Scientific maturity towards leadership in South America

THE PRESIDENT´S PAGE

Scientific maturity towards leadership in South America

Antonio Carlos Palandri Chagas

President - SBC

^{Mailing address}

We have just carried out the 63^rd Brazilian Congress of Cardiology. I say "carried out" because this is the most adequate term, as I refer to the fact that the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (SBC) has reached a goal.

In figures, the scientific program comprised 30 conferences; 49 round-tables; 29 colloquiums; 37 "how-to-do" sessions, two clinical cases, 41 controversies, 28 curricular updates, 13 special sessions and 63 oral presentations, contemplating 660 presentations and three days of poster presentations, including four special sessions with the best ones.

Additionally, we carried out 11 Pre-Congress activities and four Forums in distinct specialties - Physical Therapy, Nutrition, Nursing, and Psychology in Cardiology and, furthermore, three editions of the ACLS course. In an innovative model, 15 sessions were added to that program to debate the main directives published by SBC in the highly welcomed Room of Directives project.

The Congress also offered the opportunity to physicians interested in sitting the examinations for a Board Certification in Cardiology by the SBC/AMB, with the examinations being carried out during the event; a cultural option, with the opening exhibit of the Heart Museum; technological capacitation for the Digital Office, an automation software for medical offices; and the offer of exclusive SBC products at the "Heart's Corner".

All that, without mentioning the available service infra-structure, which included 53 hotels in the city of Curitiba, 16 bus lines to transport the Congress participants to the Convention Center - in addition to the one made available for the visit to Heart Museum - and two official tourism agencies involved in the process.

These figures are impressive and, undoubtedly, they were crucial to attract the Congress participants. There were a total of 6.305 registered participants, among them, 5.259 doctors, 588 academicians and 458 collaborators.

In conclusion, the 63^rd Brazilian Congress of Cardiology has commemorated the scientific maturity of the event, which has become effectively an international one, with the carrying out of symposia together with important international societies, among them: the American College of Cardiology, the Portuguese Society of Cardiology, the Latin-American Society of Atherosclerosis, the Latin-American Society of Interventionist Cardiology and the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute. That is the direction toward which the SBC goes - in the direction of the leadership in South-American cardiology.

I must not forget to mention the significant presence of the Federal Government, with several activities being carried out jointly. It is important to remember that, just before the Congress, on September 3^rd, SBC signed a Term of Technical Cooperation with the Ministry of Health. The Term recognizes the scientific importance of SBC, which will start to support the public policies directed at cardiovascular health.

Similarly to what took place this year, regarding the 64^th Brazilian Congress of Cardiology, to be held September 12-16, I herein state a commitment of this administration: to exceed all expectations regarding an event, which is, in addition to a high-quality scientific program, will show the best and most modern resources that the industry has to offer, ensuring the distribution of knowledge among cardiologists and, overall, contributing to the improvement of the exercise of the medical profession.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  11 Nov 2008
• Date of issue
  Oct 2008