International College
For Maxillo-facial-Surgery
Dear members and friends of ICMFS,
when more than 50 years before international wellknown leaders of maxillofacial surgery came togetherm, they decided to found a group,the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR MAXILLO-FACIAL-SURGERY, improving our wonderful profession by training and cooperation between all interested colleagues, clinics and centres.That was one of the first groups in maxillofacial surgery worldwide. But we had to learn that the scientific world is developing constantly. New groups and medical disciplines arise ,other will go down.,all with regional and specific variations.The IAMFS did not want to contribute to this confusion. Therefore our General Assembly decided in 1993 a name changing in INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE FOR MAXILLO-FACIAL-SURGERY. It seemed to be a small step,but was for us an important moment. ICMFS wants to be an international network of friends helping each other to qualify our professional field.
According to this spirit we prepared and organized until now 31 congresses,some symposiums,workshops and annual meetings,some in conjunction with other groups..Besides our numerous members all over the world we had/have corporative members from various countries ,like Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Serbia, Philippines, USA and other. That can also be a basis for creating a “platform” for maxillofacial surgical groups, like proposed years before by the ICMFS-secretary-general.
Now we plan to continue this successful work with the 32nd Worldcongress, our”Golden Jubilee”. Congresspresident ,ICMFS-councillor Prof. S.M. Balaji gives his best to prepare an unforgetable highlevel meeting.
We look forward to welcome you ,your colleagues,family and friends at the Maldives next May.
Best regards
Hans-Albrecht Gitt
Secretary-General of ICMFS
Dear colleagues,
NOTE: Bylaws in dicussion, see Link “About ICMFS/Bylaws“, waiting for your comments.
starting in 1970 the International Association for Maxillo-Facial-Surgery worked to improve the quality of maxillofacial Surgery by increasing mutual education and cooperation between interested colleagues and centres. But there was always a different way in comparison to other monospeciality groups.
You all know that the scientific world is developing constantly. New disciplines arise, other will go down. Round the world there are recognized specialities besides “maxillo-facial-surgery”, like “oral surgery”, “oral and maxillo-facial- surgery”, “cranio-maxillo-facial- surgery” and so on.
And all this happens with regional and specific variations.
The IAMFS did not want to add to the confusion.
To reaffirm the difference between the IAMFS and other groups and to stress our scientific and educational aims the General Assembly decided in 1993 a name changing in “International College for Maxillo-Facial-Surgery”. That seemed to be a small step, but for us it was an important point.
The International College wants to create an international network of friends who may help each other to qualify our professional field in many different regions worldwide.
The last years have shown that this is a way to go.
Resulting from our “permanent symposium“ (2013-2017) and personal experiencies as maxillofacial
surgeon for many years and ICMFS-presidiummember I could notice several regional and personal
discrepancies in our wonderful profession worldwide, especially in the training of our young doctors
and also in the coordination of our meetings.
A vision
for the future
We have so many local, regional and international groups, societies, associations and colleges, but not all talk together and respect the other really. To strengthen and improve our profession and resulting a better patients care, it could be a vision for the future to create a global „platform“ for all these groups. The name (federation, union and so on) is not so important like to meet and to stay in
cooperative contact. Other medical branches do this already.
Sincerely yours
H.-A. Gitt, M.D., D.M.D.
Secretary-General
