The UERMMMC Department of Surgery, Section of Head and Neck held its 11th postgraduate course, “The Management of Head and Neck Disorders,” on March 31 to April 1, 2006 at Fontana Leisure Park in Clark, Pampanga.

This was attended by fellows and residents coming from different surgical training centers in Central Luzon, bringing to fruition the vision of Dr. Edgardo R. Cortez, the Course Director and Chief of the Section, and Dr. Romeo G. Encanto, Chief of General Surgery—of impar-ting the Department’s expertise and protocols to practitioners and trainees outside of Metro Manila. The course consisted of lectures given by members of the Section of Head and Neck, including Drs. Cortez, Isaac David E. Ampil II, Alejandro C. Dizon, Domingo S. Bongala Jr. and Joan S. Tagorda. Panel discussions with invited guest speakers, as well as cine clinics of parotidectomy and radical neck dissections presented by Dr. Cortez, served as venues to impart the Section’s expertise and protocols. 

This was also the first time for the Department to conduct its postgraduate course outside Metro Manila. Having a record number of attendees, the event was a success. Plans to bring the same project to the Southern Tagalog area are underway. Since the establishment of different subspecialty sections in the Department—spearheaded by its Chairman, Dr. Andres D. Borro-meo—the Department has deve-loped varied disease management protocols and researches geared towards the further improvement of patient care. The target is now to bring the expertise of the Depart-ment to rural areas by holding these postgraduate courses in regions outside Metro Manila.

This event would have not been possible without the help of the different pharmaceutical compa-nies, notably Pfizer Philippines, Inc., the major sponsor. Hilda M. Sagayaga, M.D