A key part of the Society’s Strategic Plan is to ensure that the BGS continues to play an active role in international organisations, such as the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society and the International Association of Gerontology.
Our overseas members - where in the world are they? Europe : 167 (Republic of Ireland - 60; Netherlands 49) |
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We are also privileged to have a number of overseas members and we need to ensure that their needs are catered for specifically. Our overseas members include those who qualified and trained here and then emigrated; others have joined whilst training here and have continued in membership on their return to their own countries. Most overseas members join the BGS from their own countries with a view to attending our meetings and having access to the Age and Ageing journal.
The British Geriatrics Society values its overseas members. Our colleagues from the Republic of Ireland have hosted our annual Spring meeting twice, on the Emerald Isle. As for our colleagues from the Netherlands, as mentioned by David Beaumont in the leader article, they came from nowhere to 50 in a short space of time, contributing papers to our bi-annual scientific conferences and providing a strong continental presence in the Society. Our overseas members have also provided valuable expertise as referees for submissions to Age & Ageing, with some serving on the International Editorial Board of the journal.We have recently received a proposal that we should encourage the formation of an International Section of the BGS, which might hold its meetings alongside Special Interest Groups at our conferences, or co-ordinate joint meetings with sister societies in other countries. Many UK medical societies hold such meetings or organise overseas study tours. At the American Geriatrics Society each year, there is a focus on the practice of the specialty in a particular country. Last year it was on Brazil and this year I am speaking about the UK. We intend to survey our overseas members to see whether there are other initiatives which we might usefully introduce. In the meantime, overseas members are invited to contact the Editor on editor@bgsnet.org.uk with their suggestions. We look forward to hearing from you.
Peter Crome