Our History

The First annual Cherry Blossom Seminar was held on April 23-24, 1982 at the Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. under the Chairmanship of Charles H. Epps, Jr., M.D. and M.Mike Malek, M.D. The first seminar was designed for the beginner Arthroscopist and included didactic lectures and hands on interactive workshops. The seminar was sponsored by Depuy with Howard University providing the CME accreditation. An international faculty was invited and provided an outstanding educational experience for over two hundred and fifty participants.

The Cherry Blossom Seminar over the past twenty nine years has evolved in format and now incorporates multiple sponsors. It now caters to a wider range of health fields including not just physicians, fellows and residents but nurses, PAs, PTs and ATC's. Our principle idea is to provide the best educational experience for those seeking higher levels of knowledge and expertise in arthroscopy and arthroplasty.

Since the inception we have conducted twenty seven seminars in the past twenty nine years and have assisted in arthroscopy, arthroscopic surgery and related surgery education of over 3,000 orthopaedic surgeons, fellows and residents. At the present time the Cherry Blossom Seminar is the longest running independent Arthroscopy/ Arthroplasty seminar in the world.

Dr. M.Mike Malek, F.A.C.S. has continued to act as the chairperson for these seminars and over the last six years Dr. Benjamin S. Shaffer has joined him as the co-chairperson. The National Knee Research and Education Foundation has been the sponsor or co-sponsor of these seminars since 1984.

The Twenty Ninth Annual Cherry Blossom Seminar will be held on April 9th-11th 2010 at the Hotel Palomar (Washington, D.C.).

Inova Fairfax Hospital will provide CME credit for the seminar and participants will receive up to 18 credit hours Category I towards AMA awards. This course also meets the basic criteria of the Maryland State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners of State of Maryland for 0.9 CEUs (9 contact hours).

We are looking forward to another outstanding educational experience and celebrating our twenty ninth year of providing Arthroscopy and Arthroplasty education.