importance of timely referrals to Urologists in different medical scenarios.

Last but not the least was a fiery family medicine lecture from Annabelle C. Fuentes, MD entitled “Vantage Point: Patient-Centered Care”. This motivational lecture discussed the patient centered approach during the different stages of diagnosis and treatment of diseases. It also highlighted the admirable art of medical practice where there should be recognition of the needs of the patient, involvement in the treatment and decision-making process and respecting the choice of the patient.

After the lectures, the highly anticipated grand raffle prize was announced. All the attendees for this meeting were eager to take home the prized 55-inch flatscreen television. A health care professional who travelled all the way from Pagadian City was the lucky winner of the grand prize.

Formally closing the event was a speech delivered by the PUA Mindanao Chapter Vice President Emmanuel B. Sebastian, MD on his final thoughts and remarks. The chapter vice president expressed outmost gratitude and thanked everyone for coming and attending a successful post graduate course. It is important to work harmoniously as a team in providing excellent urologic care to all patients. The culmination of this event can be summed up with words from Henry Ford. “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”