Page 55 - ISAKOS 2019 Newsletter Vol II

2019 ISAKOS-ISMF CONFERENCE
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Jaime Palos, MD, MMSc
Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine Fellow
National Institute of Rehabilitation Mexico City, MEXICO
When I first heard that the 2019 ISAKOS-ISMF Conference was to be held in Carlsbad, California, I was very excited to find out how many “masters” would be together in the same place at the same time. It did not take me long to realize that I wanted to be there, to learn from them, and, of course, to share this experience with my colleagues in Mexico upon my return. It was quite an honor to be selected by the Committee, and it was a true pleasure to listen to, learn from, and share my experiences with all of those who attended this great conference.
I left with great enthusiasm from Mexico City, where I am currently doing a fellowship in Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine. Arriving in Carlsbad was fascinating and exciting, not only because of the beauty of California but also because the wait was finally over. I would soon start the most important course of the year for all of us who are fellows.
There was no better way to start this course than with lectures about the patellofemoral joint given by faculty such as John Fulkerson (yes, the one who invented the famous osteotomy), Jack Farr, Christian Lattermann, and an enthusiastic Seth Sherman. It was an incredible experience to realize how much knowledge and experience these surgeons have with knee problems and to learn how they solve these problems in an evidence-based fashion. That day in the workshop, I could not believe that I was learning to do an osteotomy directly from John Fulkerson or a medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction from Christian Lattermann. Listening to how they perform these procedures will be something that I will never forget, and of course their advice is something I will absolutely put into practice. The session was worth every minute.
As if that were not enough, the next part the session featured the cartilage experts. It was truly amazing to learn directly from surgeons who have inspired me throughout my own career, including such luminaries as Tom Minas, Ken Zaslav, Bert Mandelbaum, Brian Cole, Ralph Gambardella, Aaron Krych. What more could a fellow in Sports Medicine ask for?
That day could not finish any better than with a dinner where I could share my experiences with my co-scholars, Radoslaw Grabowski from Poland, Weili Fu from China, and Rakesh John from Canada. I learned a great deal from them and from the way they work at their hospitals, and I am lucky to be say that we are no longer just colleagues, but friends.
The second day was very interactive, starting with case presentations and finishing with demonstrations. There is no better way to learn than watching what the big guys do. That day was also special because I met again with Prof. Verdonk, whom I consider a mentor and who has supported me throughout my career. The opportunity to share some words with him and to hear his advice is always extremely enriching.
In closing, I would like to thank the entire Committee and Faculty for taking the time to motivate us and teach us with their talks–all are excellent surgeons and extraordinary human beings. I would also like to extend a special thanks to Ms. Hilary Merliner, who was always in contact with us and supported us, enabling us to enjoy an excellent trip.
This entire experience was extremely enriching and motivating, and I was very excited to take this great learning with me back to Mexico. I hope to continue to see all of the great people I met so that we can continue strengthening our friendship.
“This entire experience was extremely enriching and motivating”
ISAKOS NEWSLETTER 2019: VOLUME II 53
AWARD & FELLOWSHIP REPORTS