History of Latin American Dermatology

CÉSAR IVÁN VARELA HERNÁNDEZFigure 45. FlavioGómezFigure 46. CarlosE. EscobarFigure 47. JairoMesaof a trade or informative nature is published. Itsmain mission is ongoing medical education. TheJournal was born at the initiative of Flavio GómezVargas (Figure 45) during his presidency of the Association(1990-1992), with the cooperation of Mr.William Sánchez, an executive of the Essex Farmacéuticamedical drug division of Schering Plough S.A.Dr. Gómez offered the editorship of the magazine toCarlos Enrique Escobar Restrepo (Figure 46); the latterwas succeeded by Diego E. Jaramillo, Jaime Sotoand Juan Jaime Atuesta. In 1998 Carlos Escobar returnedas editor. Upon his death (1999) he was succeededby María Isabel Barona and Lucy García andas of 2002, the editor is Luis Fernando Balcázar Romero. The first number appeared onJuly 1, 1999. The journal is published on a quarterly basis and prints 1,000 copies.The Association’s Web page: COLLABORATOR: Jairo Mesa CockJairo Mesa Cock (Figure 47), who has devoted his life to teaching at the University ofCaldas in Manizales, thought on retirement in 1994 that “computer technology and theInternet would be ideal tools that could be employed for many aims and among dermatologists...for educational purposes.” As of 1998 he organized a base of electronic addressesof dermatologists whom he regularly sent summaries and remarks on articles indiverse publications, which gave rise to the Club de Revistas. In the year 2000Mario Linares Barrios, who heads the Foro Dermatológico in Cadiz, Spain, beganto give the Journals Club dissemination. In 2002, another brilliant and eager Spanishcolleague, Paco Russo, launched an analogous space on the Web, the Foro Bibliográfico,and invited Dr. Mesa to participate in it.The Association’s Web page was created in September 2001, during the presidencyof Ángela Zuluaga de Cadena; in 2002 it began to be sponsored by LaboratoriosAldoquín, thanks to its manager, Gabriel Peña. In October 2002, Jairo MesaCock let the new president, Evelyne Halpert, know of his wish to create a page onthe Internet aimed at dermatologists, for educational purposes, a task he launchedon January 1, 2003. Since then he has edited the page excellently, imprinting hispersonality, developing innovations, teaching and sowing the sense of belonging tothe scientific community. It currently contains spaces for general information, announcements,academic and scientific events, members, list of addresses, residents, history,regional chapters, journals club, weekly minicases, special dermatological snippets,trade forum, the electronic Forum and outreach to the community, among others, withmultiple links. The page is visited by colleagues from Ibero-America, turning into a referencepoint for unity, information and teaching.■ Scientific activitiesCOLLABORATOR: Danielle Alencar-PonteThe Colombian Association of Dermatology and Dermatological Surgery, as well as itsbranches, regional chapters, services and schools of Dermatology, have carried out numerousacademic events. For reasons of space, only those that have been of a nationaland international nature are pointed out here.136