First Congress of Pathologists - 2011

First Macedonian Congress of Pathologists with International Participation
(Ohrid, October 12-16, 2011)

 The first Macedonian Congress of Pathologists with international participation was held at the Metropol Hotel in Ohrid from 12 to 16 October 2011. The Congress was organized by the Macedonian Association of Pathologists.
         More than 150 participants participated in the Congress, along with 38 invited speakers. In addition to the fifty-four members of the Association of Pathologists of Macedonia, the Congress was attended by many other colleagues from Macedonia, as well as 26 invited speakers and 42 participants from neighboring countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro), other European countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Turkey, France, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Spain) and the USA.
        Within the scientific program of the Congress, 7 symposia were held in the field of gastrointestinal, pulmonary, gynecological pathology, then breast pathology, soft tissue and bone pathology, cytology and other pathology. Within these symposia, 31 lectures were presented, along with one lecture in the field of hematopathology. Three satellite symposia were organized by commercial companies, three slide seminars in the fields of surgical pathology, hematopathology and breast pathology, and three keynote lectures were held. Four distinguished professors of pathology – Hans Conrad Müller-Hremelink (University of Würzburg, Germany), Giovanni De Petris (Mayo Clinic, Arizona, USA), José Ignacio López (University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain) and Hüseyin Sitki Tuzlali (University of Istanbul, Turkey) shared their significant experiences through the lecture in the field of hematopathology and the three keynote lectures.
           In addition to the aforementioned lectures, 13 oral and 60 poster presentations were given at the Congress by participants from all areas of pathology. The final program of the Congress is available at the Internet address (http: //www.pathology2011.com/). At the closing ceremony, the authors of the three best oral and poster presentations were awarded special diplomas and special awards. Within the framework of the Congress, on October 14, a European School of Nephropathology was held, supported by ERA-EDTA (European Renal Association and European Association for Dialysis and Transplantation) and the Working Group on Nephropathology of the European Association of Pathologists. The School, which was evaluated as a CME activity, was attended by, in addition to pathologists, nephrologists, pediatricians and physicians from other specialties, i.e. a total of 60 participants with an interest in this area. Within the framework of the School program, prof. Dr. Michael Mihac, President of the Working Group on Nephropathology of the European Society of Pathologists, and ten other lecturers gave lectures in which the most modern knowledge on glomerular diseases, tubulo-interstitial diseases and transplantation pathology was presented. All lectures given within the School are available on the website of the Working Group on Nephropathology within the European Society of Pathologists (http://www.nephropathology-esp.org/). In addition, ERA-EDTA awarded two scholarships to young pathologists with an interest in the field of nephropathology.
In addition to the working part of the Congress, social activities were also organized for the participants, such as the cocktail on the occasion of the ceremonial opening which was held in the Biljana Hall in the Metropol Hotel, then the concert of the Skopje Trio – organized in the Church of St. Sophia in Ohrid and the joint dinner of all participants and invited lecturers.
The rich and well-chosen scientific program, together with the good conditions for holding the Congress at the Metropol Hotel and our Ohrid full of historical landmarks and the beautiful Lake Ohrid, enabled the Congress to exchange knowledge and experiences, to establish many professional and personal contacts among the participants, as well as to open opportunities for further cooperation and training of personnel in numerous top institutions in these fields around the world.
The Board of Directors of the Macedonian Association of Pathologists, together with the Organizational and Scientific Committees of the Congress, with their engagement and commitment, provided excellent conditions for the successful realization of this historic First Macedonian Congress of
Pathologists. It is also noteworthy that the Congress was held in the year in which the Association of Pathologists of Macedonia celebrates the 40th anniversary of its founding.
Overall, Macedonian pathologists confirmed that they have the capacity to organize such a very successful event, while at the same time demonstrating that they practice modern diagnostic pathology and that they are committed to introducing the technological advances that were highlighted in all scientific sessions of the Congress into their scientific projects.
Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to thank, on behalf of the Macedonian Society of Pathologists and the Organizing Committee of the Congress, all the participants present, the invited lecturers, ERA-EDTA and the Working Group on Nephropathology of the European Society of Pathologists, all the institutions that supported us in the organization, as well as the sponsors, namely the general sponsor – the company Hoffmann – La Roche Ltd, as well as Adriamed – the official representative of Roche Diagnostics in Macedonia, Pharmachem – the authorized representative of Dako products in Macedonia, Varus the representative of Merck in Macedonia, Alkaloid, Novartis and B-L Engineering from Strumica, without whose help and support this successful event, stimulating and instructive from both a scientific and a social aspect, would not have been possible.

Prof. Dr. Neli Baseska
President of the Association of Pathologists of Macedonia
Prof. Dr. Vesna Janevska
President of the Organizing Committee
Prof. Dr. Gordana Petrushevska
President of the Scientific Committee

Report – First Macedonian Congress of Pathologists with International Participation