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Society News

ASSH
Self-assessment exam
The registration deadline for the 2009 American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) Self-Assessment Examination is April 3; answer sheets must be returned with a postmark not later than June 12. Online registration is now open at www.assh.org

This examination is offered as a convenient self-education exercise and is geared toward hand and upper extremity healthcare professionals. Only those who return a completed answer sheet for computer scoring by June 12, 2009, will be eligible for continuing medical education (CME) credits.

Call for abstracts
The abstract submission site is now open for proposals for the 2009 Combined Annual Meeting of the ASSH and the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT), Sept. 3–5, in San Francisco. You have until April 6 to submit abstracts for the video theatre. Questions about the abstract submission process should be directed to Diana Shkap at dshkap@assh.org

Clinical Trials and Outcomes Planning Grant
The ASSH is now accepting applications for the Clinical Trials and Outcomes (CTOC) Planning Grant, which is intended to support a new researcher from the ASSH membership to write an NIH R0-1 application for a multi-center clinical trial.

Once the grant is funded, the Principal Investigator must work with the ASSH and CTOC to engage interested members from the ASSH to participate in the study.

Applicants should have a successful track record for clinical research and the potential to be competitive at the NIH level. Applicants need to complete the AFSH grant application form. Applications are due by April 1, 2009, and can be submitted electronically. For more information, visit www.assh.org

NASS revises disclosure policy
The North American Spine Society (NASS) has revised its existing disclosure policy for both members and nonmembers participating in NASS activities. The new policy requires that participants disclose actual dollar amounts of all relationships held in the 12 months preceding disclosure. The new disclosure policy comes on the heels of a recently completed retooling of the NASS board, committee, and staff structure. The NASS mission statement now includes ethics, and a nonmember, academic ethicist has been appointed to the NASS board of directors.

As with the original policy, the revised NASS Disclosure Policy is not a voluntary “guideline,” but a binding covenant that applies to all relationships engaged in by all participants in all NASS activities. Failure to abide by the disclosure policy is considered a violation of the Code of Ethics and a sanctionable offense, which may be adjudicated by a newly created conflict of interest review board, with sanctions to be ratified by the board of directors. The new disclosure policy can be viewed on the NASS Website (www.spine.org). The online disclosure module can be found at http://disclosure.spine.org

Apply now for OREF/CCJR Award
OREF and Current Concepts in Joint Replacement (CCJR), through the auspices of the Current Concepts Institute (CCI), invite applications for the 2009 OREF/CCJR Award, recognizing completed investigations focusing on health care policy, clinical outcomes, or translational research. The successful primary author/award recipient will be given the opportunity to present his or her paper at the December 2009 CCJR meeting. All orthopaedic surgeons who have completed residency and/or fellowship training, particularly those in private practice, are eligible. Recipients will be selected through OREF’s independent peer-review process. Applications are due April 1, 2009. For more information, please visit www.oref.org/grants or contact Jean McGuire, CFO/vice president grants at mcguire@oref.org or (847) 384-4348.

OTA Resident Education
The Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) will hold its 5th Annual Trauma Techniques Course for Residents (PGY4 and PGY5), April 24–25, in St. Petersburg, Fla., under co-chairs Thomas F. Higgins, MD, and James P. Stannard, MD. This course is designed for the advanced level orthopaedic trauma resident with basic surgical fracture fixation experience.

Scholarships are available. Contact the OTA staff office or visit the Web site (www.ota.org) for details. Online registration is also now available.

POSNA one-day course
In association with the 25th annual meeting of the Pediatric Ortho­pedic Society of North America (POSNA) being held in Boston, a One-Day Course will be offered on Wednesday, April 29, 2009. “Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: Understanding the Deformity and Current Treatment” will feature top speakers from around the world.

Professor Jean Dubousset will deliver the keynote address, “Spinal Deformity: Lessons and Predictions.” For more information, visit www.posna.org

AAOS Now
March 2009 Issue
http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/mar09/youraaos6.asp

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