From the Editor: A Special Wonca 2004 Invitation to FP/GP Editors

The time to act is now! With this April 2004 issue of Wonca News, only six months remain to the 17th Wonca World Conference in Orlando this October 13 to 17th. It is time to register for what may be the largest gathering of family doctors in the history of the world; time to finalize travel and hotel accommodations; and time to decide whether to bring ones family to share this unique opportunity to visit Orlando and to meet new colleagues and friends from around the world.

I would like to extend a special Wonca 2004 invitation to the Editors and their staff of the 50 or so FP/GP journals of Wonca member organizations. The editors of our FP/GP journals and publications serve an important role. They disseminate key clinical, professional, organizational updates to their membership. They track the country's health and health care trends that affect the organization's political viability and influence. They record and archive the history of the organization and its role in the health of the public.

The editors of our FP/GP journals, or their designee, are invited to a FP/GP Editors Forum that I will be convening to be held on Tuesday, October 14th, from 1:30 - 4:30 PM. This FP/GP Editors forum will take place during a portion of the Wonca Council meeting in which all Wonca Working Parties, Committees and Interest Groups will be meeting. The purpose of the FP/GP Editors Forum is to facilitate networking around the key FP/GP content areas, such as clinical practice and evidenced based medicine, practice management, research, medical education and family medicine development/association news.

If you are a FP/GP Editor, please email me with your intent to attend Wonca 2004 and the October 14th workshop. Please also send me a copy of your journal. If the editor cannot attend, I would appreciate an email from the editor or the editor's Wonca member organization indicating who may be able to represent the organization's FP/GP journal at our workshop. Upon receipt of your email response, I will be sending you further details of the workshop.

It would certainly be appropriate that Wonca 2004 in Orlando also represent the largest gathering of FP/GP Editors (or their designee) in history! See you in Orlando.

Marc L. Rivo, MD, MPH
Editor, Wonca News
marcrivo@aol.com
4566 Prairie Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33140 USA
1-305-674-8839 (fax)
2-305-674-9480 (phone)