Dear colleagues,
As the European regional president of WONCA I am delighted to invite you to another gathering of European family physicians which is going to take place in Istanbul, Turkey.
The annual conferences of Wonca Europe have firmly established itself as the most important meetings for the discipline of family medicine in Europe. They have become a meeting place, where practitioners from different places bring together their expertise and exchange their experience between each other. Conferences offer exciting ideas and practical solutions to our everyday professional problems.
Over the years, the conferences have developed its specific structure. The scientific program promises to be an exciting one: you will be able to attend interesting keynote lectures, participate in sessions, organized by the three Wonca networks: European General Practice Research Workshop (EGPRN), European Academy of Teachers in General Practice (EURACT) and European Association of Quality in General Practice/Family Care (EQUIP), EUROPREV, EURIPA and other networks. There will be room for state of the art presentations, practical sessions, exchange of personal experiences, and satellite symposia. The Vasco da Gama movement of young doctors will also make a contribution to the program.
Istanbul is an ideal place for such an event. The attractive metropolis on the borders of Europe and Asia offers countless opportunities for exciting and memorable social events. I am certain that family physicians all over Europe and the rest of the world will find their stay in Istanbul a very pleasant one.
I am certain that the Istanbul conference will be another milestone in the development of family medicine in Europe.
I invite you to join your colleagues in Istanbul in September 2008.
Prof. Igor Švab
President Wonca Europe
Dear colleagues,
Turkish Association of Family Physicians welcomes you to Wonca Europe 2008 Conference which will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, on September 4-7, 2008.
Working together with National Colleges, European Network Organizations and Special Interest Groups we aim to come together in largest collaboration possible also with a large number of Turkish colleagues. Even with attendance beyond Europe, we will have the opportunity to find out our similarities and differences in a comprehensive scientific program.
Istanbul, at the south-east end of geographical Europe, where Europe meets Asia, where cultures and civilizations meet, will be the ideal place to discuss "Overcoming the distance". Looking at the other continent, with all its beauty, just a few hundred meters away, within minutes to reach, will make us think again about how far really "the distance" is.
We will be looking at various aspects of our discipline thoroughly, from many different view points, but to learn from each other, in order to bring our distance as near as possible.
The challenge is ahead of us, to have a WONCA Europe Conference with more than 4500 colleagues and also making it a long remembered one, both with its Scientific and Social events.
We welcome you all and we are sure you will enjoy being in Istanbul.
With our kindest regards,
| Assoc. Prof. Nezih Dağdeviren, MD | Erdem Birgül,MD |
| Co-Chairman, Host Organizing Committee | Co-Chairman, Host Organizing Committee |
Dear Colleagues,
It is my great pleasure to invite you to the Wonca Europe Regional Conference to be held in Istanbul, 4-7 September 2008
The theme of the conference is "Overcoming the distance" Family practice - bringing the art of medicine to the people.
We are very excited for this opportunity to meet our colleagues from various countries in Istanbul, a magnificent metropolis with a rich history. We aim to bring together family physicians of different affiliations like universities, hospitals or community based settings to review basic principles of and latest evidence about family medicine, and exchange experiences in the framework of a rich, comprehensive scientific program. The conference will feature sessions on the primary health care/family medicine approach to various clinical issues, undergraduate and postgraduate training in family medicine, a comparative review of family practice in different countries with different health care systems, and basic principles of family medicine. In Turkey, family medicine is a relatively young discipline and much has been accomplished in its rich history of 23 years. There is constant effort to further develop and strengthen family medicine as a clinical and academic discipline through our professional association TAHUD, our Board TAHYK, our peer reviewed journals, 38 academic departments of family medicine, and our broad community of family physicians, who work as clinicians in hospitals and community based settings. We believe that your participation in this conference will constitute an important contribution to our efforts to strengthen the discipline of family medicine and to improve quality of primary health care in Turkey an in Europe as well.
We are looking forward to welcome you in Istanbul.
With my warmest regards,
Prof. Füsun Ersoy, MD, Chair of the Scientific Committee
