YOUNG NEUROSURGEONS
FORUM
Young Pakistani neurosurgeons find
themselves in a unique situation. Surgery
of the brain not only
requires sophisticated skill but also relies heavily on
highly
advanced and unaffordably expensive gadgets. Overwork because of
a relatively small number of
neurosurgeons in the country and a lack of
continuous exposure to the rapid
developments in the field results in
professional isolation for the
Pakistani neurosurgeon.
For quite a while, young neurosurgeons, whenever they sat together,
felt the
need of a platform where they could freely express
themselves and devise
ways and means to coordinate with senior
neurosurgeons, whose
involvement was thus vital for realization of
the idea. The thought had been
going on in the air without any
serious effort toward this end when, finally,
the Pakistan Society
of Neurosurgeons acknowledged need to formalized the idea. On the
occasion of the 14th National Conference at Bhurban,
Prof. Ahmad Ali Shah, the outgoing President of the Society,
announced
plans for an initiative to launch the Young Neurosurgeons
Forum.
The World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies had also
recently
announced the creation of a Young Neurosurgeons Forum and
it was
felt that excellent opportunity exists of collaboration
between the national
and international forums from the stage of
inception. Prof. Rasheed Jooma,
the new President of the Pakistan Society was bestowed the
responsibility
to coordinate the establishment of the Forum in the next six months.
Inaugural Meeting of the Young Neurosurgeons Forum was thus
hosted
at Lahore on June 9, 2002, by Dr. Nasir Raza Awan in collaboration
with Prof. Jooma. The meeting was open to neurosurgeons within 10
years
of acquiring their neurosurgical qualification, which is also
the criteria laid
down for membership of the Forum. The Inaugural
Meeting was a
raging success, attended by almost all those who
fulfilled the
membership criteria. The participants were registered
as Founder Members
of the Forum. The concept of the Forum was
elaborated by Prof. Jooma
and a Facilitation Committee was nominated
to work out the details
of establishment of the Young Neurosurgeons
Forum. Other highlights of
the interesting program included a
telephonic broadcast of live chat
from England with Prof. David G.
Thomas, coordinator of the
Young Neurosurgeons Forum of the World
Federation of
Neurosurgical Societies; a tele-presentation on
Interventional
Neuroradiology from Delhi, India; a demonstration of
the website of
the Pakistan Society of Neurosurgeons; a presentation
on the use of
electronic media for communication and advancement in
Neurosurgery, especially for the Pakistani neurosurgeon; and a
very
enlightening presentation by Prof. Iftikhar Ali Raja on
international resources available for the young neurosurgeons.
Since election
of the first Executive Committee in the 1st Annual
Meeting
of the Young Neurosurgeons Forum, which was held as a
satellite meeting
to the 15th
National Conference of the Pakistan Society of Neurosurgeons,
in Lahore, the
Forum has come a long way. In first three years the Forum
has to its
credit a number of academic achievements enlisted below.
Future holds
great promise for the Young Neurosurgeons Forum but
many things need
to be done also. The new Executive Committee elected at
the General
Body Meeting on March 5, 2004, held as a satellite to
Neurotrauma
Conference at Pearl Continental, Peshawar has great
chores ahead for
them. Some immediate concerns that they shall face
will include
things like arranging frequent opportunities for learning locally,
to work for a broader training program for the young neurosurgeons
involving international opportunities, introduction of the concept
of
Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit system etc. Byelaws of
the
Young Neurosurgeons Forum have been finalized and were presented
at
the 2004 Neurotrauma Conference for approval by the General Body.
With the launch
of Young Neurosurgeons Section of the World Federation
of
Neurosurgical Societies, the biggest body of neurosurgeons in the
world, there
exists an excellent opportunity for collaboration between
national and
international forums from the stage of inception. All this will
help bridge the
gap between the academically isolated neurosurgeons in
the country and
the ones in the developed world where all the cutting
edge
developments in the field are taking place.
Criteria for
Membership
Membership of Young Neurosurgeons
Forum, Pakistan, is open to all
Pakistani neurosurgeons who are within
ten years of acquiring their
first neurosurgical qualification.
Those neurosurgical residents/trainees,
who have completed their
residency/training and are eligible to appear in
their neurosurgical postgraduate
examination can also join as full members
of the Forum.
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