Message from The President
My dear Colleagues of the APOA:
It is my honor to be inducted as President of the APOA for 2022-2023. I would like to thank the members of the Council for their trust and confidence in bestowing this distinct privilege upon me.
As we celebrate 60 years of the APOA since its founding in 1962. I would also like to thank the Philippine Orthopaedic Association for hosting the APOA’s diamond Anniversary which makes it all the more memorable for me. I am humbled to be the second Filipino to serve as President of the APOA since it was first established in Manila in 1962.
At its founding in 1962, the APOA was known as the Western Pacific Orthopedic Association with only 13 countries as members. It was only in the year 2000 that the WPOA was renamed the Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Association. Today, there are now 21 member federation countries, 24 chapters, and the total membership has now increased to more than 60,000 making the APOA the largest Orthopaedic association in the world.
These past 60 years, our association has prospered in spite of the many adversities that have come along. Mutual understanding and cooperation have always kept us UNITED. Unity is the core strength of the APOA.
Two years of the Covid pandemic have disrupted our association’s activities. We were forced to quickly adapt and innovate. We hosted virtual webinars, held online meetings, and continued to hold annual congresses to ensure that everyone was updated and abreast with the latest Orthopaedic education, training, research and innovations. The past two years showed the resiliency of our organization, and proved that the APOA works together to further the advancement of Orthopaedics in our region despite all odds.
As the world slowly normalizes post-Pandemic, the APOA will continue to move forward and upward. As your incoming APOA President, I ask your full support for our planned programs and activities. These three will be my main areas of focus:
1) Orthopaedic Education
2) Orthopaedic Research
3) Strengthened membership and collaboration
1) Orthopaedic Education
- We will endeavor to establish a common training syllabus or curriculum for all Asia Pacific member countries. This will be based on minimum standards required to practice as competently as a general Orthopaedic surgeon.
- We will identify centers of Orthopaedic excellence in the Region which can offer short term specialty fellowship training in the subspecialties.
- We will increase the number of Traveling Fellowships in the different APOA specialty sections to benefit our young surgeons
- We will explore the creation of an electronic library which can be easily accessed by members and the Orthopedic trainees.
- We will continue to offer webinars even after the pandemic, and will be part of the new normal as these will benefit the majority of our members and trainees.
2) Orthopaedic Research
- We will start the creation of registries for the different specialty sections in order to have a shared database which can be used for advancing research initiatives.
- We will support the Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Research Society (APORS) in their projects to promote the further advancement of research in the region.
3) Strengthened membership and collaboration
- We will encourage the APOA Chapters to increase their individual memberships and promote active involvement in regional initiatives.
- We will encourage our young surgeons to contribute to the advancement of Orthopaedics through their active participation in APOA activities by sharing new ideas and concepts. These young surgeons are in fact the future of the APOA!
- We will promote collaboration with other regional Orthopaedic associations for knowledge and innovation sharing.
- I encourage all the 12 APOA Specialty Sections & Societies to continue their respective program of educational activities for the year.
We will also try to give back to our respective communities with the establishment of an Outreach Project Committee that can look into helping the less or underserved communities identified in the Asia Pacific region.
These are some of the plans, programs and activities that I intend to accomplish within my 15-month term. Of course, the success of an organization is not solely the responsibility of its leaders, but the responsibility of the entire membership. I therefore ask for your full support and cooperation, and encourage everyone’s active participation.
For the continued advancement of Orthopaedics in the Asia Pacific, let us all pledge our commitment, mutual cooperation, close collaboration and wholesome camaraderie among all our members, starting with the Executive Committee and the Council. I hope to see the collective effort of the EXECOM, the standing committees, the extended committees, and the specialty sections in bringing more success to the APOA. Let us also encourage new ideas on how to further strengthen our beloved association. I welcome our Young Surgeons Committee to actively participate and come out with ideas for the future of the APOA. The future of our Association lies in the strength of its members. Let us all work together as one united Orthopaedic family of the Asia Pacific region.
In closing, I would like to thank everybody for the trust and support in giving me the mandate to lead the APOA for 2022-2023. I am confident that with your support, and the support of the EXECOM and the Council we will not fail in further advancing Orthopaedics in the Asia Pacific region!
Thank you and MABUHAY!!
ELLEWELLYN G. PASION, MD, FACS, FPOA
President
Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Association
2022-2023