international Affiliations of Trainees in OMFS (iATOMS): Inaugural Meeting Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland
- Patrick Magennis
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Article from United Kingdom
Call for abstracts deadline: January 20, 2026 at Noon.
Event: June 23, 2026 | Dublin, Ireland
iATOMS is a new group of trainees which has evolved from the European OMFS Trainee Forum of the Union of European Medical Specialists (UEMS). It is a trainee led and trainee run organisation.
For 3 years iATOMS has been bringing international OMFS trainees together online through WhatsApp and monthly Zoom meetings. Dublin will be their first face-to-face get together.
Abstracts for iATOMS in Dublin are being processed in parallel to the Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS) in Belfast as a way of supporting this new trainee group. We hope that trainees will choose to attend both meetings. The Dublin meeting will be a one-day event in the Royal College of Surgeons on Saint Stephen’s Green, an iconic location.
The local Irish trainees are planning social activities before and after the event. Watch out for news nearer the time.
The link for abstracts is https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/auth?redirect=/stages/79821/submissions/new?behalf=false and the QR Code below.
Principles and Purpose of iATOMS
ATOMS is informal affiliations of trainees from all OMFS Associations (and none) based on friendship, fellowship, collegiality and being kind to our fellow trainees and our trainers.
Its main objective is to promote friendships around the globe and, by connecting OMFS trainees with shared bonds of friendship, fellowship and collegiality, thereby improve the well-being of trainees and the quality of OMFS knowledge, understanding and experience.
iATOMS will avoid the politics of all types: dental, medical, national or international politics of surgery and the wider world.
Within iATOMS decisions will be made by consensus rather than by democratic voting. Consensus can be difficult, but it ensures that the quietest voice is as important as the loudest one.
iATOMS will create links between individual OMFS trainees and also between trainee organisations/associations/groups. These links could be informal, or formalised with a Memorandum of Understanding.
iATOMS recognises that the specialty of OMFS originated in dentistry in almost all nations around the globe and that the widest spectrum of OMFS is found in nations where the specialty is dual degree.
Our future will be strong if we acknowledge our past and appreciate our present. All trainees are welcome to join iATOMS whether their OMFS is dental only, medicine only or dual degree. iATOMS is also open to trainees prior to entering specialty training.
Structure of iATOMS
iATOMS will, by its nature, be a confederation of organisations, associations, and groups.
The iATOMS forum will meet at least once per year in person or online.
At the forum, objectives for the year will be agreed by consensus.
Working groups will be created to deliver these objectives. Working groups could include an Executive Group to support the actions of the other groups.
Administrative Support for iATOMS (currently)
As iATOMS has evolved from the European OMFS Trainee Forum of UEMS, its initial partner will be the UEMS. In the future ATOMS can choose a new partner/host OMFS organisation to provide administrative support based on the quality and quantity of support. It will choose this by consensus.
Meetings online and in person
There will be one online meeting of ATOMS each year.
The aim would be to have at least one In person meeting of ATOMS per calendar year.
Any OMFS organisation can offer to host a meeting/conference of ATOMS. The offer should include: A free venue, administrative support for the trainee organisers; sufficient notice to promote attendance.
Meetings could be part of national, regional or international meetings either as pre-congress, post-congress or events during the meeting.
Where possible the costs for those attending would be kept to a minimum and attendance at the full meeting would not be a pre-requisite for those attending.
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