Formation of Indian Orthopaedic Trainees Association

Message from Dr Ashok Johari,
President,
Indian Orthopaedic Association

IOA President's Theme initiative on ‘Better Patient Care …. Through Education and Research’

INDIAN ORTHOPAEDIC TRAINEES ASSOCIATION (IOTA), affiliated to Indian Orthopaedic Association

On a proposal by the President, IOA, the executive committee at its meeting in May, 2010, passed the creation of an Indian Orthopaedic Trainees Association (IOTA). This will be supported by the IOA as an important affiliate. The idea of having a body like this is as follows:

1. All orthopaedic trainees can come together to discuss and find solutions to the problems relating to their training. They can contribute their view point and become an important voice in shaping policies relating to training and other issues which concern them.
2. To help orthopaedic postgraduates in India obtain the highest levels of orthopaedic knowledge by organizing their own CME and other training programs.
3. Establishing and availing awards and training fellowships
All postgraduates, trainees, residents and fellows can join this organization by becoming associate life members of the IOA. They will progress to full life membership of IOA once they fulfill all eligibility criteria for such membership.

Activities possible under the banner of IOTA
· To prepare an orthopaedic trainee throughout his course on how to go about his course.
· To ensure all orthopaedic postgraduates get access to peer reviewed journals and instructional course lectures
· To initiate webcasting of “clinical examination” as performed by the best clinicians to all postgraduates in India
· To inculcate in young minds the importance of research and guide them on ‘proper research methodology’
· To organize videos of ‘important’ orthopaedic operations performed by the expert, that will help the postgraduate learn before he attends a particular operation during his training
· To prepare Course Lectures (in par with AAOS/OKO) and give access to all postgraduates
· By conducting a 2 day crash course lecture series (comprising 50-100 topics) to help DNB students pass their theory exam, which will be conducted once or twice a year(in lines with FRCS Tr and Orth training)
· If possible to begin a practical exam training course, conducted every year, either undertaken solely by IOTA or in association with existing courses (e.g. Calicut course, Indore Course, MAMC Course, Hyderabad course, St John’s Course)
· To inculcate in young minds the importance of subspeciality training and encourage them to pursue fellowships in India as well as abroad
· To ensure all orthopaedic trainees in India get to know about their regional as well as national level CME’s through a comprehensive website.
· To contact all postgraduate institutions and discuss with their teachers that such a body exists and to utilize the best resources
· To bring out a complete manual for orthopaedic postgraduates, which will cover all aspects of their training.
· To have a post graduate teaching session and other sessions during the IOACON and IOAICL.

Organisational Structure
The first meeting of IOTA will take place during the IOACON, 2010, at Jaipur. Prior to this, information relating to the formation of IOTA would be circulated to all institutions and teaching centres through this newsletter and through the IOA and other websites. All trainees keen to join IOTA would become Associate Life Members of IOA by proper application to the IOA Headquarters at Delhi. They should contact Mr. Ramesh Panday, the Executive Officer of IOA, on his e-mail id. ioahouse_org@yahoo.com / rc_panday@yahoo.com. An adhoc committee would be formed by those present with the following composition:
Board of Directors (Six, to include the current President of IOA, its Secretary, Treasurer, 2 Past Presidents and the President Elect))
- IOTA President (One)
- Vice President (One)
- Secretary (One)
- Executive Committee Members (Four)
- Coordinator (One)

This committee would design the Constitution of IOTA to include the mode of election, term of office, responsibilities etc. The initial funding for running of IOTA and its programmes would be borne by the IOA as a joint IOA-IOTA exercise. In later years it is envisaged that IOTA would become self sufficient through grants and donations to be able to meet its own expenses. At this point in time, the Board of Directors would be reduced to Five to exclude the Treasurer of IOA and a separate post of treasurer would be created in the IOTA executive.
Views of members of IOA, institutions concerned with training of orthopaedic trainees and those of the trainees themselves are invited. Please send your views latest by 15th of August on e-mail to Dr. Ashok Johari at drashokjohariAThotmailDOTcom labeled IOTA. The first coordinator for IOTA is Dr. Hitesh Gopalan who is contactable at hitheshgATyahooDOTcom.