Dear Colleagues and Friends;
As we emerge from 2 years of the pandemic, please join us in celebrating the 141st year of the Chicago Pathology Society, the second oldest professional society, dedicated to pathology, in the US.
Each of us has been impacted by the pandemic – some more profoundly than others. Our thoughts go out, in particular, to those who have suffered most. However, we hope that our experience of the pandemic has made us stronger. Realizing that life may not be the same again, we need to embrace new opportunities.
While virtual programs began as a necessity imposed by the pandemic, we realized, based on feedback and the superb attendance, that they have the potential to expand our outreach. Thus, we will continue to conduct virtual meetings. We will strive to reach an even wider audience and connect with pathologists, not only in the suburbs, but also in the greater Mid-West. To this end, this academic year, IRAP is expanding to host also the University of Wisconsin.
The meetings will continue to be conducted via Zoom, and the Zoom link will be sent out in the reminder email prior to each meeting. Illinois Registry (IRAP) meetings will occur at 12:00 P.M., on the second or fourth Monday of the month, from September through April. The regular meetings (CPS lectures) will occur at 12:00 P.M. on the second Monday of the month.
In order to foster in-person interaction between pathologists at different institutions, the CPS is exploring having a fall in-person annual event in addition to the CPS/ISP/King Memorial dinner.
We are hopeful that the Annual slide seminar/King Memorial Dinner on May 8th, 2023 will be conducted in-person, in Room 500 at Rush; the contingency plan includes a virtual format.
Dr. Sanja Dacic, MD, PhD, Vice Chair and Director of Anatomic Pathology, Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, will talk about “Thoracic Malignancies”.
Reduced membership dues will continue during the upcoming academic year at $80; membership remains free for emeritus members and trainees. This will be your only dues notification. Please pay your dues online at our website, www.chicagopathology.org, by clicking on the Membership tab and then Payments (preferred method) or by mailing your check and updated member form to the Secretary, Dr. Ajit Paintal. IRAP and lecture handouts will also be posted on our website.
Please ensure that we have your correct e-mail address, since all correspondence will be sent via e-mail. You will receive an email reminder only if you have already paid for the upcoming year. If you have not paid your dues for the past 2 years, then your name will be removed from the CPS roster and email list.
The society’s dues, the largest of our sources of income, are critical in funding payment to the CAP for providing CME credit for our events.
PRA category I (CME) credits will be available; one hour for virtual lectures / at the University of Illinois and two hours for the IRAP slide seminars from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for a total of more than 20 hours. There is no better deal around. CME credit will only be given to members in good standing. As the American Board of Pathology has discontinued the requirement for SAM credits, these will no longer be offered. We look forward to virtually “seeing you” at an upcoming Chicago Pathology Society event.
With reduced dues, we will no longer provide glass slides. Moving forward, PathPresenter will be utilized for online slide sharing for IRAP in the next academic year. We aim to make the current IRAP slides available to all users and an archive of historic IRAP cases will be available to members via a secure login. This will involve significant cost to the Society for logistical support for the maintenance and generation of digital slides.
We are in the process of updating and modernizing the Society’s website. Thanks to Tony Chang’s efforts we have a new logo. Cathy Li and Nicole Cipriani work on the website redesign. Beyond including the new CPS logo, we plan to incorporate a Twitter feed, virtual slides, and videos. Easier access to the CPS schedules and handouts will be provided without the need to download Word documents.
Our first virtual meeting will be on September 26, 2022 when Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago will present the Illinois Registry slide seminar.
In continuation of our tradition, the incoming President, Maria Picken will deliver an inaugural lecture on October 10th. The title of her presentation is “Amyloid in Surgical Pathology and why it matters now more than ever”; Aliya Husain will moderate.
We will again sponsor a research competition for the residents this year. Please encourage any resident to enter. The deadline for submission is tentatively scheduled for mid-December, 2022. Cash prizes will be awarded and the winners will present their work on February 13th, 2023. (Moderator: Maria Picken)
The roster of current BOD/Officers, IRAP and lecture schedule are posted on the website. We welcome your comments
On behalf of the CPS BOD
Maria M. Picken MD, PhD
2022-2023 President of the
Chicago Pathology Society
Professor of Pathology
Loyola University Medical Center