Dietmar Schmidt

IAP President's Welcome Message

Dear Members of the IAP,

As your President for the next two years, I warmly welcome you. It is a great pleasure and honor for me to join the long list of famous and esteemed presidents, pathologists and colleagues who, over a period of more than 100 years, represent the interests of the IAP and support the needs of continuing education in pathology. 

This list includes numerous internationally renowned pathologists, among them my German predecessor Prof. Dr. Ludwig Aschoff from Freiburg, and Prof. Dr. Peter Gedigk from Bonn. Prof. Aschoff was President of the IAP from 1914 to 1916, and Prof. Gedigk from 1978 to 1980. 

All presidents of recent years have supported the various divisions of the IAP, in particular, through participation in numerous events around the world. The participation of an IAP president in such an event is, not only an honor for the respective organizer, but it can also help in the political development of the health service in many countries. It is important to show the face, and to convince health politicians of the importance of pathology through good and convincing contributions.

The assumption of my new office is a great honor, but at the same time I have an obligation to work for the further development of the IAP in the same way as my predecessors. I like traveling and I am looking forward to making new friends and renewing all friendships. I offer my support to all my colleagues from IAP. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email or to speak to me at congresses. I will be happy to help or to consult one of my colleagues on the board.

The IAP has evolved significantly in recent years and adapted to the general evolution in the field of pathology. The symbol for this development is our new website with a clearer and more modern design. This positive development in pathology can be observed not only in the highly developed industrial countries, but also in the underserved countries. The colleagues in these countries not only benefit from the findings of research in the industrialized countries, but also make significant contributions of their own, which they present in the form of lectures and posters at the biannual international congresses and at the local training events.

Insights from molecular pathology and digital pathology are not only of increasing relevance for the industrialized countries, but also support the pathology in the underserved countries. In this context, I would like to point out the innovative and successful USCAP project in Palm Springs, where interested colleagues worldwide can login via the Internet to a course at the Palm Springs Interactive Learning Center. Such events are an excellent way to further improve the quality of pathology and to increase the value of pathology in comparison to other medical disciplines. I thank the numerous colleagues who work daily to advance the process of quality improvement in pathology.

The last International Congress of IAP, held on 14-18 October 2018 at the Dead Sea in Jordan, was a great success despite some adverse political circumstances. At this point, I would like to again express my thanks to all colleagues on site for their excellent organization and tireless efforts. Above all, I would like to thank my predecessor, Prof. Georgios Kontogeorgos, who, as President of the IAP and as Ambassador, has made a great contribution to IAP.

The next IAP International Congress will be held in Glasgow in 2020 and will once again be held as a joint congress with the European Society of Pathology (ESP). I am sure that this congress will also be a successful joint event. The organizers of both scientific societies will be guided by the guidelines that we established in 2016 for the organization of the first joint congress with the ESP in Cologne. 

In Cologne, as President of the Congress, I was privileged to be involved in the design and implementation of the congress. I now have the pleasure and fortune of being able to co-design the second joint congress with the ESP as IAP President and to support my colleague and friend Prof. Ray McMahon. 

The congress in Cologne was characterized by a collegial and cordial atmosphere, which was transferred to the participants and contributed to a really good success. I am sure that will be the case in Glasgow too. Together, we will show the scientific world and the interested public that modern pathology, with all its current methods, is essential for high-quality medicine.

I look forward to my new role as your new President of IAP, and will focus my full efforts on this new post. I would be glad to get in touch with you, and would like to cordially ask for your wishes and suggestions. 

Dietmar Schmidt