Category: Newsletter
Newsletter
Last Updated: 14 July 2020

 

ESVP President corner

Wolfgang Baumgärtner

baumgaertner

Being back and highly motivated by the meeting in Arnhem.

I guess, this is the experience most of us had after we left our excellent scientific meeting that took place in an extraordinary and very impressive venue. I am convinced that the positive “take home message” generated at this meeting will provide a solid base for ongoing successful work in any field of pathology, including basic and applied science, diagnostic achievements and improvements as well as grant applications. This inspiring congress with numerous workshops, seminars, excellent key note speakers and poster flashes was a great opportunity to refresh our pathology competence, acquire new knowledge, strengthen our professional network, and make new friends. We never should underestimate the value of face-to-face meetings even in the 21st century world. Sometimes successful collaborations started years ago with an interesting discussion during a coffee break, lunch or dinner conversation. Moreover, controversial discussions are the salt in the soup (or the cream on the cappuccino) in a vibrant scientific community. Such discourse is needed and essential for diagnostic as well as scientific achievements. There will be no progress without controversial discussions. There should be always be a hypothesis and antithesis that needs to be verified or dismissed. Such conversations should make our profession better and provide a pathway to find the truth or most reasonable conclusion by always considering state of the art knowledge and approaches. The essentials for face-to-face meetings applies for political interactions but also for professional communication. In this respect the joint meeting with different societies and colleges from all over the world represents a corner stone for our professional development. It is important that we understand the needs, wishes and shortcomings as well as future concepts in various parts of our profession and in Europe.

The inaugural meeting of the European Coalition might represent such a seeding point for future activities within the European Society of Veterinary Pathology by including both members and professional bodies from various countries. The aim to ensure that all potential stakeholders find a platform on which to interact with each other, thereby promoting the advances of our discipline to become better and well-recognised specialists. The ESVP newsletter is also a platform for ongoing and future activities of the European Coalition. It is now up to the members and various national and/or geographical societies to generate a vivid European communication platform for pathologists and pathology. Sanja, our Editor-in-Chief is prepared to support you in any way.

Two points of the meeting in Arnhem should be mentioned specifically.

Firstly, this is the first time that we had a meeting that was fully booked prior to the registration deadline. Wow! This reflects both the need for such meetings and the outstanding preparation by both the organizing and scientific committee. Special thanks go to all members of the committees of the different colleges and societies. Another comment addresses the outstanding feedback about the extremely successful resident day that has been implemented for the first time. Again, this separate meeting was booked out prior to the registration deadline. This successful initiative will be continued and will be a regular part of the meeting in the future. For the first time we had to generate a reserve list for both the congress and the resident day.

This all together indicates the need for ongoing training and updates on new developments for both trainees and established pathologists. It is my impression that our profession is on the right track by combining both diagnostic and research-related approaches in a unique manner. Remember that if you don´t go forwards to go backwards, and with this philosophy in mind I am looking forward to meeting you in Torino 2020.

With best regards

Wolfgang

 


ECVP President corner

Laura Peña

Pierre Maliver ECVP President

The recent ESVP/ECVP meeting in Arnhem was a fantastic and successful one! Special thanks to our Joint ESVP/ECVP Scientific Committee and the local organisers. Getting together with clinical pathology specialists gave us a different and interesting approach to the sessions that should be repeated in one of our future ESVP/ECVP meetings ….

The ECVP diploma represents the highest level of specialisation in veterinary pathology across Europe. If you are not an ECVP member or an ECVP resident and you want to acquire training and competence to become a specialist, please visit our website https://www.ecvpath.org/ and look for an ECVP Registered Residency Training Centre for a residency programme or consider the possibility of the alternate route. The alternate route was established to provide veterinarians who work in veterinary pathology, but who are not affiliated with an academic institution which has an approved residency programme, the opportunity to be admitted to the ECVP certifying examination and to become Diplomates of the ECVP. In a global world with increasing on-line learning possibilities, the alternate route is especially interesting in European (and non-European) countries without ECVP Registered Residency Centres.

Summer School 2019 was, once again, very fruitful and very well organised by our colleagues in Valencia (Spain) and the ECVP/ESVP Education Committee.

Special thanks to all! The next Summer School will take place in Zagreb (Croatia) from Monday 13th to Friday 24th July, 2020. We encourage all ECVP and non-ECVP residents to attend this unique event which provides a high quality opportunity to acquire knowledge in veterinary pathology and to meet new and old friends in an incredible environment! Please find the preliminary programme here: https://www.ecvpath.org/summer-school-2020/.

The 2020 Summer School includes the “ECVP mock exam” where you can test your own knowledge and the “experience” of sitting the ECVP exam.

The last ECVP examination (Gent, Brussels, February 2019) maintained the same high pass rates as previous years and 22 new ECVP Diplomates received their diplomas during the ECVP AGM in Arnhem. Congratulations and welcome! The next examination is scheduled 10th - 12th of February 2020, also in Gent.

Finally we have the pleasure to announce the new ECVP Certificate in Forensic Veterinary Pathology (ECVP-CFVP), a new initiative to ensure quality controlled professional forensic services in veterinary pathology. The ECVP, as an internationally recognised accrediting body of veterinary pathology specialisation, has realised the need for a defined qualification for veterinary pathologists in this specific field. This initiative is the first of its kind, and represents the continuous work of the ECVP and the steering group (special thanks!). The ECVP-CFVP is meant as a Europe-wide standard and qualification to identify experienced professionals with competence in the conduct of forensic veterinary pathology investigations to wider society. Applications will be open from January 2020 onwards.

 


ESVP Secretary Corner

Gail Leeming

Gail Leeming

The ESVP was pleased to be able to support trainees in veterinary pathology by awarding five ESVP Summer School Bursaries of €400 to junior members of the Society who were attending the 2019 ECVP/ESVP Summer School in Valencia. The bursaries were awarded to junior members who best fulfilled the following criteria; (1) applicants had not previously received an ESVP bursary; (2) applicants were ESVP members with no outstanding membership fees; (3) priority was then given to those who had been members of the society longest.

Successful applicants in 2019 were: Antonia Morey Matamalas (University of Nottingham), Ricardo De Miguel (University of Zaragoza), Matteo Gambini (University of Milano), Claudio Pigoli (University of Milano) and Alessandro Sammarco (University of Padua).

The ESVP would like to thank the Journal of Comparative Pathology Educational Trust (JCPET) who also provided support for trainees in veterinary pathology, via travel bursaries to attend the recent ESVP/ECVP/ESVCP/ECVCP congress in Arnhem. The recipients of the JCPET bursaries are pictured below, along with Prof. Cinzia Benazzi from JCPET, and were Sanaria Al Katy (University of Liverpool), Marta Arrieta Ruiz (University of Zaragoza), Ginevra Brocca (University of Padua), Ricardo De Miguel Moral (University of Zaragoza), Ana Rodriguez Largo (University of Zaragoza) and Ioanna Stylianaki (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki).

The recipients of the JCPET bursaries, along with Prof. Cinzia Benazzi from JCPET: Sanaria Al Katy (University of Liverpool), Marta Arrieta Ruiz (University of Zaragoza), Ginevra Brocca (University of Padua), Ricardo De Miguel Moral (University of Zaragoza), Ana Rodriguez Largo (University of Zaragoza) and Ioanna Stylianaki (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki).

Get involved with your Society!

From September 2020 there will be opportunities to join the board of the Society. If you are interested in getting more involved, working with a great group of veterinary pathologists from all over Europe, then this is for you! There will be vacancies for a council member, and also for President-elect (who will then become President in 2021). If you are interested, or would like to nominate someone, please contact Enable JavaScript to view this email address. for more information, before mid-February.

 


ESVP Treasurer’s Corner

Reinie Dijkman

Payment of membership fees. Membership fees from the society’s members are our only source of income, which is used to run the society, and provide support to members and trainees. Members do not always pay their fees in a timely manner, which means that the society does not know what its income will be and also complicates the “members’ rate” registration process for our annual Congress. Therefore, the board has decided that members will be required to ensure that their membership fees are paid by 31st March, to be eligible for reduced (members’) rate at the congress that year. Invoices for membership fees will be sent by email in January, as usual. The board hopes that members appreciate why this decision has been made, and will make every effort to pay their fees before the end of March each year.

Reinie Dijkman is nominated for new ESVP Treasurer in Arnhem Meeting.

New councillors nominations will be invited in early 2020 as well.

 


Journal of Comparative Pathology Educational Trust (JCPET)

JCPET

The 2019 Journal of Comparative Pathology Plenary Lectureship was awarded to Dr. Seyedmojtaba (Amir) Seyedmousavi DVM PhD F(ECMM), of the Microbiology Service, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, who spoke on the subject of One Health: Neglected Fungal Zoonoses, Hidden Threats to Man and Animals.

At the conclusion of the session Dr. Seyedmousavi was presented with the commemorative bronze medallion bearing the portrait of Sir John M'Fadyean.

This year the Journal of Comparative Pathology Educational Trust (JCPET) also awarded six travel bursaries (each of £500 sterling) to enable postgraduate students or residents to make a presentation at the combined annual meeting.

Further information on the JCPET may be found at: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-comparative-pathology/news/the-journal-of-comparative-pathology-educational-trust

 


ESVP-ECVP Scientific committee corner

It is responsible for the organisation of the scientific programme of the Annual ESVP/ECVP Congress, in close collaboration with Local Organisers and reports to both the ESVP Board and the ECVP Council. In addition, the SC also reviews and selects abstracts submitted for presentation at the congress.The Scientific committee (SC) is a joint delegate commission of the ESVP and the ECVP.

Pre-Congress Workshop for Residents on “General Skills in Science”

At the 2019 Congress in Arnhem, an initiative was launched by the ECVCP (specifically Prof. Eric Teske) to offer to all residents and yearly career pathologists a full day workshop to learn important general skills that are relevant in virtually all fields of sub-specialisation in our profession. Three key lectures were given, each followed by numerous questions and intense discussion:

  1. How to set up a Research Project (A.D.Gruber)
  2. How to critically evaluate ScientificPublications (E. Teske)
  3. Molecular Genetic Techniques Explained(A.de Bruin, B. Westendorp)

The workshop was fully booked soon after registration opened, indicating a high level of interest in this topic. The approx. 50 participants consisted equally of residents/PhD students and early career pathologists. Subsequent discussions between the organisers and the participants as well as among the bodies of the ESVP, ECVCP and ECVP, concluded that such a pre-congress workshop format should be continued in the future, preceding each annual congress for a full day on the preceding Wednesday. Topics were suggested for the 2020 Congress in Torino, including “basic statistics”, “how to write and publish a scientific paper”, “Epistemology: hypotheses, theories and truth, or: The path towards accepted knowledge” and “writing grant applications”. More suggestions are welcome. A three year cycle, repeating the most suitable topics was favoured by many. Importantly, there should be no overlap with other workshops during the Annual Congresses or with the ESVP/ECVP Summer School, the latter´s task being to convey exam-relevant aspects of general and special pathology, “comprehensive” and mock exams. As the Summer School training for the “comprehensive” part of the exam might include some overlap, e.g., statistical methods, the organisers of future Pre-Congress “General Skills in Science” Workshops are advised to communicate early with the organisers of the Summer School to minimise this.

The intention to plan a pre-congress workshop in the future was communicated to Liz McInnes / the Davis Thompson Foundation (DTF). As a result the DTF seminars will be held on Monday and Tuesday, to avoid competition of the two events for the same participants. The new format and constellations shall be tested at the 2020 Torino meeting with the ESVP/ECVP Scientific committee (SC) in charge of this new Pre-Congress Workshop Initiative on “General Skills in Science”.

 


Meeting of European coalition

Meeting of European coalition

The initial meeting of the National societies - Meeting of European coalition held in Arnhem aims to improve collaboration between societies and promote the particular interests that they have as well as providing a platform to interact with each other to become better and well-recognised specialists. The ESVP newsletter is prepared to be a platform for ongoing and future activities of the European Coalition. It is now up to the members and various national and/or geographical societies to generate a vivid European communication platform for pathologist and pathology.

 


Professional group “pathology” of the German Veterinary Society (DVG)

The next annual meeting of the professional group “pathology” of the German Veterinary Society (DVG) will be held from the 6th to 8th march 2020 at the Parkhotel in Fulda. The meeting starts on the 6th march with the slide seminar about urinary tract pathology given by Prof. Dr. Marion Hewicker-Trautwein (Hanover). The slide seminar will be presented in German language. Following, the conference will be from the 7th to 8th march. Presentations in German or English language about all topics of veterinary pathology, including diagnostic pathology, research, forensic pathology, and case reports are highly appreciated. Keynote speakers are Prof. Jeroen Kortekaas (the Netherlands) and Prof. Henrik Elvang Jensen (Denmark).

For further information about the meeting and registration, please visit the DVG webpage https://secure.dvg.net/index.php?id=2304&contUid=0#c4776 or contact the organizer Prof. Dr. Andreas Beineke (Enable JavaScript to view this email address.).

 


We cordially thank the 2019 LOC for their effort for organising such an excellent meeting in Arnhem, 2019.

Meeting of European coalition

 


Newsletter editors: Sanja Aleksic-Kovacevic and Pompei Bolfa