E- ISSN: 2709-5533
Vol 5 / Ene - Jun [2024]
globalrheumpanlar.org
PANLAR 2024 COVERAGE
Inclusive, innovative, and fraternal, that's PANLAR Young
Autor: Estefanía Fajardo: Science journalist for Global Rheumatology by PANLAR, estefaniafajardod@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46856/grp.27.et192
Cite: Fajardo E. Inclusive, innovative, and fraternal, that's PANLAR Young. Global Rheumatology. Vol 5/ Ene - Jun [2024]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.46856/grp.27.et192
Received date: April 14th / 2024
Accepted date: April 24th / 2024
Published Date: April 29th / 2024
"It's enthusiastic, joyful, with new and inspiring ideas that motivate the younger ones," she says. He says that if it were a person, "it would be like a cheerful, jovial, honest, committed, responsible, innovative, and creative person." This is how Dr. Azalea Rojas and Dr. Carlos Toro define PANLAR Young, the PANLAR Spirit Award 2024.
Dr. Toro recalls that the idea of bringing together a group of young rheumatologists at PANLAR "arose during a conversation I had with Dr. Carlo Vinicio Caballero, then president of PANLAR, within the framework of the regional ACCAR course held in Costa Rica in 2017." In this conversation, he says, they talked about the importance of bringing together young rheumatologists from the region with the aim of strengthening the sense of identity and belonging to PANLAR, "as well as knowing all the ideas of emerging rheumatologists that would allow bringing innovation to the region."
Through direct communication with several rheumatologists in the region, "we agreed on a face-to-face meeting during the PANLAR congress in Argentina 2018 and there officially the group was born, of which I had the honor of being the first leader of the group," recalls the doctor.
It was then that PANLAR Young saw the light. "It is a highly motivated study group, composed of specialists from different countries, which constantly works voluntarily with the aim of strengthening PANLAR and consolidating its presence in the region, linking young rheumatologists, emerging from different countries," he adds.
For Dr. Rojas, "PANLAR Young" stands out in that, despite being under the tutelage of PANLAR, it has autonomy to carry out various academic and recreational activities. It has the support and backing of recognized Pan-American rheumatologists in different research projects."
Thus, PANLAR Young has contributed several ideas that are now part of PANLAR's routine, such as the PANLAR America Cup, which has been contested since 2019; the PANLAR Young Symposium; the Twitter Journal Club; and the Image of the Month.
"We continue thanks to the enthusiasm of all those who have formed PANLAR Young: Carlos Toro, Florencia Vivero, Nelly Colman, Leandro Ferreyra, André Lyrio, Wilson Bautista, and my predecessor Sebastián Herrera. Together, they have made the Panlar Cup a resounding success where knowledge and bonds of fraternity between the different participating countries mix. We continue to innovate and advance through different research projects and new ideas, such as Women in Rheumatology, where "we seek the inclusion of women rheumatologists in different areas," says the doctor.
But how to maintain precisely that youthful spirit over time, innovate, produce, and advance? To this, Dr. Toro responds that "we use an organization in which leadership is renewed every two years, with constant entry of members and assigned tasks. We have a small group in the group, which we call the PANLAR Young Government Committee."
In addition, there is fluid communication personally at different congresses and through a WhatsApp group that remains. In this, both agree, the links are academic and of friendship.
For Dr. Rojas, the current challenges of PANLAR Young are "to break the language barriers, to form more study groups under the tutelage of PANLAR, the study groups of EMEUNET-PANLAR Young, APLAR-PANLAR Young, and the expansion and dissemination of PANLAR Young's activities to all Pan-American Societies."
At the same time, Dr. Toro affirms that "the biggest challenge is to maintain proactive work, despite not having great administrative support; maintaining motivation is always difficult in large groups." He would consider that "the organization of the PANLAR America Cup has been the main contribution of the group. This activity is one of the highlights of each Congress and gathers more interest in each of the participating countries," he adds.
At the PANLAR 2024 Congress, he received the recognition of the Pan-America Spirit precisely for everything achieved, and they also participated in three important sessions:
- The PANLAR 2024 Cup: semifinals and grand final
- Mentoring Session: Dr. Eduardo Martín Nares (Mexico) Dr. Marcela Ferrada (USA)
- Session of the PANLAR Women Study group - Main Needs of Women in PANLAR
Regarding this recognition, Dr. Toro assures that in the group there is only gratitude. "It is an honor. I think it has been deserved for the things that the group has contributed to PANLAR, and it will serve to keep motivation very high with the aim of maintaining our work for the benefit of PANLAR," he says.
Dr. Rojas concludes by saying that "we received this recognition with enormous happiness, thanking the executive committee of PANLAR for considering PANLAR Young for this important recognition, which motivates us to continue working hard on this project, which is inclusive, innovative, and fraternal."
This is PANLAR Young, a bridge project to strengthen friendship and scientific collaboration among emerging rheumatologists from across Latin America.
