Dear Colleagues,

Greetings from Bangalore! As we are stepping into the next two years of the IRA academic and administrative period, I wish to have a look at the trials and tribulations of the difficult last 2 years. Covid had prevented us from meeting physically and changed the way we practice rheumatology. We dealt with patient concerns about covid and medications. We got used to online consultations. The IRA executive committee led by Prof Alakendu Ghosh connected us virtually through monthly webinar series. We soon experienced web fatigue as webinars proliferated. But learning continued. We have managed to pull off a world-class online conference with all your support.

We hope to organise physical meetings this year to culminate in a physical IRACON at Indore this year end. We will continue to explore online platforms to learn new things and to get faculties whom we may not get an opportunity to host in person. We shall strive to have combined meetings with various other specialties.

We will increase our funding for research projects. Continue to send your research proposals. If needed, we will mentor you with fine-tuning your research methodologies. Publish part of your research in the Indian Journal of Rheumatology, our journal. IJR requires your patronage and the editors are making sustained effort to get it indexed.

We need suggestions on how to improve the quality and visibility of our website. Keep sending good images to IRA image bank and use them in your clinical presentations and lectures. We will continue with Scholar’s meet and nurture our budding rheumatologists.

I request you all to stay updated. This is the only way we can show a difference in clinical care and outcomes. Allot some time every week for learning new skills. Read widely and not only rheumatology! This will improve our personality and help improve empathy and clinical skills like improved communication and business development.

Stay fit. Exercises and healthy eating are non-negotiable needs. You need to water these plants in your garden along with spending quality time with family and friends.

Wishing you all a happy and more productive new year. Stay healthy and safe. Long live IRA!

Dr. B G Dharmanand

President

Indian Rheumatology Association