For over forty years, the Department of Orthopedics of the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital has been at the forefront of the subspecialty in the Philippines. Its known leadership and strong orientation to public service, its reputation for spearheading innovative and high-impact programs in the academe as well as in research have propelled the UP-PGH Department of Orthopedics to provide the highest standards in orthopedic surgery and treatment to around 27,000 indigent Filipino in and out patients annually.
With education being one of our major thrusts, the vision of our chairman Dr. Edward Wang for our department to produce a comprehensive and intensive postgraduate review course on current orthopedic practice for the general orthopedic surgeon finally came to fruition in what we hope to be an annual symposium of the UP-PGH Department of Orthopedics - “Orthopedics: A Review of Core Knowledge (Ortho ROCKs)”. This was held on the 20th and 21st of June at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria in Ortigas Center.
The attendance exceeded all our expectations. While only 191 preregistered for the event, the final turn-out had 242 attendees. Evaluation forms were also distributed to the participants and, on review of the returned forms, the comments were mostly positive and encouraging.
This course is hoped to be an annual undertaking and is envisioned to be one of the major programs of the department meant to build up the training and continuing medical education not only of orthopedic residents and fresh graduates reviewing for the in-training and diplomate examinations but also of established orthopedic surgeons.
Comprising the two-day program were strategic and timely lectures on Basic Science, Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery, Upper Extremity Trauma, Lower Extremity Trauma, Adult Orthopedics, Pediatric Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spine, and Arthroplasty aimed at strengthening the core knowledge of every resident, fellow, and practicing orthopedic surgeon. The course faculty is composed of current members of the consultant staff as well as the alumni of the Department of Orthopedics of UP-PGH, each member of whom is internationally trained and is a well-known opinion-maker in their chosen subspecialty.
As early as now, the Department of Orthopedics is already evaluating the activity and examining ways of improving it and further adding innovation to it. Hopefully we can make a successful event even better. Ortho does indeed rock!
Dr. Dave Anthony G. Dizon