Specialty's evolution continues to benefit American, Canadian societies
"We live in interesting times." No kidding! The challenges that plastic surgeons face in their professional and personal lives seem to grow with each passing day. As Canadian Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (CSAPS) president, I've been made acutely aware of the difficulties that we all encounter. I've also been gratified by and impressed with the grace and ingenuity that members of our societies in both Canada and the United States have demonstrated in dealing with the many issues that test us.
It gives great comfort to know that the spirit of collegiality and cooperation between our professional societies has never been greater. The past few years has seen a growing role for Canadian plastic surgeons at the leadership levels of both ASPS and ASAPS. It's both a privilege and an honour to participate in the governance and policy-making of these two grand organizations, and we welcome the opportunity to encourage American membership in the Canadian plastic surgery societies - CSAPS and the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Eyeing ‘Beauty'
One initiative that our societies have been actively pursuing over the past year is a Canadian version of the Beauty for Life website, which has mushroomed in popularity - and the statistics for the original website demonstrate huge and ever-increasing public support for the concept. There has always been significant participation by Canadian patients on this site, so the evolution of a Canadian site with appropriate information reflecting the national differences in our health care systems was a very natural progression.
The original concept behind the development of Beauty For Life reinforces the role of plastic surgeons in the care of patients at all stages of life. The "Find a Surgeon" feature is valuable, not only to the members of our societies, but also to potential patients who often find themselves misdirected to practitioners with questionable credentials. Upholding the principles and ethics of plastic surgery as perceived by the public at large is a responsibility that we all share.
The Beauty For Life website is an additional arrow in our quiver.
Bringing down borders
Although our health care systems differ, national borders do not bind our exchange of ideas and knowledge. We encourage and promote visiting professor programs to expose our residents and Fellows to the broadest possible range of ideas and innovation. You, our American colleagues, are generous to a fault with your time and energy in supporting Canadian meetings and educational initiatives. Each generation of residents, as well as practicing clinicians, are all the better for it.
On Oct. 1-5, Plastic Surgery 2010 - the ASPS/PSEF/ASMS annual meeting - will be held conjointly with the CSAPS annual meeting. The planets have never before aligned in such a way as to allow this to happen. The vision to work through the logistics of this arrangement was very much motivated by ASPS President Michael McGuire, MD, and his team. Their goal was to ensure that this year's meeting would be especially inclusive of as many facets of our specialty as possible.
CSAPS is proud to support this unique event and has put together a program that should be both highly informative and a perfect complement to the ASPS agenda. Live surgery is a tradition at the annual CSAPS meeting - and perennially is the most popular part of our program. We've invited five prominent surgeons to perform their procedures this year and expect enthusiastic support from our membership.
The CSAPS program registration has been extended to ASPS members to encourage joint registration at our meetings. Space will be limited, to allow us to retain the intimate feel that characterizes our gathering, so last-minute registration will likely not be available. As we often are advised before popular events: Book early to avoid disappointment!
Expanding collaboration
Closer collaborative efforts are not limited to websites and meetings. It has been proposed that the Aesthetic Surgery Journal be adopted as the official journal of CSAPS. This visionary suggestion is an excellent fit for CSAPS and promises to open a most constructive relationship. The involvement of CSAPS members on its editorial board is yet another example of the closer linkages that are developing between our Canadian and American societies.
In conclusion, I am gratified by the many positive changes that have been evolving and anticipate that we'll be able to build upon this momentum. As always, the strength of our specialty relies upon the engagement and enthusiasm of our members. Professional cooperation is the cornerstone of our success.
Dr. Carman is in private practice in Toronto. He can be reached at wwcmd@aol.com. Visit the CSAPS website at csaps.ca.
Advertisement
