Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru were the countries represented by last week’s outstanding Latin American fellow cohort. According to Bruna Andrade Bello from Brazil, “this seminar was a unique experience that greatly contributed to my professional development, but most importantly, to my personal growth”. Underscoring the relevance of in-person knowledge-sharing, Dr. Andrade Bello tells us: “Meeting people and professors from different backgrounds, learning from everyone, and having the chance to ask questions about the topics discussed was truly enriching”.
Dr. Juan Sanjuan from Colombia further captured OMI’s philosophy by stating: “Not only did I learn from what is written in most recent books, but I also learned the importance of sharing, hearing, and how the best trauma care comes with teamwork”.
Teamwork is truly among the pillars of OMI. To guide an outstanding group of international fellows, we had the honor of welcoming a team of exceptional professors. Directing this teamwork, was Dr. Winchell, chief of trauma, burns, acute and critical Care at Weill Cornell Medicine. Travelling from the USA along with Dr. Winchell, we were joined by Dr. Krista L. Kaups, program director of surgical critical care at the University of California, San Francisco, in Fresno. Also from the University of California, Dr. David V. Shatz joined us from Sacramento as a professor of surgery in the division of trauma, acute care surgery and surgical critical care. Dr. Vicente Cardona Infante, chief of transplant services at the Social Security Institute of the State of Mexico (ISSEMYM’s Medical Center), joined us as our local faculty member from Mexico.
Reflecting on his career, our distinguished course director states: “I have been involved with global surgery working to build capacity for trauma and emergency surgical care for most of my career, including work with the American College of Surgeons, the World Health Organization, and OMI Salzburg. The first OMI MEX Trauma and Emergency Surgery seminar held in Mexico City was an especially rewarding milestone. As part of my family is from Mexico, this opportunity to create a Latin American focus is personally important to me. We aim to create an experience that is rewarding and offers professional growth for the fellows as well as the faculty. Our Latin American colleagues bring valuable perspectives and insights that will further collaboration in the pursuit of future development.”.
Through each OMI MEX seminar, we strengthen our belief in the multiple possibilities that medical collaboration creates in Latin America. Sharing this idea, Dr. Winchell highlights: “Building on over thirty years of work based in Salzburg, our mission is to bring the OMI philosophy and operational structure to Mexico City and open the door to a broader Latin American audience with unique needs and experiences”.
