Throughout 2011, the Association of Philippine Orthodontists (APO) received several accolades, beginning with recognition from the Philippine Professional Regulation Commission’s Boardof Dentistry (PRC-BOD) in January.
The PRC-BOD accredited the APO, an affiliate of the Philippine Dental Association (PDA), as the official specialty society for orthodontics in the Philippines. APO representatives attended the ceremony Jan. 26, 2011, at the Manila Hotel in Manila,Philippines. The APO, founded in 1980, has 135 members.
“The greater challenge for the APO, I believe, is not only to be THE recognized orthodontic specialty group in the Philippines but also to keep up with the international standard of providing orthodontic care,” said Dr. Roberto Tan, president of the APO. “Meeting this challenge will ensure the highest standardsof orthodontic service and practice in the country, thereby protecting the public and the profession. Our role as a specialty organization can only be realized when we can truly be of service to the community, to the organization and to our profession.
“With this recognition, the APO also continues its commitment to the upliftment of orthodontic education in the Philippines, both in the undergraduate and postgraduate programs,” he said.
Recently, the APO has been furthering this commitment tothe postgraduate programs through the Philippine Board of Orthodontics (PBO), the examination and accreditation armof the APO. Of the four existing university-based postgraduate orthodontic programs in the Philippines, the PBO, at this time, has accredited the programs at the Centro Escolar University and the University of the Philippines. As of 2012, APO graduatestudent membership status is granted only to those full-time students enrolled in the PBO-accredited programs. In January2012, three of these students passed the PBO Written Examination; upon their graduation, they may apply for membership in the APO.
“Through the accreditation, the PBO seeks to partner with the orthodontic graduate programs so that their graduate students can integrate their orthodontic education with the PBO examination process,” said Dr. Robert Eustaquio, chairman ofthe PBO. “This would streamline their certification process aspart of their professional career growth. Ours is a work inprogress, and we aspire to follow the WFO Guidelines for Postgraduate Orthodontic Education.
“It is my hope that participation in the PBO examinations will be a sought-after ‘rite of spring’ and professional distinctionas part of the orthodontist’s career and personal growth,” he said.
In November 2011, the PDA recognized the APO as the Most Outstanding Specialty Affiliate Chapter during its 2011 AwardsNight. The PDA also recognized Dr. Tan as the Most Outstanding Specialty Affiliate President.
“Truly, 2011 was a very busy year for the APO, and we are so blessed,” Dr. Tan said. “While we bask in the goals achievedand requirements met in 2011, we cannot help but wonder what is in store for us in 2012.
”To learn more about the APO, go to www.apo.com.ph. The website for the PBO is www.pbo.ph.
Reprinted with permission from:
World Federation of Orthodontists
Volume 17, Issue 1 – 2012 of the WFO Gazette
Author:
Jessica Kassel
Editor, WFO Gazette
Kassel Communications
St. Louis, MO USA
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