- © 2004 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors
Dr. Bruce Squires, a mentor to medical editors in 77 countries, recently stepped down from the board of the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) 9 years after he and 21 other medical journal editors founded the “virtual” association.
In his various roles with WAME, the former CMAJ editor-in-chief (1986 – 1996) helped medical journals worldwide become more professional and connected. WAME has 1051 members representing 650 journals, and Squires has virtually “talked” to them all. After 6 years as a vice-president and 3 as secretary, he will continue to chair the membership committee and run the listserv.
His resignation prompted a deluge of email messages from his many admirers and colleagues, from South America to Iran, India to South Africa.
The seed for WAME was planted in response to concerns about the exclusiveness of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors in 1993 as editors searched for a way to be more inclusive and encourage dialogue. WAME was born in March 1995 in Bellagio, Italy, at a time when communication using the World Wide Web was just becoming commonplace. Undeterred, the group soon launched the site (www.wame.org).
“We wanted it to be accessible,” said Squires. “It was put together to help the smaller or poorer journals, most of which have part-time, volunteer editors with fixed terms and very little experience.” WAME also keeps the big guns on target, Squires says. “Since we demand integrity, we have to demonstrate integrity ourselves.” — Barbara Sibbald, CMAJ