Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India

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DOCTOR'S SPEAKS'

Dr. A P Chitre

Prof. Dr. A P Chitre is an eminent personality in the field of Dental education with more than 47 years of experience.

DR. SANJIV NAIR

Dr. Sanjiv Nair, head of department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Bangalore Institute of Dental Sciences And Research.

PROF. DR. A P CHITRE

Prof. Dr. A P Chitre is an eminent personality in the field of Dental education with more than 47 years of experience. He completed his BDS from Nair Dental College, Mumbai, India in 1962 and subsequently his MDS in 1965 from Nair Dental College under Dr. M.S.N. Ginwalla and got an opportunity to study under Dr. E. Kruger in 1971-72. He received his advance training in West Germany, U.K, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland & U.S.A. He is one of the pioneers of Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons of India. He is happily married to Dr. (Mrs.) Daksha Chitre (a well reputed Orthodontist) and blessed with a beautiful daughter Dr. Aparna, presently perusing her DDS.

Work Experience

Administrator, Academician, Researcher in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery and Implantology.

Internal/External examiner and advisor for B.D.S, M.D.S and DNB examinations for numerous universities in the country.

Visiting faculty of AFMC, Pune.

He has numerous publications/ paper presentations orations/keynotes in various National and International journals/conferences.

Past President of Maharashtra State Branch (1984-85), IDA-(1994-95) and Indian society of Oral Implantologist.

Ex-member of editorial board in International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Journal of Indian Dental Association, Dental Dialogue (Journal of Maharashtra state IDA) and editor in chief of Global Dentistry.

Past President, Honorable General Secretary, and Editor of AOMSI.

He is in advisory board of quintessence International Indian edition.

He was an inspector of DCI, RGUHS and Maharashtra University of Health Sciences.

Significant Achievements / Awards

Best Student Award (1962)

Post graduate scholarship from the Government of Maharashtra 1963-1965

Arogya Seva Vratti Award (2009)

Famdent Lifetime Achievement Award (2010)

Vocational Excellence Award(2010)

Prof. Dr. A P Chitre is the author of highest selling popular book amongst students - Manual of Local Anesthesia in Dentistry. Recently he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from AOMSI during Annual Conference held in Hyderabad.

Presently he is working as a consultant in Goa Dental College, Goa, Bombay Hospital & Medical Research Centre, H.N.Hospital, Mumbai, Larsen & Toubro Ltd and U.A.E. Embassy & His Excellency Governor of Maharashtra.

Interview with A P Chitre

AOMSI:

What motivated you to be an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon?

Dr. Chitre:

My love & passion for Oral Surgery. I personally feel it’s the only biological branch in Dentistry (….No offence, it’s my passion for Oral Surgery). I refused to take admission in any other branch when I was given a chance. I still remember that after my house job they had given me three choices…… my first choice was Oral Surgery, second was Oral Surgery and third was again Oral Surgery.
A Greek philosopher & thinker (Confucius) once said "choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life." That’s what I do. So I enjoy.

AOMSI:

You are having experience of approximately 47 years in this field…. How the things have changed from then to now?

Dr. Chitre:

Frankly speaking there not much change except few things like Surgical Orthodontics came into picture. The revolution is Orthognathic Surgery, Distraction Osteogenesis, Biodegradable plates and Botox injections are the other major changes.
My experience is bad with biodegradable plate. Doing Distraction osteogenesis, I feel it’s not for the elite patients, they prefer to go for Orthognathic Surgery. In a number of American conferences they are coming up with Botox & Distraction Osteogensis. (All the techniques are good for academic purposes.)
I’m not egoistic. I’ve worked nearly a lifetime with my patients. Now, I’ve come to a situation where I prefer a technique which gives me results, as I’m answerable to patients whom I’m treating.
I would also like to make it a point that documentation nowadays has advanced immensely in the form of computer records, photographs, videos and many other things as compared to the documentation we had back at our time…

AOMSI:

How do you keep up to date with surgical practice?

Dr. Chitre:

I've Subscribed for various International and National Journals. I see the index and read whatever I find most interesting.

AOMSI:

What is your area of expertise?

Dr. Chitre:

I Like performing Trauma, Orthognathic Surgeries, TMJ pathology, benign tumors & all minor surgical procedures.
I don’t practice oral cancer. I am basically a conservative surgeon, not a radical surgeon. I feel shallow about recurrence of Oral Cancer. I know it’s not in anybody’s hands, but…………….
I have even done various Cleft lip and Palate cases. I used to follow Millard’s technique, but recently I don’t prefer doing Cleft Lip & Palate.

AOMSI:

Have there been any instances where you have refused to perform surgery?

Dr. Chitre:

I've Subscribed for various International and National Journals. I see the index and read whatever I find most interesting.

AOMSI:

Would you like to bring any changes in the surgical training programme given to Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons in our country?

Dr. Chitre:

Yes, of course I have my suggestions for the new generation.
The basics should be clear. I feel Anatomy,Physiology, Pharmacology & Pathology form the foundations for skilled surgeon.
Surgery is a noble profession. People nowadays run after money. Money is not everything. Money comes with skill and hard work.
Correct diagnosis will lead to proper line of treatment. It is highly unprofessional to cause harm or add up to the patient’s problems and do something which is un biological in nature.
A qualified surgeon is one who gives importance & performs the minor surgical procedures as efficiently as any major surgery.

AOMSI:

Which person has inspired you the most and why?

Dr. Chitre:

My own teacher Dr. Ginwalla, a renowned Oral & Maxillofacial surgeon and a very good human being.

AOMSI:

What do you do in your spare time and how do you relax?

Dr. Chitre:

I like watching English movies, mythological serials & last but not the least, cricket is my all time favorite.

AOMSI:

Which is the most closest thing to your heart?

Dr. Chitre:

My personal Diary is one thing I cannot part with

AOMSI:

Any other book on the way, sir?

Dr. Chitre:

Not as of now……… Many people have approached me for the same. I will give it a thought….

Dr. SAIDUL ISLAM

Dr. Saidul Islam is a consultant Maxillofacial Onco & Microvascular Surgeon in Life Line Hospital, Kolkata. He has done his BDS from Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College & Hospital Kolkata (under Calcutta University) in 1982 and MDS (Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery) from Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College & Hospital (under Calcutta University) in 1994. He has started his private practice exclusively in major Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 1995. And 90% of practice is engaged in Head & Neck Oncosurgery.

His Area of Interest includes

Head & Neck Onco surgery with special interest in tumors of the Skull base and Craniofacial Resection

Microvascular Reconstruction of the Head and Neck Region.

He had started Microvascular Reconstruction in 1997 and already has done more than 1200 Free Flap reconstructions in the Head and neck Region and Conducted Workshop on Microvascular Reconstruction at various part of the Country including ChittaRanjan National cancer Institute Kolkata, AFMC Pune, Sharad Power Medical College Nagpur and Apollo Gleneagles Hospital Kolkata.

He has delivered Key Note speech on most of the annual National Conferences of Association of Oral & maxillofacial Surgeon of India since 1999 and also delivered Key Note Address and read free papers in various conferences of various disciplines including General Dentistry, ENT, General Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, and Plastic Surgery.

Interview with Dr. Saidul Islam

AOMSI:

You are one of the well reputed Maxillofacial Onco & Microvascular Surgeon.... any particular reason to choose this stream of surgery?

Dr. Saidul

My personal interest, cancer the name itself is a stigma to the society and to remove one stigma is a boon to the family of the patient. In this stream every case comes as a challenge and so its success is equally rewarding.

AOMSI:

What is the best part of being oncosurgeon?

Dr. Saidul:

To see a patient with more than 5 years of survival with a smiling face.

AOMSI:

What is the toughest part of your job?

Dr. Saidul:

To tell the family members that they have come in a very advance state, that a state when disease is incurable...!!

AOMSI:

How the management of the cancer patient is gonna change in the next decade?

Dr. Saidul:

Hopefully with Immunotherapy and Gene therapy, but again that advancement in the treatment modality will take a lot of time..

AOMSI:

What is the one thing you would like to change about management of cancer patient in India?

Dr. Saidul:

On the reconstruction part, to follow the reconstruction ladder, that not to go for conventional flap as the first choice of reconstruction when there are a boat full of free flaps available in a human body.

AOMSI:

Someone you admire most?

Dr. Saidul:

My idol.... my father

DR. SANJIV NAIR

Dr. Sanjiv Nair, head of department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Bangalore Institute of Dental Sciences And Research. He is also senior consultant with the B. M Jain Hospital, Mallya Hospital and Columbia Asia hospitals. He is qualified from the Trivandrum Medical College and did his fellowship at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Dr. Nair has more than 18years of experience in the field of Maxillofacial Surgery. He is a reputed academician and researcher in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery. He had been internal/external examiner for B.D.S and M.D.S examinations of numerous universities of the country. His surgical interests are ablation and reconstruction of orofacial malignancy, surgical treatment of vascular disorders and salivary gland surgeries. He has been an active fellow of the international association of Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon and has served as counsellor and member at large. He has contributed widely to books, scientific publications both nationally and internationally and recently had been elected for editor in chief for JOMS.

First of all accept our heartiest congratulations as the Indian Journal of Maxillofacial and Oral surgery has been officially indexed with Pubmed and thanks for giving your invaluable time to us...

AOMSI:

You are now Editor-in-Chief of JOMS. What are your plans for the journal?

Dr. Nair:

It was indeed a moment of jubilation when I received the information from the National Library of Medicine, Washington. This culminates years of effort put in by past Editors and their team in keeping our journal going. My future plans are to increase the number of issues to clear the article backlog, to give the journal a facelift and if possible archive past issues. All the above plans involve financial commitments and personal time. Let me see how much of this will realize.

AOMSI:

The Internet, electronic communication and the technology of devices for accessing the Web are improving their liability and easiness of use day by day. For how long do you foresee that paper journals will survive?

Dr. Nair:

It is ironical you ask me this. Because inspite of JMOS being both E-journal and paper, I receive letters from members regarding failure to obtain the journal issues. Springer distributes tokens for Electronic access to all members since 2011. There is only a handful, who actually utilizes this facility. I would in this context appeal to all members to make full use of the electronic access. Hence although printing and paper is an expensive option I do not forsee a death to paper journals at least in the near future.

AOMSI:

India is one of the fastest developing country.... and the kind of patient which we deal here are not so easily ready for advanced investigations.. in that case to get your paper published is very tough... even though it is an appreciable work... what kind of consideration could AOMSI take for this kind of work?

Dr. Nair:

Publication of papers in journals with lack of advanced investigation is a wrong notion. The use of indigenous techniques and implants supported by evidence is sufficient to get the article accepted. The AOMSI is supporting multicentre trials with AMD. If more such proposals are brought forward I am sure we can accommodate them.

Your question does give me the opportunity to highlight the Clinicians role in ordering unnecessary investigation. As a surgeon actively involved in treating vascular lesions, I find Angiograms being ordered without any basis. The fact that I have been able to publish an original research article in IJOMS with only less than 5% of my patients having angiograms is proof enough.. Our over indulgence in investigations only diminish our clinical skills in identifying a particular problem. In a country blessed with a large source of clinical material we can investigate the futility of many of the market driven investigations available. I hope this answers your questions satisfactorily.

AOMSI:

Yes sir!!
What is the aspect of your editorial duties that you like most and which one do you least like?

Dr. Nair:

The ability to see so many fresh manuscripts..... Some of them good, some of them poor and some really funny submissions. The least I like is being called and told that a submission is important for gaining points.

There is a fundamental flaw in how the regulatory authority insists on these requirements overnight. It only gives way to corruption. Most other journals today accept money for publication. I can quite proudly state that we allow only peer reviewed accepted publication.

AOMSI:

What is the primary focus of your work and main areas of expertise?

Dr. Nair:

The primary focus of my work is pathology. I concentrate mostly on head and neck pathology. I enjoy doing vascular lesions and have accumulated the experience in the ablation of head and neck vascular lesions.

AOMSI:

What has been the most exciting moment in your career so far?

Dr. Nair:

I am easily excitable. The satisfaction on my patients face is one such event. Becoming Editor, Getting the journal indexed. The events are innumerable.

AOMSI:

If you could have dinner with any 3 people, past or present, who would they be and why?

Dr. Nair:

I have a large circle of friends. My most enjoyable moments are laughing away with my dearest friends Georgie, Bob, Kishore, Varghese, Alex. I definitely hate formal dinners and would hate to have dinner with any idealist past, present or future.

AOMSI:

What useful tips would you give to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons who want to publish their work in AOMSI esteemed journal?

Dr. Nair:

Original research is the priority, Review articles and case reports follow it. Look at your practice and base your research work on it. There are several outcomes in clinical work. Favourable and unfavourable inferences are equally important. An honest assessment of your study with adherence to scientific data helps. Retrospective study does carry its handicap. Prospective work, control based, even with a small data is encouraging. Just like rare cases happen rarely Case report, however unusual, happen unusually. Anecdotal inferences are the biggest disadvantage of alternate systems of medicine. Let us therefore publish and practice evidence based medicine.

Dr. KRISHNAMURTHY BONANTHAYA

Dr. Varghese Mani

An Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon with a teaching experience of 31 years. He has published many clinical and research papers in national and international journals.

Dr. Dhirendra Srivastav

Dr. Dhirendra Srivastav is the Chairman and Dr. Ashish Gupta is an Organizing secretary of 36th Annual Conferences of AOMSI to be held in New Delhi.

Dr. KRISHNAMURTHY BONANTHAYA

He is an oral & maxillofacial surgeon who brings with him about two decades of varied experience in this field to the table. Krishnamurthy graduated in Dentistry, from Govt dental college Bangalore & in Medicine, from Kasturba medical college in Manipal. He was trained in Maxillofacial surgery at Manipal initially, and later on in the United Kingdom and has post.graduate qualifications in Oral and Maxillo Facial Surgery from Mangalore University in India and the Royal college of Surgeons of London & Ireland as well.

He has worked in various clinical and academic positions in some of the well known institutions in Karnataka. as a consultant as well as professor in oral and maxillofacial surgery. He has specialised in the discipline of Cleft lip, palate& cranio-facial anomalies and runs a Cleft palate centre at the Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital Bangalore. He currently edits the Indian Journal of Cleft lip, palate & craniofacial anomalies and has several research publications in this field in reputed national & international journals to his credit.

Warm wishes Dr. Krishnamurthy...and thank you so much for taking time to speak with us.

AOMSI:

Sir, you are running cleft palate centre in Bangalore...How do you feel when you help people to improve their appearance? What does it feel like when the patients get their smile back after treatment?

Dr. KM:

To use a cliché, priceless…… However more value for your money is when your patients speak normally after a cleft palate repair.

AOMSI:

Sir, you are also dealing with craniofacial anomalies also.How do you evaluate the goals of surgery to help your patient be realistic with their expectations?

Dr. KM:

In these situations you always take one step at a time. In other words you are improving both function and appearance from where you start. Total normalcy may be elusive. Your Patients/Parents need to know this.

AOMSI:

Have there been instances where you have refused to perform surgery?

Dr. KM:

Yes of course. You have arrived as a surgeon, only when you know , ‘ when not to operate’

AOMSI:

You have been in this profession for the past several years, has there been any significant difference in the quantity and form of patients in these years?

Dr. KM:

Yes. We as a profession are treating much larger volumes, as well a wider variety of disorders today

AOMSI:

Where do you see this specialty going in five years?

Dr. KM:

I see a mixed bag. While it is heartening to see the progress we are making in patient care delivery, the scenario for training appears very gloomy and this is not good.

AOMSI:

Sir, you are one of the popular oral and maxillofacial surgeons especially among trainees...What are the three things you wish students planning to enter in this profession should know?

Dr. KM:

Thanks. I say to those wishing to join the profession, Look before you leap, this is not another dental specialty. Don’t use short cuts! .Have self belief and in the long run you are bound to succeed well…..almost!

AOMSI:

Sir...which person have inspired you most and why?

Dr. KM:

A number of people have at different times .Unfortunately some of these have turned out to have feet of clay!

AOMSI:

Any lifetime experience you want to share with us....

Dr. KM:

No, None at all

Dr. Varghese Mani

An Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon with a teaching experience of 31 years. He has published many clinical and research papers in national and international journals. He was the national President of Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India (AOMSI) and Indian Society of Facial and Plastic Reconstructive Surgery (ISFPRS). He was the editor of Indian Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He has authored four books and contributed chapters to various other books as well. He is having various publications at national and international level. His special interest includes correction of facial deformities. At present he is working as the Principal of Mar Baselios Dental College; Kothamangalam and also was the chairman of Indian Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He is the architect of 'FACE' a continuing educational program and workshop in Orthognathic Surgery.

Warm wishes Dr. Varghese Mani.....it is really an honour to talk to you.

AOMSI:

Sir. I think it would not be incorrect to say that you are Orthognathic and Maxillofacial Surgeon... how do you feel about that?

Dr. VM:

Fine. It is OK.

AOMSI:

Can you describe your philosophy on beauty regarding Orthognathic Surgery and Identity?

Dr. VM:

Perfection is where beauty and function meet. I believe that the aim of evolution is perfection. So to make a person beautiful is advancing him both physically and mentally (if you want it metaphysically -'spiritually and materialistically')

AOMSI:

Do you feel that India is moving in a more positive direction regarding perceptions of beauty?

Dr. VM:

Sure.

AOMSI:

Sir. You are having experience of 31 years in this field. It’s like Lake Success on Long Island... how the things have changed from then to now?

Dr. VM:

Commendable innovations and improvement. Technology and innovative minds have helped us a lot. Personally it was a learning curve, or a graph waxing and waning, but always on the rise and I am still learning.....

AOMSI:

India needs to work on healthcare infrastructure and create better benchmarks. Do you think we are offering highest quality of healthcare?

Dr. VM:

Not the highest quality, but of course reasonable. Unbridled proliferation begets unhealthy competition which in turn pushes ethics to the back seat and quality suffers. Ethics is the demarcating line between ambition and greed.

AOMSI:

Any lifetime experience you want to share with us?

Dr. VM:

Yes, A very poor young, full term pregnant lady (deserted by her husband) accompanied by her mother, came to the op with Ludwig’s, multiple abscesses and strider. We were able to save her, the gratitude of her mother was touching, moving and gratifying. Though many lifes were saved especially in accident cases, this is the one which comes to my mind first.

AOMSI:

Sir, you are also attached with project SPICE(Screening Programme in Idukki district for oral Cancer Eradication). According to you, how far we can be successful in eradication of this disease and how?

Dr. VM:

It is a dream project. I don't even in my wildest imagination hope to eradicate completely this killer scourge. (Keeping a tall dream is positive).But it can go a long way. We intend to screen the whole population of Idukky district of Kerala, where most of the tribal population live and both young and old are in the habit of tobacco chewing.

AOMSI:

Any message for young Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons?

Dr. VM:

Make your profession your passion.

Dr. Dhirendra Srivastav

An Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon by training, Dr.Dhirendra Srivastav was born in Lucknow. He completed his B.D.S, M.D.S from well renowned King George's Medical College, Lucknow. He is a certified Diplomate of Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow in 2000. He is a reputed administrator, academician, researcher in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery. He has numerous publications/ paper presentations in various National and International journals/conferences. He was previously attached with Maulana Azad Medical College, Safdarjung Medical College, DJ Dental College (Modinagar) & Kalka Dental College (Meerut). He has been an internal/external examiner and advisor for B.D.S and M.D.S examinations for numerous universities in the country. Dr. Srivastav is the receiver of many honors and awards. He is one of the few Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India who has received “Ginwalla Running trophy” twice in annual conferences of AOMSI. He is the author of popular book – Multiple choice questions in dental science by Jaypee Brothers.
He has also been an active member of AOMSI & IDA. He has served as Editor of State Dental Journal (U.P) and Indian Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He has been the Past President and the Honorary Treasurer of the Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India. He is currently the Dean of ESIC Dental College & Hospital, Sector- 15, Rohini, Delhi. His areas of interest are Orthognathic Surgery, Distraction osteogenesis and TMJ surgery.

Dr. Ashish Gupta

Dr. Ashish Gupta is an eminent personality in the field of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, having obtained his education from prestigious institutions like D.A.V Centenary Dental College (Yamunanagar) and post graduation from Govt. Dental College & Hospital (Ahmadabad). He did his junior residency in Safdarjung hospital, New Delhi. He has also worked for Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. He has a magnificent work experience and accomplished many achievements in his career. He has contributed to this field by presenting numerous papers, research work and publications. His special interest includes Maxillofacial trauma, Cancer, TMJ, Orthognathic surgery and Implantology. He has been an active member of AOMSI and organized numerous CDE and CME programs. Presently he is working as professor in Department of OMFS at Sudha Rustagi College of Dental Sciences & Research Centre at Faridabad.

Warm regards sir… & thank you for considering this interview…

AOMSI:

What is the main agenda of 36th Annual conference of AOMSI?

Dr. Ashish Gupta:

Main agenda of the conference is to “dissipate scientific knowledge amongst the participants from India and abroad”.

AOMSI:

How did you come up with an idea or concept for this conference?

Dr. Srivastav:

Last time we organized the conference in Delhi in 1996 and at that time I was Organizing Secretary. My colleague Dr. Ashish and few other members Dr. Rana, Dr. Anurag Singh and Dr. Prashant mooted the idea to hold another conference in Delhi to expand the horizons of AOMSI. Invitation was made by us at Cochin conference and after lot of deliberation we were awarded 36th annual conference at Delhi.

AOMSI:

Please tell us little about your committee? How long was the planning process for 2011 conference?

Dr. Srivastav:

We have dedicated team of Maxillofacial surgeons both experienced senior members and young enthusiastic members. As soon as we were given the chance to hold the conference way back in 2010 we called a meeting of all the Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons of Delhi and NCR region and formulated the organizing committee.

AOMSI:

What are the challenges the committee encountered during the planning and preparatory stage?

Dr. Ashish Gupta:

Challenge was to organize conference of such a magnitude with best overseas and Indian speakers in Delhi at very reasonable registration fee of Rs6500.

AOMSI:

What are the most heartwarming aspects you have encountered during this period?

Dr. Srivastav:

The most heartwarming aspect is the overwhelming response of the participants. We have received 1050 registrations till now which will be a record in itself.

AOMSI:

How might this conference be different from past ones? And what are the key results you have set for this conference?

Dr. Srivastav:

This conference should be different from others because of the new Post Graduate and pre conference courses which we have added in this Conference e.g. Research Methodology and Unraveling Maxillofacial Imaging from Reading to Diagnosis

AOMSI:

How many attendees and presenters you are expecting in this conference?

Dr. Ashish Gupta:

We are expecting around 1200 delegates with over 20 overseas speakers from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Holland, Austria, Switzerland, USA and Canada. By now we have received 50 keynote speakers, 130 free papers and around 400 posters.

AOMSI:

Share a word of your experience, advice or encouragement for those who are looking forward from this conference?

Dr. VM:

Make your profession your passion.

PROF. DR. NEELIMA ANIL MALIK

Prof. Dr. (Mrs.) Neelima Anil Malik is an eminent personality in the field of dental education with more than 38 years of experience.

DR. MUSTAFA K

DR. MUSTAFA K is an eminent personality in the field of medical education with more 17 years of experience.

DR. KISHORE NAYAK

Dr. Kishore Nayak is currently the President elect of the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (IAOMS) and will assume charge as President in November 2011 after the ICOMS in Santiago, Chile

PROF. DR. NEELIMA ANIL MALIK

Prof. Dr. (Mrs.) Neelima Anil Malik is an eminent personality in the field of dental education with more than 38 years of experience. Her aura is as intoxicating as success. She is a reputed administrator, academician, researcher in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery and Implantology. She has numerous publications/ paper presentations in various National and International journal/conferences. She was the former Dean and Professor and HOD at Nair Hospital Dental college, Mumbai. She has been an internal/external examiner and advisor for B.D.S, M.D.S and DNB examinations for numerous universities in the country. She was a visiting faculty of AFMC, Pune and S.N.D.T nursing college, Mumbai. She is a pioneer for Maxillary and Mandibular intraoral distraction devices in India. She had conducted many hands on workshops. Recipient of many awards like Dr. VM Desai Gold Medal for securing highest total marks in all the four BDS examinations and Mayor`s award; she is the author of highest selling popular book among students- A Textbook of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

She is a woman of substance, a dynamic Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon and has been an active member of AOMSI. She is the first and until now the only lady President of AOMSI. She is currently the Principal and HOD of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery Department at the School of Dental Sciences Karad, Maharashtra.

Warm wishes Dr. Neelima Anil Malik.....it is really our privilege to talk to you. Ma`am your text book of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery is very popular among the students. It is very well-written and contains sound practical knowledge which makes it very informative. Its 2nd edition is has also been a grand success…..

AOMSI:

Ma’am ....you are one of the very few lady practitioners at such an esteemed level. How do you feel about it?

Dr. Neelima Anil Malik:

Luckily for me I have a very supportive husband Dr Anil S. Malik, who has constantly pushed me and given his unflinching support in both in personal and professional spheres. Having said that it is also most important to compartmentalize the two and not let the pressures of the work atmosphere enter into the home.

AOMSI:

As you might be aware these days’ students are taking shortcuts while studying and they basically stress upon passing in the exams rather than to have a thorough knowledge. Any comment on this kind of approach towards studies?

Dr. Neelima Anil Malik:

Short cut approach may suffice for short term goals such as passing exams, but if one has to rise above the mediocre and aim towards achieving excellence then through and in-depth knowledge would have no substitute. Every rung of the ladder to success has to be climbed in order to reach the top and stay at the top!

AOMSI:

What guidance you want to give to budding especially to female Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ?

Dr. Neelima Anil Malik:

Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons per se have a challenging task of establishing their finesse and prowess in handling surgeries and emergencies; this may sometimes be daunting to the women in the field, to juggle home and profession. Enjoy the vocation and its challenges with complete heart and soul. I sincerely believe that if you choose a job you love, you will never have to work a day in your life.

AOMSI:

Ma`am…. which person has inspired you most and why?

Dr. Neelima Anil Malik:

My esteemed teachers Dr M.S.N Ginwalla and Dr A.P Chitre and many others. Dr Ginwalla was the father of Oral and Maxillo facial Surgery in India. He was instrumental in starting this specialty in India; he was the proponent of many surgical procedures ahead of his time which I was privileged to witness as a student. In those days Maxillofacial surgery was a male dominated branch but Dr Chitre went out of his way to mentor and support and usher me into this profession I am indebted to all my teachers for taking me under their wings whole heartedly.

AOMSI:

How would you describe Dr. Neelima Anil Malik as a person?

Dr. Neelima Anil Malik:

Even though people perceive me as a strict academician, but many know me as a gentle hearted “mother figure”. Coming from humble beginnings I value all that life has to offer me and don’t take anything for granted. I believe that life is not about finding yourself but creating yourself.

AOMSI:

What is most rewarding part of your career?

Dr. Neelima Anil Malik:

Each and every day of my career is rewarding, when patients smile and relatives giving blessings.

AOMSI:

Ma`am....any other book is on the way?

Dr. Neelima Anil Malik:

Waiting for new inspiration.

DR. MUSTAFA

Dr. Mustafa K belongs to wonderful city of Mangalore, Karnataka. He is happily married and blessed with one child. He had completed his B.D.S in 1989 and M.D.S in 1993 under the able guidance of Dr. Kishore Nayak, from A B Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore. He is an eminent personality in the field of medical education with more 17 years of experience.

He is having a large number of publications and presentations in various National and International Journals/ Conferences. He got the best paper award, National AOMSI conference in December, 2000. He had also authored the Ginwala National Best Paper Award in AOMSI, 2010. He had conducted many camps, workshops and hands on courses. He is a recipient of International Rotary Foundation Award in the year 2005, for the services rendered to poor patients with cleft lip & palate. His special interest includes correction of facial deformity like cleft lip and palate and TMJ ankylosis. He is proficient in Rhinoplasty and Orthognathic surgeries. He is a consultant for FACE FOUNDATION (based at Unity Health Complex, Mangalore) and Project Director for Smile Train.

Presently he is working as Unit Chief, Centre for Craniofacial Anomalies, Yenepoya University, Mangalore and Unit Chief , Unity Centre for cleft lip & palate.

Warm wishes Dr. Mustafa.....it is really our privilege to talk to you... and thanks for giving your invaluable time to us...

AOMSI:

Being a president of AOMSI what are your future plans? What goals you want to achieve during this time period?

Dr. Mustafa:

Faculty development workshop to be conducted in four different corners of the country to incorporate modern methodology of teaching so as to make the teaching program more objective. We have conducted one at SRMC, Chennai and the response was encouraging. The second workshop was conducted in Nagpur during the last week of July. National registry to be created which will project the quality and quantity of work done by Maxillofacial surgeons.This will come in to effect by the second week of August. Ten centres in India will be uploading the cases to the registry as a Pilot project. By Jan 1st , 2012, the registry should be functional to all the members of AOMSI. Pending issues with the charity commission at Pune, is being pursued. Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Manjunath Rai, the Hon Secertary. Hopefully everything will be regularized by the first week of August. Efforts are on to get the journal indexed under the stewardship of the editor, Dr Sanjeev Nair.

AOMSI:

Recently the AOMSI constitution is encouraging the formation of state branches. How it is going to strengthen the AOMSI?

Dr. Mustafa:

This will make the AOMSI more representative because the EC members will be nominated from the respective state.

AOMSI:

Many surgeons in India want to go into research work.. but problem arises in funding...what steps AOMSI is taking in encouraging these surgeons?

Dr. Mustafa:

I don’t think AOMSI has a necessary fund at the moment to support research work however, there are organizations like ICMR which are capable of funding genuine research work.

AOMSI:

Any plans to develop an associate membership status for non-surgeons?

Dr. Mustafa:

This is something which needs to be discussed by the EC.

AOMSI:

What is the most rewarding part of your career?

Dr. Mustafa:

Patient satisfaction.

AOMSI:

When Dr.Mustafa is not working.... he would like to do what?

Dr. Mustafa:

Read and listen to music.

AOMSI:

what is the number one piece of advice you would offer to young oral and maxillofacial surgeon?

Dr. Mustafa:

Get yourself properly trained and be committed to the specialty.

DR. KISHORE NAYAK

DR. KISHORE NAYAK IS CURRENTLY THE PRESIDENT ELECT OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGEONS (IAOMS) AND WILL ASSUME CHARGE AS PRESIDENT IN NOVEMBER 2011 AFTER THE ICOMS IN SANTIAGO, CHILE

Kishore P. Nayak completed his BDS from Government Dental College in Bangalore, India in 1980 and subsequently his MDS in 1984. His MDS was in Operative Dentistry and Endodontics. His interest in learning oral and maxillofacial surgery took him to the United Kingdom where he worked from 1985 to 1990. During this period he obtained his FDS RCS from England and Glasgow and his FFDRCS from Ireland. On his return from England he taught Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery initially at the AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences in Mangalore, Ambedkar Dental College and finally a long stint at the Bangalore Institute of Dental Sciences where he was the Professor and Head of the department. He gave up active teaching in November 2007. He has served on the Editorial Review Board of the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He has been the President and the General Secretary of the Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India (AOMSI).

His tenure saw the AOMSI growing into a truly professional association which co-hosted the 18th International Conference on Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ICOMS) in Bangalore in November 2007. This turned out to be one of the most successful conferences in the history of the IAOMS in terms of attendance and scientific content. He is one of the founders of the Federation for Advancement of Craniofacial Esthetics
( FACE), a movement which has been instrumental in training young oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the art of orthognathic surgery in India. This is without doubt one of the reasons for the widespread use of orthognathic surgery in India. He has lectured extensively all over the world and has authored numerous contributions to scientific journals as well as chapters in textbooks. Dr. Nayak has strived over many years to raise the profile and standard of the specialty and has trained numerous young surgeons who are spread around the globe today. He is currently a consultant to the Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital where he also is associated with the Smile Train project which provided service to patients afflicted with Cleft Lip and Palate. He currently is in private practice restricted purely to maxillofacial surgery and implantology

Warm wishes Dr. Kishore Nayak… and congrats for becoming first Indian President of IAOMS And thanks for giving us your invaluable time…

AOMSI:

Sir… how are you feeling after becoming first Indian President of IAOMS….What changed afterwards?

Dr. Kishore:

It is indeed a rare honor to be elected to this post. But more than being just an individual achievement, it really symbolizes the progress and stature of the specialty in India and recognition of that by the International community. It will no doubt be a challenging task with a lot of expectation from many corners.

AOMSI:

Being a president of IAOMS what are your future plans? What goals you want to achieve during this time period?

Dr. Kishore:

Overall we need to remember that the world is becoming a smaller place to live and work in. This is one aspect that the IAOMS recognizes and I wish to really use the power of Information technology in making information and training accessible to our specialty especially trainees from all over the world. This will truly level the playing field as they say and will make for the initial movement of moving towards education without borders--it appears farfetched but can be made a reality.
Also the IAOMS offers free membership to trainees and residents--this in itself is a massive incentive to become members.

AOMSI:

Sir … India is fastest growing country in every arena and what you think about role of Indians Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon to world?

Dr. Kishore:

Unfortunately the rapid growth has come at the cost of proliferating of many institutions and we need to introspect and see if we are getting quantity at the expense of quality. Having said that, it may be that this is a part of the implementation curve that will invariably happen. Ideally the Association and the regulatory bodies should work hand in hand to try to increase the standards of training and mutually help each other. Hopefully that will happen in the near future.
We have a lot to offer the world. Wealth of clinical material if combined with well trained OMF surgeons--we will be on top of the heap. We can in time be training the world in so many areas. We have to draw a line on the concept of “safari” surgery where surgeons from “developed” countries have come to reputed institutions in our country and used this for their training and experimentation at the expense of our patients. This has to stop.

AOMSI:

Sir.. you have done MDS in operative dentistry and endodontics but you have excelled yourself in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; What made you decide to be an oral and maxillofacial surgeon?

Dr. Kishore:

This has been asked to me so many times!! I always wanted to do OMF surgery and did not get the opportunity initially in India for a variety of reasons. However that turned out well in the end and I was lucky to be trained under the best in the UK!!

AOMSI:

Any particular area of interest in this speciality?

Dr. Kishore:

Initially I dabbled in all areas, but now my concentration has been mainly on Orthognathic Surgery and the rest of it is left to some wonderful colleagues that I work with.

AOMSI:

Any lifetime experienced...you wanna share with us??

Dr. Kishore:

What I have learned over the years that it is not possible to be a master of everything!!
We have to identify our areas of expertise and competence and make those our main focus.
The specialty and our patients benefit.

AOMSI:

Which person have inspired you most and why?

Dr. Kishore:

In the specialty, it has to be my mentor Mr. Peter Ward Booth who showed me the possibilities and how to work within your capabilities and also seek newer and better ways of doing things. Within our own country--it has to be Dr Varghese Mani. He was instrumental in letting me believe that I could make a difference!!He remains a great friend, philosopher and guide!!

AOMSI:

Any message for budding Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons?

Dr. Kishore:

Patient is always of primary importance. He or she comes to you with a lot of hope and immense trust which we should respect. Treat them the same way you personally would want to be dealt with. Perform any procedure on a patient which with the level of skill that you feel you possess you would not hesitate to do on yourself or your own kith and kin!! Patients are the reason we exist and their well being is paramount and surpasses all else.