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Dear Colleagues,
It is a pleasure to invite you to the 2007 WSRM Congress in Athens, Greece. This is the fourth Congress of our Society, which came into existence in 1999 by the merging of the IMS (International Microsurgical Society) and ISRM (International Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery). Many of us were members of both societies and this was recognized in 1996 (ISRM-Singapore) and 1998 (IMS-Corfu, Greece). The Council of both groups worked hard to accomplish this merger and in 1999, during the last ISRM meeting in Los Angeles, the World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery was born.
The Inaugural Congress of the WSRM took place in Taipei in October 31 - November 3, 2001 under the capable leadership of Fu-Chan Wei, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, who along with David C. C. Chuang and Hung-Chi Chen, made this a unique and spectacular occasion. Thus, despite the September 11, 2001 events and the unavoidable cancellations that followed, this Congress was a spectacular success.
This put the WSRM in a steady footing that continues to date.
The fourth Congress of WSRM will take place in Athens, the pillar of Western civilization. The recent 2004 Olympic Games transformed this unique city into a visitor-friendly metropolis. New highways and subways were completed and Acropolis with its Parthenon, center of Athens’ past Royalty and center of spiritual
worship, is waiting for us.
As your President, I urge you to join me in Athens, to share original contributions representing the latest in Complex Reconstruction, as WSRM symbolizes today, the only formal International forum to exchange ideas of reconstructive surgery and meet friends and peers, pioneers and colleagues, from all over the world.
The local Organizing Committee, under Panayotis Soucacos, as the Honorary Chairman who has great experience in organizing successful International Congresses, Alexandros Beris, as the Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Katerina Vlastou, as the Chairman of the Scientific Program Committee, promises to put together an unparallel Congress, both in scientific excellence and also in social events.
In addition, through discussions with Bob Walton and the rest of the ASRM leadership, a combined WSRM/ASRM day is planned for Saturday, June 23rd, prior to the onset of the 4th WSRM Congress, which will follow from June 24-26, 2007. I urge you to support both events and to plan from now, your contributions.
As the Congress is at the end of June, it is advisable to engage after the Congress, in the many excursions to the unique Greek Isles or Delphi or Epidavros that the local hosts are preparing for you and your families.
Join me in Greece, my native country, for an unforgettable experience.
Best Regards
Julia K. Terzis, M.D., Ph.D.
WSRM President
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