Vol 60 No 2 2020
Page 2
Education Committee Report
The 2019-2020 COVID-19 pandemic has certainly highlighted the importance of pathology and shown us reliance in action. I am reminded of a line from Christopher Robin “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
While many education programs we funded in 20219-2020 have been postponed, the IAP Symposium on Digital Pathology: Delivering pathology teaching globally at United States and Canadian Association of Pathologists [USCAP] 2020 in Los Angeles went ahead on 3 March. It was very successful. The speakers included Rajendra Singh, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine New York, USA; Blake Gilks, VCH, Canada; Kar Ming Fung, Oklahoma University Medical School, USA; and Arrigo Capitanio, Linköping University Hospital, Sweden. Given the difficulties with face to face education, the timing of the symposium was very apt.
I am very much looking forward to co-chairing the Joint European Society of Pathology [ESP]-IAP Education Session on Education strategies in Pathology for the next decade with Peter Schirmacher. This session is to be held on Monday, 7 December, as part of the now virtual meeting of 32nd Congress of the ESP and XXXIII International Congress of the IAP 6 - 8 December 2020. Our speakers include Richard Scolyer, Australia; Mary Kinloch, Canada; and Marta Cohen, UK.
As the XXXIII International Congress of the IAP is a virtual meeting the IAP Education Committee did not allocate funding for bursaries. The IAP Education committee is very grateful to the following Divisions who did provide funding for this worthy cause: Australasian, Finnish, German, Japanese, Swiss, USCAP and Vladimir Totovich. From this support we provided free registration to all the applicants who applied for a bursary. Central IAP (supported by Divisions) funded 36 registrations, Vladimir Totovich funded 6 registrations and the Gynaepath Society (ISGyP) funded 2 registrations. A decision will be taken at the Education Committee meeting in December 2020 on whether the remaining funding should be held over to the 2022 XXXIV IAP Congress to be held in Sydney, Australia.
We are keen to continue to facilitate educational sessions both at major scientific meetings (USCAP and ESP), as well as regional meetings through our educational support and Ambassador programs. Application forms can be found here. If you need advice, please contact your regional member of the committee or the IAP Secretary (secretary@iapcentral.org).
2020 IAP Symposium: Digital pathology: Delivering pathology teaching globally
Speakers (top then bottom, right to left): Blake Gilks, Rajendra Singh, Arrigo Capitanio, Kar Ming Fung; chairs Ray McMahon and Dietmar SchmidtReports from past meetings attest to the calibre of pathologists within the IAP who are willing to give back to their profession. A world map of IAP activities can be found here.
The committee met in Los Angeles in March and will meet again virtually in December. For our December meeting items for discussion include the maximum term of appointment for a member of the education committee and a social media proposal.
Our educational session at the virtual and interactive 110th USCAP meeting (13-18 March 2021) is aptly titled Pathology Education in Time of COVID & Post-COVID and is being organised by Ghazi Zaatari. More details will follow shortly.
I am stepping down as Chair of the Education Committee in December 2020. It has been a privilege to be your Chair and to work with such a dedicated committee. The position of Chair of the IAP Education Committee will be ably filled by Ghazi Zaatari from Beirut, Lebanon. He will have the support of Annette Schmidt-Graeff from Freiburg, Germany as his named Deputy. These highly experienced and well-regarded members of the IAP have a particular interest and expertise in education in their own regions and globally. Current members of the IAP Education Committee can be found here.
Take care of yourselves, your colleagues, your families, and your communities at this time.
Jane Dahlstrom
USCAP 2020 Annual Meeting , LA, USA