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2015 ISAKOS CONGRESS

A Tale of One ISAKOS Member:

From Florida to Lyon

Kivanc Atesok, MD, MSc
ISAKOS Membership Committee

It was year 2005, I was in training when I attended my

first ISAKOS Biannual Meeting in Florida. It was such an
exciting time in my career! Just before the meeting, a Tissue
Engineering Symposium was organized by Dr. Gary Poehling

in Winston Salem, where I first had my eyes opened to see
what the cross-roads in medicine will be in the near future:

Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells. I was so impressed It did not take more than two years for me to decide to study
to meet many distinguished leaders of Orthopaedic Surgery for Master of Science degree in Regenerative Medicine
and Sports Medicine that I felt a strong desire to be more
and Stem Cells. A dream that started with ISAKOS was
involved with the activities of ISAKOS. Who would not feel becoming the reality: I was accepted to The University of
the same way after having an opportunity to get closer
Toronto as an MSc graduate student to study in the field of
to icons like Dr. Doral, Dr. Fu, Dr. Karlsson, Dr. Lubowitz, Tissue Engineering. I was so enthusiastic that the project
Dr. Ochi, Dr. Myers and many more names that are written in eventually received awards and honours, and I found myself

my “Look-up-to” list...?
being invited to Stem Cell forums as one of the recognized
scientists in the field. Furthermore, my desire to be involved

more with ISAKOS was also being fulfilled. After the Editorial
Board, I also had the opportunity to work in the Membership

and Program Committees. But it was not all; ISAKOS gave
me way more opportunities such as organizing symposia,
having fellowship programs recognized, and above all,

improving myself as a physician and a person.

Today, when I think about 2015 ISAKOS Biannual Meeting
in Lyon, I can feel the same excitement I felt just before my

first ISAKOS Meeting in Florida years ago. By the way, I have
never been to France...! I drink French wine, I use French
perfume, I dine in French restaurants and I read French

literature, but never been to France...! Another reason to
be thankful for being an ISAKOS member: now I have the

chance to visit France...! And Lyon, the city between two
rivers (Rĥne and Sâne)...! I know that Lyon is the second

richest city in France after Paris, a UNESCO World Heritage
Site due to its historic significance, renowned Lyonnaise
cuisine, and our valuable French members would know

better – many other qualities unique to Lyon that I will be
aware of during the ISAKOS meeting.

Thinking about the past 9 years as an ISAKOS member

and looking towards the future, Eleanor Roosevelt’s words
become even more meaningful to me: “The future belongs

to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ISAKOS
opens the doors to its members to walk towards their
dreams. Non-material rewards that ISAKOS membership

could bring us along the way are limited only by our
imagination and motivation.

8 ISAKOS NEWSLETTER 2014: Volume II