January 31, 2020
https://doi.org/10.23999/j.dtomp.2020.1.2
J Diagn Treat Oral Maxillofac Pathol 2020;4:1−2.
Under a Creative Commons license
Kilipiris EG. The “next generation” of oral and maxillofacial surgeons and the “next generation” of clinical researchers. J Diagn Treat Oral Maxillofac Pathol 2020;4(1):1–2.
Contents: Editorial | References (3)
Challenging times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
American essayist and philosopher
The young generation of oral and maxillofacial surgeons through the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (IAOMS) NextGen (i.e., next generation) community is extremely active and enthusiastic. Among the numerous activities, a very successful full-day program was constructed to meet the top 24th International Conference of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (ICOMS) level, held this year in the magnificent city of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil between 21 and 25 of May. The Next Level Forum “Pearls in the Career of NextGen,” at ICOMS 2019 had a broad spectrum of educational sessions, ranging from expert-led superior training presentations to inspirational stories of young surgeons, and clearly showed – the future of oral and maxillofacial surgery is brilliant.
Having these thoughts and experiences in mind, I’ll briefly discuss the philosophy behind the Journal of Diagnostics and Treatment of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.
Training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is designed to prepare young surgeons to care for their future patients. They gain experience in managing complex disease, mastering procedures, and making difficult clinical decisions. All vital tools to appropriately manage and treat oral and maxillofacial disorders.
Furthermore, they must attempt to develop and sustain a broad viewpoint, and be capable of adjusting themselves to the continuous and inevitable progress of the specialty. They must constantly expose themselves to the ever-growing mass of scientific data accumulated by research and systematized by study.1
Top quality science must be cultivated and disseminated widely, and the Journal of Diagnostics and Treatment of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology provides a great opportunity for those young
physicians engaged in oral and maxillofacial surgery research to discuss their objectives openly and frankly with similarly minded colleagues all over the world.
Today getting started in clinical research is hard. Large clinical trials attract a lot of the national research funding.2 The drive for excellence has contributed to high standards but it has made research harder to do.3 For this reason, it is of paramount importance, the current research leaders to engage junior doctors in the excitement and fulfillment of surgical clinical research. To be apparent that the young oral and maxillofacial surgeon sees himself as both a clinician and a scientist, with the goal to treat patients to the best of his ability.
Motivation and inspiration for research is essential, and the young surgical scientists must be part of these investigatory efforts, if they want to lead and be on the cutting edge, and, yes, I personally believe that they are ready to meet these challenges. However, they must be prepared properly and early to ensure long term success.
Change is the process by which the future invades our lives.
—Alvin Toffler
American writer and businessman