Letter from the President

To my Dear Colleagues,

LOOKING BACK on our week in Vancouver last month, I cannot express my thoughts as only the sitting IAOMS President. As a doctor and practitioner of OMFS and as your friend who missed you all dearly, this ICOMS was a prayer being answered. Seeing us all together again and standing for our respective countries during our roll call of nations at the opening ceremonies felt like sitting at the long table with family after too long apart.

The work of Dr. Ed Dore and his ICOMS planning committee overcame numerous obstacles throughout the pandemic to make this conference possible, and their work was repaid with incredible lectures, classes, and social events designed to make the world of OMFS smaller and ask what our brothers and sisters across the oceans are doing differently. From the outstanding Presidential Lectures on the latest technology and the fascinating history of what we do to the unforgettable nights taking a river cruise and raising glasses at our Gala dinner, ICOMS is the crown jewel of OMFS specialty.

But most of all, I was able to enjoy it all in a position where I could meet so many new faces and shake hands with doctors I once only knew from their articles. I thank you all for this time at the head of the table, and I will be clapping the loudest in December when we welcome Dr. Sanjiv Nair as the next President of IAOMS. I look forward to serving my President as the incoming Chair for the IAOMS Foundation as I try and fill the shoes of the irreplaceable Dr. Larry Nissen.

To serve a term as your President for this occasion is truly a miracle to me; I am only a doctor. But this organization has allowed me to travel this world and learn from my peers in every corner of it, and by doing so, we have helped our patients, our practices, and each other to push our specialty further than ever before.

To even be a member of the IAOMS has greatly touched my life. Whatever path you take as a member, I am proud of you, and you inspire me to do better. ■

Alejandro Martinez IAOMS PRESIDENT 2022-2023

• Learn with IJOMS, one of the world’s leading OMF journals with the highest impact factor of all OMF publications; read Face to Face, written for and by members

• Enhance patient care through webinars, online conferences and other e-learning courses*

• Prepare for the International Board for the Certification of Specialization of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (IBCSOMS) with the IAOMS Review Course

• Support the next generation through the IAOMS Foundation Fellowship and Scholarship opportunities

• Experience events for all OMF surgeons, ranging from trainee to experienced surgeons: ICOMS, the IAOMS’ biennial signature educational and networking conference and “The Next Level Forum;” International Symposia, and regional conferences*

• Expand your knowledge; access innovative best-in-class training

• Connect with peers throughout the world

• Grow among the next generation of oral and maxillofacial surgeons through our NextGen programmatic initiatives; network with your colleagues through our online community

Questions? Contact Membership Manager Katie Cairns at kcairns@iaoms.org *IAOMS