About us… Forpath
Forpath has been set up as an unceremonious association of Belgian
Pathologists in 1988.
It was well ahead of the trend of its time when continuing education in
Pathology laid in infancy around the globe and represented a mere word in
Belgium.
However, Forpath was met by an increasing success among Pathologists who felt
books, publications and even international jamborees were not enough to remain
afloat with the rapidly growing flow of new concepts.
Forpath’s structure has been designed to adapt itself to those needs.
Kindly hosted by CMP Laboratory which provided the infrastructure: multi-head
microscopes, state-of-the–art audio and video devices. (www.labocmp.be)
National and international experts have generously bitten upon their spare time
to share their skills in various subtopics in Pathology. Most of these courses
are freely available for download at this very Forpath website.
With time, the pressure from Health Authorities in Belgium for compulsory
continuing has gathered pace; Forpath has chosen to move from an informal
association of Pathologists (almost a club of friends) to a legal non-profit
association.
In 2002 Forpath ASBL was founded.
To the best of our ability, we managed to run a five-a-year workshops which
meets the criteria for a legal continuing education program in Belgium, which
itself fits those required in the EU and the US.
Besides these Workshops, Master Classes have been designed to meet the need
trainees in Pathology from all Belgian Universities who wants to share difficult
cases with fully-trained experts and other trainees. We thought it a good thing
to make it possible for young colleagues to meet each other in a relaxed
atmosphere while setting up a network of expertise.
This endeavor has proved also to be a major achievement for Forpath which
strives to engulf the upcoming generations of Pathologists into a thriving
inter-generation association.
The Forpath “high command”
President : Dr Herwig Van Dijck MD
Treasurer : Dr Bernard Vanden Heule MD
Secretary : Dr Yves Couvreur MD
Membership
Needless to say that a scientific association needs the support of its
members.
Good news : the membership fee is once again unchanged for this year.
It gives you as you know two interesting opportunities:
- Priority to the registration of the Workshops
- Free participation to the Masterclasses (Hematopathology, Gynecopathology,
Soft Tissues Pathology, Dermatopathology, Hepatopathology, Uropathology)
We ask you to pay your fee as usual on the bank account of FORPATH:
IBAN BE66 0682 3335 4543
- Normal fee : 125 € (if paid personally)
- Support or Company fee : 250 € (if paid by an hospital or company, or if you
want to express your personal support)
- Trainee : 25 €
Do not forget to mention your name if the fee is paid by an organization or
hospital!
Fee for Masterclasses
Members of ForPath : participation is free.
Non Members : a packaged one-time a year participation fee is mandatory and
gives access to all Masterclasses.
- Pathologists : 70 €.
- Trainees : 35 €.
Please pay this fee to account IBAN BE66 0682 3335 4543 of FORPATH, specifying “Masterclasses”
and the name of the participant if payment is made by an institution.
Forpath Prize
As a Continuing Education Organization, Forpath is eager to promote upcoming generations of Pathologists in Belgium. The Executive Committee, during its 2013 legal gathering thought it interesting to award an annual Prize to a trainee Pathologist.
The selection will be made by the Committee in June and the winner’s University Director will be informed. The Prize-winner will be offered the registration fees for an International Congress or Meeting in Pathology. The Prize-winner will have to present a quick summary of that meeting at the beginning of a Forpath Worshop.