SICOT e-Newsletter
Issue No. 6 - March 2009
Editorial by Prof Andrzej Bohatyrewicz, Chairman of the Organising Committee, 16th SICOT Trainees' Meeting
Dear Colleagues,
80 years after SICOT was founded in Paris, Poland has the honour and privilege for the first time in its history to invite world famous orthopaedic surgeons to the 16th SICOT Traineesâ Meeting taking place on 7-9 May in KoÅobrzeg. What is so special about this event?
Firstly, if you look at a map of Europe, you will find Poland, an almost square country, in the centre bordering Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Germany, with two more neighbours across the Baltic: Denmark and Sweden. Together that is nine neighbouring countries.
Our permanent aspiration for freedom and independence has become fruitful. In 2004, Poland became a member of the European Union. It seemed a very good idea to celebrate this with scientific events. Prof Piotr BiliÅski started his project of organising the SICOT Traineesâ Meeting in Bydgoszcz in June 2004. Unfortunately, it was cancelled at short notice because of his sudden unexpected death in December 2003. However, what has begun must be completed.
Polish Orthopaedics and Traumatology started in 1928 when two enthusiastic scientists and surgeons, Prof Wierzejewski and Prof Gruca, created the first Polish Orthopaedic Society. There were two so-called schools of Polish orthopaedics: the first one, developing around the University Medical School in Warsaw, was led by Prof Adam Gruca, and the second one in PoznaÅ by Prof Wiktor Dega. Nowadays, the Polish orthopaedic family numbers about 2,500 members. Hundreds of our orthopaedic surgeons emigrated and work in all parts of the world.
Poland is a country of many symbols. The democratisation of Central and Eastern Europe started here and it ended with the independence of many countries. However, that part of history is already over and now we have other aims and duties. In the era of globalisation we want to share experiences in orthopaedics and traumatology with leading orthopaedists from all over the world, to learn and teach, to help and get help, and to work towards a better future. SICOT meetings are very good tools for these purposes.
My colleagues from "new" European countries have declared their interest in coming to Poland. Based on our experience they would like to organise Traineesâ Meetings in 2010 and 2011 designed to intensify international orthopaedic cooperation and to provide high-quality education for young (and not only young) orthopaedic surgeons.
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