Person of the Month
New Chairman of Korean Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery
Dr. Park Seungha, Professor of Plastic Surgery, Korea University Anam Hospital
“My plan is to develop the English version of the Korean Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery Journal to the academic level of the SCI.”
At the 30th Annual Conference of Korean Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (KSLMS) held on November 29, 2015, Dr. Park Seungha, Professor of Plastic Surgery, Korea University Anam Hospital, was appointed as the new Chairman of KSLMS. Professor Park is a recognized authority on laser resurfacing and is the author of the bestselling Laser Plastic Surgery. He has served as the President of Korea University Anam Hospital and currently is the President of Korean Association of Oculoplastic Surgery, a subsidiary of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. KSLMS is the only medical laser society recognized by the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences. It was established to facilitate academic exchanges between clinicians specializing in aesthetic laser.
Professor Park is actively involved in promoting academic improvement and training the next generation of doctors. He expressed his sentiments on being appointed the Chairman of KSLMS.
“It is my great pleasure to be appointed the 15th Chairman of the Korean Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. I am honored to be part of its rich tradition and history. As the new Chairman, I will devote all my efforts and gather those of our respected members to promote advancement of the Society as well as that of the medical laser industry.”
Professor Park also laid out future directions for the Society, emphasizing safety training, ethics education, and promoting collaboration between the industry, research community and government health authorities.
“KSLMS provides an important and meaningful channel for many clinicians of varying specialties to gather and share scientific and clinical information on laser. This is why the Society focuses primarily on education on the basics of laser. We have invited engineers and laser manufacturers to our annual academic conferences to give lectures on laser mechanisms. Safety and ethics are included in the basics training. This is important as we view that lack of such training has compromised the overall safety of laser procedures. As most aesthetic laser procedures are not covered by the national health insurance, some less ethically-minded doctors may think of the treatment as nothing but a means to generate income.”
Manufacturers of laser devices have been invited to the conference to present the latest developments in the industry.
“I thought it necessary to cover basic physical properties of laser, safe usage, ethical training as well as the newest developments in laser technology. Laser manufacturers participate in our conference to provide training and demonstrations on laser usage.”
Professor Park lists academic improvement, promoting friendship and collaboration between members, and publication of the journal as the most important functions of KSLMS. He intends to increase the participation of laser manufacturers to encourage collaboration and mutual development of the academia and industry.
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“As for the successful foreign manufacturers of laser, their production teams work together with medical specialists, and engineers from the earliest stages of product development. In the past, information was power but now those with the best ideas lead the market. Korea now boasts very competitive technological skills. When the industry, academia and government work together, we can develop the next innovation in laser technology.”
I also plan to bring the Society’s academic journal to a global level.
“KSMLS has been publishing an English version of the journal for two years. The journal will serve as a great tool to inform the world about Korea’s excellent surgical skills and encourage exchanges between medical specialists around the world. For this objective, I will publish the journal on Pub Med and achieve academic excellence to the level of SCI. This will generate positive PR for the Korean laser industry, as many scientists around the world will be able to reference the journal. I will put my best efforts into accomplishing these goals during my time as Chairman.”
Article/ Shin Yoonae, Photography/ Won Sanghee
