PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Board of Directors President Marita Eisenmann-Klein - Germany General Secretary Nelson Piccolo - Brazil Treasurer Bruce Cunningham - USA Deputy General Secretary Yi Lin Cao - China Deputy General Secretary Brian Kinney - USA Deputy General Secretary Ahmed Noureldin - Egypt
Dear Colleagues, Patients around the world trust that all doctors had to swear the Hippocratic Oath before starting to practice medicine. Did YOU? I didn't and I have to admit that I just had a vague idea about it before I attended the unforgettable congress of ESPRAS, the European Section of IPRAS, in 2009 on the island of Rhodes. The Congress President Andreas Yiacoumettis and the congress organizer Zita Congress decided to interrupt the congress for one day to take us to the island of Kos, where Hippocrates practiced. We attended a Prof. Marita Eisemann-Klein Hippocratic Oath ceremony there in the Hippocrates Gardens. President of IPRAS Ever since then it comes to mind, when I feel uncomfortable about advertisements promising Beauty by aesthetic surgery: Some governments banned advertisement for aesthetic surgery, but there are others which even promote this kind of industry. It comes to mind when I have to realize that competition and fights for power start to replace friendship and respect for each other, which was so typical for plastic surgeons throughout the world. It comes to mind when I meet our young colleagues: are we good role models for them? Do we always treat them with patience, respect and generosity? Are we passing on to them our expertise, all the details of our techniques and the improvements which we developed throughout our professional life? Every single day of my life I feel gratitude for my teachers. But do I let them know? Our teachers also are the famous plastic surgeons, who selflessly spend their time to share their experience with us in courses, congresses and workshops. Our pioneer in this issue, Sydney Coleman and our Senior Ambassador Abel Chaijchir are perfect representatives of this group. Some of our national societies like Brazil and Japan keep honoring their founders and pioneers, - others don't. In IPRAS we just started to develop a culture of awareness for the achievements of the last generation by founding the Board of Trustees, - their Chairperson Gueler Guersu and our Honorary Editor-in-Chief are the ideal role models. It is not too late to reach out and say "Thank You" and share the pride of the achievements of our wonderful specialty rather than competing for predominance. Generosity makes us look good, - from inside and outside the specialty. We rely on YOUR support to make us all look good in the eyes of our patients, colleagues and the public. Kos Island, Representation of the Hippocratic Oath
Deputy General Secretary Andreas Yiacoumettis - Greece Parliamentarian Norbert Pallua - Germany Executive Director Zacharias Kaplanidis - Greece
Cordially yours
Marita Eisenmann-Klein IPRAS President
Issue 12
www.ipras.org
IPRAS Journal
5