A Year of Collaboration: Reflecting on My Tenure as ACOMS President

As I conclude my year-long term as president of the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (ACOMS), I am filled with pride and gratitude for the strides we’ve made together. Being part of ACOMS initiatives alongside our members has been an honor, and our collective effort has continued and brought to life programs valuable to the profession.

The ACOMS Anywhere program evolved to deliver a live webinar series, providing five live webinars so far since that highlight topics important to OMS — from contemporary parotid gland surgery to anticoagulation and more. I would like to give a thank you to Drs. Shahid Aziz, Eric Carlson, Cameron Le, Ashley Manlove, Thomas Schlieve, Andrew Jenzer, and Donita Dyalram for their significant contributions as speakers. ACOMS members have unlimited access to the ACOMS Anywhere library, so I encourage you to stay on top of your yearly membership renewals to avoid a gap in offerings.

I can’t mention our educational offerings without reflecting on the ACOMS24 Annual Scientific Conference held in Scottsdale, Arizona last October and the ACOMS and FACES Winter Meeting, which happened in February in Big Sky, Montana. Those events delivered an exceptional blend of education and peer connection in an extraordinary setting, which is what makes ACOMS events both unique and special. Thanks to the leadership and enthusiasm of the two chairs of the Scottsdale Conference — Drs. Melissa Amundson and Jasjit Dillon, as well as our two “Brians,” Drs. Bryan Bell and Brian Farrell — for creating the program for the Winter Meeting.

I invite you to join our next event — the 44th Annual Scientific Conference & Exhibition, happening May 4-6, 2025, in Savannah, Georgia. This ACOMS25 Conference will deliver outstanding education — earning up to nine credit hours — centered on the theme of surgery for growing patients, which you may read more about in the interview with Conference Co-Chairs Drs. Kelly Kennedy and Brad Williams within this issue of ACOMS Review. This conference allows attendees ample time to experience the charm of Savannah while gaining valuable insights from expert speakers on the topics of intraoral trauma, implants, and anesthesia. I also would like to invite you to submit a research abstract to be considered for oral abstract presentation. Submit by March 26.

Beyond webinars and live educational events, other courses remain important at ACOMS, including the Hand-on Facial Cosmetic Surgery Course brought to us by Dr. Perenack and the talented faculty for the course. After searching for a new location for the course, I am excited to share that this year it will be held in Phoenix the weekend of October 11-12. I encourage you to register for the Cosmetic Surgery Course when registration opens. Additionally, please encourage residents and colleagues to join the Oral Exam Simulation Course later this year.

Many ACOMS members and I found time to learn alongside our fellow OMS professionals at ACOMS events, and I believe 2024 was truly “the year of collab.” We are also building relationships with organizations in OMS. I will join with fellow ACOMS members to present at this year’s ICOMS meeting in Singapore. We are also exploring new partnerships with other organizations, and I look forward to being able to share more details in the near future.

In closing, I extend my deepest gratitude to each of you for your unwavering support and dedication. One of the most significant lessons I’ve learned is the power of adaptability. Our field is evolving, and embracing change is crucial. To those that follow me, I advise fostering innovation while honoring our rich traditions. Encourage open dialogue, support continuous learning and remain receptive to new ideas that can propel our specialty forward.

Together, we have navigated challenges and celebrated successes, all in the spirit of advancing oral and maxillofacial surgery. It has been an honor to serve as your president, and I am confident that our association will continue to thrive in the years to come.

Faisal A. Quereshy, MD, DDS, MBA, FACS, FICD