Faculty & CME Details
Dr. Michael Heffernan
Specialty:
Cardiology
About The Speaker
Dr. Michael Heffernan is a staff cardiologist at the Oakville Trafalgar Hospital. He obtained his honours bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Genetic Engineering from Mc Master University in 1987. He then successfully pursued a Ph.D. in the department of Medical Genetics at the University of Toronto. Dr. Heffernan completed Internal Medicine and Cardiology training at the University of Toronto. He is a Staff Cardiologist at the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital and is also the Director of the Oakville Hospital Heart Function Clinic and the Medical Director of Research at Halton Healthcare. In addition, Dr. Heffernan is a Director of Oakville Cardiologists, a partner of Oakville Cardiovascular Research LP, and is an Assistant Clinical Professor at McMaster University. Dr. Heffernan’s research activities have been widely published in academic and peer-reviewed journals including the New England Journal of Medicine.
Dr. Wojciech Olszynski
Specialty:
Rheumatology
About The Speaker
Dr. Olszynski is a well-known clinician, educator, and clinical trial investigator in the field of arthritis, osteoporosis and metabolic bone diseases, as well as immune disorders for over 30 years.
He completed his internal medicine and rheumatology training at the University of Saskatchewan. As founding director of the Saskatoon Osteoporosis Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he coordinates a multidisciplinary centre for the evaluation and management of osteoporosis and other metabolic bone disorders including the region’s largest bone density (DXA) laboratory. Dr. Olszynski is the author of many publications and reviews. He actively participates on the Advisory Council for Osteoporosis Canada and as an opinion expert for the International Society of Clinical Densitometry (ISCD). In addition to his busy medical practice in Saskatoon, he also serves as Clinical Professor of the Department of Medicine with involvement in under-and-post-graduate teaching and Competence by Design Committee of the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Olszynski is a member of many international professional associations. He has received the 2007 Gold Medal Award for Humanity and Medicine from the Albert Schweitzer World Academy, the 2012 Dr. Tytus Chalubinski Medal from Medical University of Warsaw, Poland, the 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee medal, and the 2022 Polish Bene Merito Medal of Honor.
CME Topics
Cardiology & Rheumatology
CME AWAY® by Sea Courses is pleased to invite you on an 8-Night CME Cruise onboard the Uniworld River Queen, sailing the Rhine River from Frankfurt to Nuremberg, November 30th to December 8, 2023.
There are 2 presenters - Dr. Mike Heffernan, a Cardiologist from Ontario and Dr. Wojciech Olszynski a Rheumatologist from Saskatchewan. They have developed a program that will appeal to both family physicians and specialists. Their programs are designed to be evidence based with interactivity and attendee participation strongly encouraged.
Dr. Heffernan will cover topics such as Dyslipidemia, Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Failure and other areas in Cardiology
Dr. Olszynski will present on Gout, Osteoporosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and other related topics.
Dr.’s Heffernan and Olszynski look forward to seeing you on the cruise.
Dr. Heffernan
- Atrial Fibrillation Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment
- Dyslipidemia: Traditional and Emerging Therapies
- Congestive Heart Failure: Entering a New Era of Therapy
- My Patient just had a Heart Attack: Secondary Prevention Post Myocardial Infarction
- Reducing Vascular Risk: The Management of Patients with Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
- Hypertension Management: A Review of the Updated Hypertension Guidelines
Dr. Olszynski
- Crystal Arthropathies. Gout and Pseudogout
- Fibromyalgia Syndrome – Who Should Be Involved in Carrying/Management?
- Inflammatory Joint Disease Practical Approach with Some Cases to Be Discussed
- Joint Injection – To Whom, When, With What, By Whom?
- Osteoarthritis – What We All Should Know
- Osteoporosis-Physician’s Guide (Review of Current Therapies)
Venue Information
A journey that will make you believe in holiday magic all over again.
Once upon a time, people gathered on cobblestone squares to buy the special tools and ingredients they needed to make the treats of the season. They kept warm with hot spiced wine, music and games while they shopped and chatted with the local tradesmen. Those were the first Christmas markets, 500 years ago. Today, though the light comes from twinkling electric bulbs rather than torches, bonhomie and fun still prevail.
Discover villages with fairytale houses and a friendly, festive atmosphere. Share traditional holiday goodies with the people who made them. Watch as modern children abandon their usual electronics and discover the enchantment of hand-carved wooden toys, as scents of cinnamon and roasting nuts fill the air. Sail through Christmas country, trying Frankfurt’s famous apple cider and Nuremberg’s gingerbread. Throughout, cozy up to steaming mugs of glühwein (warm spiced wine) and do as the locals do by collecting different mugs from each stall and town you visit. Embrace the holiday spirit in Germany, the land where many Christmas traditions began, and find the magic of the season in the smiles that you meet along the way.
Who will enjoy this cruise
Those wanting to experience the quintessential magic of the holidays while shopping for one-of-a-kind treasures and discovering the legends behind some of our most popular holiday traditions
Additional Noteworthy Features
One of the most unique ships cruising Europe’s waterways, the
River Queen has an exterior resembling the steamships of the 1930s and an elegant Art Deco interior. Decorated in richly textured blue and white fabrics—with marble bathrooms and inspiring artwork—
River Queen is a sublime floating hotel designed with your every comfort in mind.
River Queen was rated the #1 ship in the entire cruise industry (both river and ocean) in the 2012
Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Cruise Poll.
DINING
- All meals onboard, prepared using the finest and freshest ingredients
- 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 7 dinners
- Captain’s Welcome and Farewell Receptions
- Welcome and Farewell Gala Dinners
- Unlimited beverages onboard, including fine wine, beer, spirits, specialty coffee and tea, soft drinks and mineral water
EXCURSIONS
- 6 days of excursions, including “Choice Is Yours” options, all fully hosted by English-speaking local experts
- Guided “Taste of Christmas” and “Village Day” programs
- State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio-headset system on all shore excursions
- Use of Nordic walking sticks
ACCOMMODATIONS
- 7-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the regal River Queen
- Lavishly appointed riverview staterooms and suites have handcrafted Savoir® Beds of England, high thread count 100% Egyptian cotton sheets and European duvets, and a menu of pillow options
- Free Internet and Wi-Fi access
EXPERIENCES
- 1 country: Germany
- 2 UNESCO World Heritage sites
- Services of an experienced Uniworld Cruise Manager
- All transfers on arrival and departure days
- Gratuities for onboard personnel (ship staff, crew, Cruise/Tour Manager) are included during the cruise/tour
- Captivating onboard local entertainment
Itinerary & Schedule
| Date |
Port / Location |
Arrival Time |
Departure Time |
Notes / CME Details |
| November 30th |
Frankfurt (Arrive) |
|
|
|
| December 1st |
Frankfurt |
|
|
TBA |
| December 2nd |
Frankfurt |
|
|
TBA |
| December 3rd |
Wertheim |
|
|
TBA |
| December 4th |
Würzburg |
|
|
TBA |
| December 5th |
Kitzingen, Schweinfurt |
|
|
TBA |
| December 6th |
Bamberg |
|
|
TBA |
| December 7th |
Nuremberg |
|
|
TBA |
| December 8th |
Nuremberg (Disembark) |
|
|
|
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 | Thursday, November 30, 2023 | Frankfurt (Arrival)
Arrival at Frankfurt International Airport, where you will be met and transferred to your Frankfurt hotel.
Day 2 | Friday, December 1, 2023 | Frankfurt
After breakfast, we will have our opening CME sessions. Then, you will be transferred to the ship. Unpack, relax and enjoy your first evening on board.
Day 3 | Saturday, December 2, 2023 | Frankfurt
Frankfurt is known as the “Mainhattan” of Europe, a financial powerhouse with soaring skyscrapers as well as traditional Old Town architecture. Experience both aspects of the city today, with time to browse the local Christmas market, one of the best on the Continent. Other options include a “Taste of Christmas” walking tour featuring all sorts of sugary and savory treats or an excursion to the Christmas market in Wiesbaden. In the evening, a special Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you.
Day 4 | Sunday, December 3, 2023 | Wertheim
Located at the confluence of the Tauber and Main rivers, Wertheim is a lovely village dating back over a thousand years. It epitomizes the friendly, slow-paced small-town atmosphere of many German villages; here, residents greet each other by name as they do their daily shopping for fresh bread and sausage in tiny shops. On your guided walking tour of the village, you’ll hear a lot about daily life in Wertheim, as well as facts about the town and its history. Its many well-preserved medieval buildings—complete with low doors and tiny windows—attest to the inconveniences of life in the Middle Ages.
Day 5 | Monday, December 4, 2023 | Würzburg
This morning, you’ll head off to see the Würzburg Residence, a baroque-style palace famous for its gigantic ceiling fresco. Later, visit the town’s renowned Christmas Market, held in front of the old City Hall, for some one-of-a-kind gifts for friends back home. Beautifully decorated wooden booths are illuminated by the soft glow of Christmas lighting, and the air is filled with the scent of roasted chestnuts and the sound of Christmas carols. One of the best ways to embrace a different culture is through encounters with local residents, which you’ll experience this afternoon in a typical Franconian village. Make new friends over hot drinks and homemade seasonal treats.
Day 6 | Tuesday, December 5, 2023 | Kitzingen (Rothenburg), Schweinfurt
Rothenburg looks like something straight out of the pages of a storybook, with its medieval walls, cobbled streets, Gothic churches, and Hansel-and-Gretel houses. Join a local expert for an insightful walking tour, and then wander amongst the stalls at one of Germany’s oldest Christmas markets. Today’s lunch will be on your own.
Day 7 | Wednesday, December 6, 2023 | Bamberg
The fact that Bamberg still exists today is something of a miracle—it survived WWII bombing virtually unscathed. It’s a superb example of a medieval German city, one compact enough to explore on foot with a local expert. You’ll also have free time to visit not just one but four Christmas Markets and a captivating amount of nativity scenes located along nativity trail.
Day 8 | Thursday, December 7, 2023 | Nuremberg
For a holiday extravaganza, look no further than Nuremberg, which boasts the largest and grandest Christmas Market in all of Germany— and that’s really saying something. The “Gingerbread Capital of the World” pulls out all the stops during the holidays, as you’ll see for yourself on a panoramic tour guaranteed to put you in a festive mood. Stroll through the castle gardens and enjoy breathtaking views of the city, then walk through a maze of cobblestone lanes down to the central Market Square. There, spread out before the Church of Our Lady, is the largest Christmas Market in Germany. A special Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you this evening.
Day 9 | Friday, December 8, 2023 | Nuremberg (Disembark)
Disembark the ship and head to the airport for your flight home or onward journey.
Pre-And-Post Trip Information
There are no Sea Courses pre or post tours for this CME AWAY. Please click
here to design your own!
